Know your products

The bit before the bit that works. A gentle cleanser lifts the day off without stripping, so your actives land on calm skin, not angry skin.

A watery Korean step that preps skin to drink the next layer. Think of it as a softener, not a miracle.

The delivery vehicle — a thin layer carrying the active ingredient to where it needs to go. 'Serum' tells you the texture, not what it does.

The vitamin-A family that nudges skin to turn over faster and lay down collagen. Retinal works a step faster than retinol. Use it at night, build up slowly, and never without SPF in the morning.

The quiet multitasker. It calms the breakout and fades the brown mark it leaves behind, which is rare in one bottle.

A calming vitamin that takes the heat and oiliness out of skin and sits happily under almost anything else.

The one that actually slows the lines. Every morning, no exceptions. Without it, the retinol you put on at night is partly undone by lunchtime.

A fine blade that removes hair and the dull layer of dead skin on top of it. It does not grow back thicker — that is a myth.

Used after removal, these slow what grows back so the gaps between sessions get longer. Expect patience, not a permanent stop.