Building a simple skincare routine by skin type

A skincare routine does not need ten products. For most people, a sensible daily routine has three steps:

1. Cleanse to remove the day's sunscreen, make-up and grime.
2. Moisturise with a texture that suits your skin.
3. Protect with a broad-spectrum sunscreen in the morning.

Get those right and comfortable first. Everything else, such as serums, toners and masks, is optional and easier to judge once the basics are settled.

A simple way to get a sense of your skin type: wash your face with a gentle cleanser, leave it bare for an hour or so, then notice how it feels.

• Oily: shine across the whole face.
• Dry: tight, rough or flaky in places.
• Combination: shine through the forehead, nose and chin, with drier cheeks.
• Sensitive: easily stings, itches or reddens with new products.

Skin changes with the seasons, heating and air conditioning, so you may need a slightly richer routine in winter and a lighter one in summer.

Oily or combination skin. A gel cleanser and a lightweight gel moisturiser are popular choices because they feel light on the skin. Look for products labelled non-comedogenic if you are prone to breakouts. Combination skin can use a richer cream on the cheeks only if needed.

Dry skin. A cream or non-foaming cleanser and a richer moisturiser tend to feel more comfortable. Ingredients such as glycerin, ceramides and squalane are common in products made for drier skin. If you wear sunscreen or make-up, you may want an oil or balm cleanser first in the evening to lift it off.

Sensitive skin. Keep the routine as short as possible and favour fragrance-free formulas. Fewer products means fewer things to react to, and makes it easier to spot the culprit if something does not agree with you.

Look for broad-spectrum protection (covering both UVA and UVB) with an SPF of at least 30, and follow the directions on the pack for how much to use and when to reapply.

The best sunscreen is the one you are happy to wear every day, so texture matters. Fluid and gel formulas suit oilier skin; creamier formulas suit drier skin. If you wear make-up, try a sunscreen that sits well underneath it.

Once the basics feel right, you might add one extra step, such as a serum. Introduce new products one at a time, a couple of weeks apart, so you can tell how your skin gets on with each.

Patch test anything new first by applying a little to a small area, such as behind the ear or on the inner arm, and waiting a day or two. Check the label for any guidance on combining active ingredients, and stop using anything that stings or irritates.

If you have a persistent skin concern, a pharmacist or doctor is the right person to ask. A routine is about comfort and care, not a fix for a medical problem.

Flairmingo's Beauty catalogue covers cleansers, moisturisers, sunscreens and serums, each with notes on when in the day to use it and which skin types it is usually made for. Tell us your beauty taste in a few taps and see products ranked by how well they fit you.