Select your skin type and any skin concerns you want to address to get a recommended morning and evening routine order, along with a warning if two active ingredients you picked should not be layered together.
Morning routine
Evening routine
Patch test first. Introduce one new active ingredient at a time and apply it to a small area of skin, such as the inner forearm or behind the ear, for two to three days before adding it to your full routine, to check for irritation or an allergic reaction.
This routine order is a general starting point based on widely documented skincare practice, for information only. It does not replace advice from a dermatologist, particularly for reactive, sensitised skin, a diagnosed skin condition (such as eczema, rosacea, or dermatitis), pregnancy or breastfeeding, or before combining prescription-strength treatments with over-the-counter actives.
What UK product labelling tells you
Every skincare product sold in the UK carries a full INCI ingredient list, in descending order of concentration, under retained EU cosmetics regulation. Reading it is the most reliable way to spot whether a product actually contains retinol (often listed as retinol, retinyl palmitate, or retinaldehyde) or an exfoliating acid (glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid), rather than relying on front-of-pack marketing claims, which are not independently checked ingredient by ingredient.
What is trending in UK skincare right now
Skin cycling, alternating exfoliant and retinol nights with rest nights in between, has become one of the most searched skincare routines in the UK, largely because it addresses exactly the combination problem this tool flags. K-beauty multi-step routines and "skinimalism" (fewer products, better chosen) are both popular at the same time, which is why this tool separates a routine into a short list of steps that each earn their place rather than a long list for its own sake.
Introducing a new active safely
UK dermatologists commonly recommend starting a new retinol or acid exfoliant two to three nights a week rather than nightly, and increasing frequency only once the skin tolerates it without peeling or stinging. A patch test on a small area of skin for two to three days catches most reactions before they affect the whole face.
What this tool cannot tell
It cannot diagnose a skin condition, account for a known allergy, or account for interactions with a prescription-strength treatment such as tretinoin, prescribed benzoyl peroxide, or oral medication. Reactive or sensitised skin, a diagnosed condition such as eczema, rosacea, or dermatitis, and pregnancy or breastfeeding (during which retinoids are generally avoided) all call for a dermatologist's advice before adding new active ingredients.