Morning
- Gentle cleanse, or water alone if skin feels tight
- Optional vitamin C serum for antioxidant support
- Humectant on damp skin
- Moisturiser — face, neck and chest
- Broad-spectrum SPF 30+ on everything exposed
Evening
- Cleanse thoroughly to remove sunscreen
- Humectant on damp skin
- Retinoid two to three nights weekly, once the barrier is calm
- A richer moisturiser, taken down the neck
Body — the part people skip
Areas where skin has retracted most — abdomen, upper arms, inner thighs — respond well to consistent moisturising, even though it doesn't reduce excess skin. Texture, comfort and appearance all improve.
- Moisturise within minutes of showering
- A urea or lactic acid lotion once or twice weekly for rough texture
- Sunscreen on anything exposed
- Shorter, cooler showers
Sequencing new products
Add one product at a time and give it four weeks. Introducing three at once means that if something stings, you have no idea which one to remove.
What to leave out
- Firming creams promising to remove loose skin
- Daily physical scrubs
- Stacked strong actives
- Anything you dislike using enough to abandon by week three
