Let's see...

Facial cleanser (Cetaphil in the morning; Dessert Essence at night because it does a better job of removing mineral makeup)

Rx Clindamycin solution

Rx Finacea gel

Aloe vera gel

Laura Geller spackle primer (when I wear makeup)

Mine is very minimal.

Glycerin soap in the shower
Kiehls Ultra Face Moisturizer after and sometimes in the morning on top of my makup

Vitamin C Serum (sometimes)
Orange Oil for any skin blemishes or dark spots (sometimes)

Gigi, I think using a lot of products is fine. Plus, when you list out products, it always seems like more than it actually is.

I have two skin issues: very dry skin and melasma (dark patches) so I make sure to use moisturizer and sunscreen.

At this point, I still don't care about wrinkles or puffiness so I havent bothered trying to correct or prevent that stuff with products yet. Maybe in the future I'll regret my blaze attitude.

Gigi, I use more products that I'd like, too. I try to keep it to a minimum, but even so, here's my list:

- gentle face cleanser
- heavy cream before bed
- day cream with SPF 30
- eye cream (probably not necessary, but it feels nice)
- foundation to cover the areas that get red

I don't use toner because I've had several doctors tell me that it is useless at best, and over-drying at worst. In the summer, I skip the day cream with SPF, and apply a straight-up sunblock without any cream at all. I just discovered last year that in the warm months, I don't really need face cream as well as sunblock. I used to have trouble with the sunblock migrating into my eyes, but it turns out that my skin is extra greasy in the summer, so the sunblock alone is moisturizing enough, and tends to stay put!

Aziraphale, it depends what kind of toners, really. Toners of 20 years ago are completely useless...full of alcohol and witch hazel and so forth.

The thing about the word "toners" is that skin is an organ, and you cannot TONE it. You can only tone muscle.

Modern "toners" may say "toners" but you really need to read the ingi list to find out what it is. Some of them are very good and replenish the good stuff that cleansing has rinsed off; and also contain water binding ingri, so it is like a light moisturizer.

Em, yeah, azaleic acid above a certain percentage is prescription-only in the US. Since it's OTC in Europe, you can order it from there - that's what I did for my current product, which is Skinoren (same as Finacea) from a reputable ebay seller in Poland. I also recently found out about Melazapam cream made in the US - Pure Formulas seems to be the only place that sells it, and they're in and out of stock. I signed up for their email notification and finally snagged a tube. I just received it, so haven't started testing it yet.
https://www.pureformulas.com/m.....mulas.html

Mandelic acid isn't restricted, I don't think, but it is a lot less common than glycolic. My first product was recommended by the asianbeauty sub on reddit; it's a cream from India called Sefpil cream. It looks like it's out of stock right now from the vendor I got it from - they ship from India via Amazon but with free shipping. I adore this stuff; it's just the right strength to clear my skin without causing irritation.
My new product is from Stratia Skin, which is an indie one-woman skincare company based out of LA. She just released a new "soft touch AHA" which is a 10% mandelic acid gel. I've only been using it for a week-ish but so far I like it a lot.
https://www.stratiaskin.com/co.....-touch-aha
I've also read great things about Makeup Artists' Choice, but I haven't tried anything from them yet. They've got a mandelic toner, serum, and peel that get good reviews.
http://www.makeupartistschoice....._c_89.html

Laura, have you been able to discern whether those acids are AHA or BHA?

Vitamin C serums:
The big thing with Vitamin C is oxidation, since the whole point of it is as an anti-oxidant, and the most potent form (L-ascorbic acid) degrades quickly when exposed to air and light.
I've tried the following:
Mad Hippie Vitamin C serum (available @ Whole Foods among others) - this is not L-AA so is stable longer, was nicely hydrating but I didn't notice any brightening effect.
OST C20 - this is a Korean brand so will take longer to get unless you can find a US distributor - looks like Wishtrend has it right now for $15 with free shipping from Korea, so quite reasonable. I noticed some effects with this but it oxidized quite quickly, less than two months.
http://www.wishtrend.com/skin-.....m-ost.html
Anjou VitC serum - this was a Black Friday deal on Amazon for 5 bucks (now listed for $15) and so far I'm pleased with it. It's a little sticky/tacky so I don't love using it under makeup.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod.....#038;psc=1

The other two water-based serums I want to try are Timeless Skincare's (the blogger/youtuber Hot and Flashy likes this one) and JJ Labs. There's also anhydrous VitC formulations which are more stable that I want to try - Indeed Labs C24 and Holy Snails El Dorado oil.

Em, which ones? Mandelic acid is an AHA, and azaleic acid is some weird hybrid acid that's neither AHA nor BHA. Salicylic acid is the only known BHA, from what I understand.

Laura, that's what I understand, also. Too bad I am allergic to salicylic acid.

I use Algenist's vitamin C serum but it is so so expensive. Drunk Elephant's is a superb formula, but it smelled too bad for me.

all you multi-product ladies--you are my people. i used to be an all-in-on-product girl, now i have individual products for every complaint. i'm listing all the products i use. truthfully, consistent face washing nightly and face toner (or first treatment essence) made from sake lees (what skII is made from) are what really get my skin from eczema/pimple/dry patch mixed with oil puddles prone to ...well, not. prescription retin a is getting rid of my frown lines.

AM:
micellar water
niod superoxide dismutase saccharide mist
niod copper amino isolate serum
from nature age first treatment essence
sulwhasoo first care activating serum ex
mizon hyaluronic acid 100 mixed with paula's choice 10% niacinamide
missha time revolution serum
dr jart ceramidin cream
sunscreen
makeup

PM
ohui gel cleanser

niod superoxide dismutase saccharide mist
niod copper amino isolate serum
(prescription retin a 1-2x a week)
from nature age first treatment essence
sulwhasoo first care activating serum ex
mizon hyaluronic acid 100 mixed with paula's choice 10% niacinamide
missha time revolution serum
dr jart ceramidin liquid
taiwanese face mask
sulwhasoo concentrated ginseng renewing cream
sulwhasoo overnight vitalizing mask
laneige water sleeping mask

i think laura and i should bunk together in the asian beauty products clubhouse.

Micellar makeup removal wipes (I use the ones from Trader Joe's)

Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser for sensitve skin

Eucerin Q10 moisturizer (the thick kind that comes in a jar)

That's it, besides my makeup.

Laura, I had read that about vitamin C serums and oxidation. What confuses me is that I have seen product web pages say that the serum may darken in color over time but that does not reduce the effectiveness of the product. Do you think that this claim is untrue? My vitamin C serum is one where that claim is made; my esthetician recommended it, which is why I bought it.

Em, that's interesting about toners. The toner is use is Dr. Hauschka. But judging from the ingredient list, I'm guessing that it's not all that amazing of a product (Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Anthyllis Vulneraria Extract, Alcohol, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Bark/Leaf Extract, Fragrance (Parfum)*, Linalool*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Limonene*, Citral*.). Maybe when it runs out I will not replenish it. Any thoughts?

bj1111, yes, it is nice to know there are others in our "clan." I'm so glad that you have found some products that work for you! I know that when my skin doesn't look good, I don't feel as good or as confident. I think too that it is not possible to have a lot of all-in-one products. Certain products need an oil base vs. a water base to work, and others need a certain pH to work, etc. So I think that although an all-in-one sounds nice, sometimes it's just not possible.

I use three:
LaRoche-Posay Toleriane Dermo-Nettoyant
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair
Clinique Moisture Surge.

I have extremely sensitive, reactive skin. I cannot tolerate scented products on my face, so my skincare is fragrance free.

Gigi, I've gotta tell you, that "toner" is worthless.

I use ones by Paula's Choice and I think they are great.

Gigi, that "toner" is worse than worthless. Between the alcohol and the fragrance, it's likely doing more damage than helping. Long before Paula Begoun came out with her own skincare line, she was writing books and then Beautypedia.com where she educated people about what's what in skincare ingredients, what's good, what's not, and how things should be packaged. All research-backed. Here's what she has to say about the Dr. Hauschka toner: http://www.paulaschoice.com/be.....itive-Skin
Somewhere on that website is a lot of general educational material. I'll be back with a link.

Ok, here we go: http://www.paulaschoice.com/ex.....re-advice/
Lots of articles there. Consider yourself warned

Em and Alexandra, thank you for the information! Luckily, I'm not sensitive to the fragrance in the Dr. H toner (or any Dr. H products), but the toner certainly doesn't seem to be pulling its weight, and as Alexandra said, the alcohol is likely offsetting any benefits anyway. When my bottle runs out, I will not purchase another. I'll look at some other options.

I see that Paula is not a fan of Dr. H in general. I don't think that Dr. H products are the most powerful things out there, and I have had reactions to some of them (I got nasty acne from the Night Serum and the Cleansing Milk), but the ones I have found that work--the moisturizers and the Cleansing Cream and the Regenerating Eye Cream--seem to work well enough and don't make my skin weird. I do think that the line is formulated more energetically than biochemically (if that makes any sense), so Paula's review might not be the whole story. But reading her review makes me think that when I run out of my current batch of Dr. H stuff, it might not be a bad idea to try out some other things. Sometimes the skin gets used to what you're putting on it and could use a change!

I use: To cleanse I use whatever is handy at the moment. I either have Cetaphil, Exuviance Gentle Cleansing Creme or Dove Hypoallergenic Soap, I use this only once a day.

To remove makeup I use Neutrogena facial wipes.

I moisturizer with Cerave SPF whatever is available, and I mix in Exuviance Vitamin C powder.

I use prescription lotions for my Rosacea, two in the morning that I alternate between odd and even days, and one at night, none have any Retin A, because that has been too harsh for my skin.

I use a gentle AHA/PHA facial peel from Exuviance twice a week.

Gigi, while it is true that many people have sensitive skin, many more people have sensitive skin because their skincare products have damaged the lipid barrier or acid mantle so their skin has no more natural defenses. Alcohol is one such ingri that burns off the top layer. Supposedly by doing so it allows the active ingri to better penetrate the skin, but this assumes that your skin regenerates itself and/or you put another product on top to replace what you lost.

Alcohol also dilutes the product to make it smaller and thus more easily penetrates the skin. But look at what is penetrating in that formula! Witch hazel, fragrance, and essential oils. No wonder your skin is sensitive!

Might I suggest that you ditch that toner and find one with skin repairing ingredients, give it 3 weeks, and see if your sensitivity doesn't diminish.

I'm back to using only coconut oil right now. Not perfectly ideal but at least not harmful either and my skin likes it well enough. Also good to remove the little make up I do use from time to time.

OK, here is my winter list.

PM
Clinique oil cleanser
cream cleanser - Philosophy Purity
essence - Galactomyces niacin
retinoid - The Ordinary Advanced 2%
hyaluronic acid - The Ordinary
Camellia (Japoniba) oil - Garden of wisdom
face cream - Philosophy Hope in a Jar

AM
water with washcloth
essence - Galactomyces niacin
Viatmin C serum - Timeless
serum - Alienist Concentrated Reconstructing serum
face cream - Philosophy Hope in a Jar

Here is a great vlogger for Asian skincare.
https://www.youtube.com/channe.....KrKfqk7yug

Vitamin C at a great price point. It will turn as it oxidizes and loses effectiveness but will last 2 months for me. I use it every morning.
http://www.timelessha.com/20-v.....erum-1-oz/

I have a serum SPF coming from Japan that /I am anxious to start using.

Hi Gigi --

I'm another who tries to be minimalist but has a pretty substantial list of products!

For me personally the combo of gentle chemical exfoliant (BHA) + dedicated non-combo sunscreen + enriched moisturizer are my must-haves.

Sensitive skin, mild rosacea.

• Until my mid-30s I used Cetaphil soap. No moisturizer etc.

• Til my mid-40s I only used sunscreen when being sporty or outdoors in the sun for a chunk of time (not for small amounts of summer sun, and never in the rainy winter).

So making up for lost time here!

In between I experimented with some natural/organic moisturizers rec'd by skincare pros. A lot had essential oils that did subtle-to-instant harm (drying to irritation/breakouts).

I also tried some Paula's Choice products, including ~ 6 months of Vitamin C and retinol. I recommend as I saw a brightening and tightening effect, but stopped to streamline. I still use some PC stuff and would/might go back to the Vit C.

Now I mostly use parts of an MD-created line that, assuming its clinical trials are in fact as stated, has lots of added benefits while protecting the skin's barrier. It uses botanical extracts but they're carefully selected and buffered.

AM:

• Brightening/depuffing eye cream (have experimented with "regular" creams but this area is highly reactive)
• 1% BHA moisturizer OR heavy-duty one with "bonuses"
• SPF 50 every day, even when pouring rain

PM:

• Gentle cream cleanser OR gentle foaming gel cleanser
• 1% BHA moisturizer OR heavy-duty one with "bonuses"

Ad hoc add-ons:

• Mixed-oil product
• Heavy-duty BHA spot treatment (awesome for cystic hormonal breakouts)
• Enriching mask (can be used in place of moisturizer or overnight)
• No frills heavy-duty moisturizer

I guess it's not as bad as I think...just more than I'd like!

Oh another long list from me! My justification is that I don't want to use botox or other fillers, so I have to take care of the skin I'm in!
Morning -
- creamy cleanser, whatever brand, not fussy
- Skii essence - this is the single biggest thing that makes a difference to my skin, IMO
- Clinique or Lancome serum
- Clinique Repairwear moisturiser
- Elizabeth Arden City Smart SPF 50 plus (essential in Australia! The more sunscreen the better)
- Clinique eye serum, depuffing one

Night
- Miscellar water to remove makeup
- heavy duty moisturiser, usually Clinique but sometimes something else
- Rosehip oil on cheeks, or sometimes serum again
- richer eye cream, usually Clinique
- and because I've recently discovered the joys of adult acne after years of clear skin (!!), I've been using Mario Badescu Anti Acne serum on my chin as a preventer and his Drying Lotion on spots.

It seems like a lot, but my skin likes it !

lucy...i hear you on skII essence. i have a similar ne made from fermented sake byproducts--essentially what skII is--and it's been transformative. i use less product overall and the ones i use seem to work better.

I tried to do things by the book for a while (cleanse, tonic, exfoliating, moisturizer...). And then I noticed using a lot of skin products everyday was making my skin worse and more unbalanced - combined skin issues here. Nowadays I try to keep my facial routine to a more practical and "essential" level.

Morning time:
- smooth gel cleanser for combined skin everyday and once or twice a week I use a soft facial sponge for exfoliation.
- a light oil free moisturizer with good fps or a b.b. cream with good spf depending on how much makeup I will have to use that day (I keep everyday makeup to a minimal necessary level as well).

Night:
- since I don't use a lot of makeup on an everyday basis, I just wash my face with Johnson's baby shampoo and/or apply a soothing tonic - or use a all-in-one facial wipe when I'm travelling (or just lazy).
- anti-age serum.

Sporadically:
- makeup remover (only when I have to put a full makeup).
- a facial mask for dilated pores/deep cleaning (a green clay mask once every 2 or 3 months is usually enough).
- once a week I take a "stay at home day" to use nothing but cleanser.

That's a total of 8 products+1 accessory - but only about 4 products per day usually.

I only do two things

Cleansing,

Moisturizing.

Basic but very important , and I choose only quality products that help me a lot.

Every month I visit http://www.spaandskin.com/ for facials. I like how my skin feels afterwards.