How Many Products Do You Actually Need?
The aim shouldn't be the biggest number of products, the aim should be biggest number of benefits in as few products as possible.
To achieve this you need "Full-Spectrum" skincare products.
Better Skin In Less Steps Guide - Industry tactics • 2026
HOW TO GET BETTER SKIN IN LESS STEPS
If you've ever wondered whether you're doing too much, not enough or using completely the wrong things, this is for you.
Once you understand what your skin actually needs, the answer is so much simpler than the skincare industry has made it seem.
Depending on who you listen to, apparently you need:
Cleanser • Toner • Niacinamide Serum • Hyaluronic Acid Serum • Essence • Facial Oil • Vitamin C Serum • Retinoid • Moisturiser • Exfoliator
and that's before we even get onto eye creams, barrier serums, mists and whatever else has launched or goes "viral" this month.
This guide will help you to understand what you REALLY need for your skin.
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So How Did We Get Here?
For many skincare brands, this is their entire commercial strategy.
Once they have you as a customer, there are two obvious ways they can grow:
1) They can spend more money to keep acquiring new customers (usually the most expensive route)
Or...
2) They can get the customers they already have to buy more from them.
And this is where things get interesting.
New product launches create some of the biggest attention-grabbing moments in beauty. They give brands something new to advertise and email about, creators something new to talk about, and existing customers a reason to come back and buy again.
Which means there can be enormous pressure to launch something new every 60–90 days.
The simplest way to achieve this goal is by making every skin concern or skin benefit its own product and when that runs out... they create new categories.
Dehydration - Essence, Hydrating Toner, Facial Mist, Hydrating Serum
Dullness? Vitamin C Serum, Exfoliators, skin polish, 2 different types of cleansers
Uneven-looking tone? Niacinamide serum, Rice Ferment, Chemical Peels, Treatment pens, Peel Pads, Liquorice Root Extract, Retinol night creams
Fine Lines? Peptide cream, Collagen, Face masks, targeted serums.
Sound familiar?
Every additional step creates another product to buy, another opportunity to launch and another reason for you to come back.
They benefit every time another step gets added to your routine. And this is how the industry moved away from what is best for you and your skin, and instead what is best for the profits.
Is it all lies?
No.
A lot of these ingredients are genuinely useful and have good evidence behind them.
The problem isn’t necessarily the ingredients. It’s the idea that every benefit needs its own bottle.
It usually doesn’t.
There is a huge amount of crossover between what these products are doing, and many of those ingredients can be formulated together.
Which means the aim shouldn’t be to use the biggest number of products.
Try this one switch
Moisturiser is one of the most underutilised beauty products. A lot of moisturisers are designed to be simple barrier creams with very little else to the formulation.
This is because, as we've discussed, the industry expects you to add in 9 other steps before you eventually get to your moisturiser so they simply use it as a barrier cream and locking system.
But if you don’t feel like standing in front of the mirror for an hour, morning and night, applying 4 face mists, essences, hydrating toners and serums, waiting 10 minutes between each application and racking up a hefty price tag for the pleasure, then you’re not alone.
There is a much simpler way and, for those that want smarter skincare routines, harnessing the power of the moisturiser is how you get there.
What does a Smart Skincare Routine Look Like?
With the right products you can have a full, well-rounded skincare routine that covers all the essential bases in as few as 3 simple steps.
Cleanse, Exfoliate, Moisturise.
The key isn't the category; it's the type you choose. Here is an example:
1/1
That's the essentials and as you can see, by simply switching to a Full-Spectrum moisturiser, it does a lot of the heavy lifting for you.
Other Nice-to-Haves
A multi-benefit serum. One that Hydrates, soothes and supports the skin barrier and if you can throw a collagen-supporting peptide in there to help with fine lines and wrinkles then you are at black belt level skincare.
Why add a serum?
Good serums are often thinner and can harness their smaller molecular weight ingredients for improved penetration so they can work deeper while your moisturiser works on the upper layers. - Think of it like your moisturisers sidekick if you are wanting to go the extra mile in just 1 more step.
Can it really be that simple?
Yes, some of the world's top dermatologists and skin experts agree, a well-formulated, streamlined routine can do more for your skin than a 10 - 12 step routine can.
How to choose the right moisturiser
This is where choosing the RIGHT skincare products matter most.
What to look for...
There are lots of nuances to this, but to keep it simple, here’s our advice:
For a moisturiser to be confidently deemed as a Full-spectrum Moisturiser it needs to cover between 6-8 skin benefits in its formulation.
Most basic moisturisers on the market cover around 1-3
And most Medi-Benefit Moisturisers cover around 4-5
Before rushing to buy a Full-Spectrum moisturiser, run it against this checklist.
We built this clinically evidenced checklist of what to choose and what you might want to avoid. But to make things even easier for you, if you scroll just past the checklist, you’ll see exactly how the 3 products in our comparison score against it, including the formula that ticks every box.
Check your moisturiser’s ingredients, and if it contains fewer than 6 of these, then it probably wouldn’t be classified as a Full Spectrum Moisturiser
✔️ CHOOSE
Glycerin
draws water into the skin
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract
It provides rich antioxidant protection, deeply hydrates and locks in moisture, calms redness and irritation, and supports a healthy skin barrier.
Niacinamide
supports barrier, tone and pore appearance
Hyaluronic Acid
hydrates and helps skin look plumper
Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
delivers radiance and a more even tone to the skin
Squalane
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores
Peptides
support firmer, smoother-looking skin
Vitamin C
antioxidant support, radiance and collagen production
Tocopherol
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E. A skin conditioning agent
Allantoin
calms and softens
Urea
Is a humectant that helps draw moisture from the air to help hydrate the skin.
❌ AVOID
Parabens
Some parabens have shown weak oestrogenic/endocrine (hormone like) activity and historical controversy around long-term exposure.
Fragrances
Fragrance can irritate reactive skin and certain fragrance ingredients can sensitise the skin, potentially causing allergic reactions on future exposure.
Drying Alcohols
Can dry and strip the skin leaving it irritated and stinging.
Synthetic Colourants
unnecessary for the moisturising function and can in some cases cause allergic-type reactions.
Essential Oils
Can contain naturally occurring fragrance allergens capable of irritating or sensitising susceptible skin. Natural doesn't necessarily mean gentler for sensitive skin.
Formaldehyde Releasing Preservatives
Formaldehyde is a recognised human carcinogen and skin sensitiser. Certain preservatives can release small amounts of formaldehyde over time
3 Multi-Purpose Moisturisers Compared
We applied our checklist criteria to 3 widely purchased "multi-benefit" Moisturisers in the UK.
Here's how they score and why one came out on top.
More Hydration
Most Benefits
No Nasties
All In 1 Moisturiser
COABE Hydra-Smooth
Marine Spa Cream
Moisture Drench Gel
Skin Benefits
8
5
4
Fragrance Free
Peptides
Brighteners
Antioxidant
🥇Strong
Good
Good
Hydrators
🥇15
🥈9
😐5
Size
80g
50g
50g
Price
£35 + free Gift
£98
£49
*Comparison reflects typical products in each category. Prices are indicative and correct at time of publication.
More Hydration ✨More Radiance ✨Smoother ✨Plumper
🥇 Editor's Choice · Best All Round Full-Spectrum Moisturiser
by COABE Cosmetics
ALL IN Hydra-Smooth Moisturiser
£34.99
Limited Time Promotional Offer
✓
Dermatologist Tested
✓
Radiance Improving
✓
Skin Softening
✓
15 Hydrators
✓
Age Refining
Why Hydra-Smooth wins Editor's Choice
Based on everything we've compared it to, Hydra-Smooth consistently comes out ahead. Its hydration profile is exceptionally strong, but this formula goes far beyond hydration alone. It combines brighteners, antioxidants, age-refining ingredients and barrier-supporting hydrators in one luxury-feeling formula, while leaving out many of the typical nasties found in competing products. If you're looking for a Super Hydrator that delivers multiple skin benefits without adding more steps to your routine, Hydra-Smooth is our clear winner.
Here are just a handful of its many ingredients that stood out to us.
🧬
Peptide
Firms & Smooths
A targeted peptide that relaxes facial muscle contractions, helping to visibly soften expression lines and firm the skin over time.
✨
Vitamin C
Brightens & Protects
Fades dark spots and shields skin from environmental damage for a radiant glow.
🌾
Rice Ferment
Refines & Renews
A gentle fermented ingredient that improves skin texture and boosts radiance.
💦
3D Hydration Complex
Locks In Moisture
A next-generation hydration complex that delivers a sustained release of moisture deep into the skin, keeping it plump and comfortable all day.
🌿
Squalane
Softens & Balances
A lightweight plant-derived oil that softens skin without clogging pores.
1 Jar vs 6 Different Products
Most moisturisers require 4–5 additional products to support all the skin benefits discussed. Hydra-Smooth delivers on all and combines it with a whopping 15 hydrators in a single application, increasing skin hydration by up to 83%, hours after application.
A recent survey showed customers agreed their skin felt smoother, more radiant, calmer, and improved the look of fine lines over time. 99% said it performed better than their previous moisturiser.
🏆 Hydra-Smooth
- 15 hydrators in one single application
- Increases skin hydration by up to 83%
- Firms, brightens & softens skin in one step
- Dermatologist tested formula
- Lightweight luxury feel
- No extra steps just cleanse and apply
❌ 6 Separate Products
- Multiple products to buy and apply
- Higher combined cost
- Risk of ingredient conflicts between products
- More steps = more time every day
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