It’s time to clear up a few things about good skin routines

If using a serum. apply to cleansed skin before any other product

Afew years ago we entered a new era of beauty, brands that produced products of single ingredients. The Ordinary started the revolution, creating effective beauty solutions like Hyaluronic Acid and Caffeine that came as single serums or cream. The Inkey List followed, they are now mushrooming as a brand and also carry fantastic single-ingredient beauty. NIOD and hylamide are two other brands in Deciem, owner of The Ordinary who are similar to the line. But here’s the thing, what good is it to have all these single ingredient beauty pieces if you don’t know what goes with what? Here is a simple guide through what skin needs and how to use them. Hydration

All skin needs hydration as the effects of dehydration affect the upper layers of skin, even oily skin. To hydrate skin you improve the water levels in skin, the two big power players here are hyaluronic acid and glycerin, both humectants that drag water from the atmosphere into the upper layers of skin. Both are widely available in serums and hydrating creams. If using a serum apply to cleansed skin before any other product. Repair

Damaged skin is not happy skin, if the natural barrier is impaired it can lead to roughness and irritation (see Uriage Barrier Hand Cream). Here you are looking for ingredients that will work on the structure of the skin, repairing areas where help is needed to restore the skin’s natural barrier to full health. The most common and effective are niacinamide, ceramides, vitamin E and certain peptides. These ingredients can be found in moisturisers, sometimes in treatments that come in capsule form. The options are quite varied, follow instructions on use according to the product description. Nourish

With hydration ticked off it’s time to look at moisturising skin. Skin that needs nourishing is lacking in oil. To boost natural oils to ward off dryness look for super-moisturisers like shea and cocoa butters, and skin-loving oils like jojoba, olive, sunflower and coconut. These butters and oils can have a twofold effect on skin, with the butters trapping moisture into the skin and keeping it protected from harm. Protection

We’re not short on information on sun protection. We know we must wear a broadspectrum (UVA + UVB) sunscreen daily to reduce the ageing effects from sun exposure. But it’s becoming increasingly relevant to protect skin from free radicals in pollution and from smoking.

For this we need beauty with antioxidants inside that neutralise those free radicals that are believed to increase ageing signs. These are in lots of beauty products, from essences and toners to masks and day creams. Tea and fruit extracts are a good source, as is vitamin C and coenzyme Q10.