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THE "ONE CLEANSER, ONE CREAM"

routine for a week

By Karla, recovering product layerer

I used to treat my skincare routine like a buffet. One serum for glow, one for texture, one for oil control. A mist for fun. A toner I forgot the purpose of. A moisturizer (usually optional). At one point, I was layering seven products. At night. In July. In a city where the heat feels personal. My skin? Over it. I was breaking out, flaking, and somehow… still shiny. So I decided to try something terrifying: just one cleanser. Just one cream. For one week. No serums. No extras. No panic. Did my skin fall apart? No. It lowkey thrived.

THE "ONE CLEANSER, ONE CREAM" routine for a week

Day 1: Mentally unwell, Mildly moisturized

Washing my face without following it up with “step 2” felt illegal. Like, where’s the essence? The ampoule? The niacinamide dropper that makes me feel like I know what I’m doing? I applied my jelly-textured cream. It melted in, felt refreshing… and that was it.

I stared at my reflection like, “Is this… enough?”

(Spoiler: it was.)

Day 3: My skin starts talking back (In a good way)

By day three, the weird thing happened: I looked better.

Less redness. Less texture. No new breakouts.

And my skin felt calmer : like it wasn’t being bossed around by too many actives and trends.

Turns out, when your barrier isn’t under attack every night, it stops screaming at you.

What I used (In case you’re wondering)

  • One jelly cleanser : gentle, non-stripping, no drama
  • One jelly cream

Both were chill, light, and designed to work with my skin, not against it.

No exfoliants. No masks. No actives.

Just cleanse, cream, done.

Day 5: My skin… Got glowy?

I wasn’t expecting to glow. I thought this was going to be a survival routine. But my skin tone looked more even. My cheeks were bouncier. My makeup sat better. I had fewer “why do I look like this?” mornings.

And for the first time in a while, my skin felt quiet.

Not tight. Not greasy. Just… good.

The glow-up was in the reset

Sometimes, you don’t need more products, you need a pause. My skin wasn’t mad at me. It was overwhelmed. And by giving it two simple, barrier-safe steps, I gave it room to reset.

Now I get it: skincare isn’t about the number of bottles. It’s about knowing what your skin actually wants.

Would I go back to 7 steps? Maybe. But not today.

For now, I’m happy with my cleanser, my cream, and my sanity.

And honestly? I’ve never glowed harder.