A smaller shelf for September

To shrink a skincare shelf, sort products by role (cleanser, serum, eye, moisturizer, sunscreen), keep one or two per role, remove anything expired or changed, and watch for overlapping actives. A smaller shelf is easier to use consistently and makes it easier to tell what’s working.

Step 1: Sort by role

Group everything into cleansers, toners and essences, serums, eye products, moisturizers, sunscreens, and treatments such as exfoliants and masks. Most people find duplicates straight away.

Step 2: Check condition

Remove anything past its expiry or period-after-opening, or that has changed smell, color or texture. Does skincare expire?

Step 3: Keep one or two per role

• Cleanser: one, plus an oil cleanser if you wear heavy sunscreen or makeup.
• Serum: one for the morning and, if you want, one for the evening.
• Eye product: optional.
• Moisturizer: one, or a lighter and a richer one for different seasons.
• Sunscreen: the one you actually wear.

Step 4: Look for overlapping actives

Several products with retinoids, exfoliating acids or vitamin C can add up to irritation. Read the full ingredient lists and keep one of each where you can. Retinol and vitamin C.

Step 5: Decide what to do with the rest

• Unopened and in date: keep sealed for when the current product runs out, or give away.
• Opened and fine, but not used: ask whether you’ll really finish it.
• Anything that irritated you: don’t keep “giving it another go.” Note its ingredients.

Step 6: Arrange for use

Put products in the order you apply them, morning on one side and evening on the other. The order to apply skincare in.

Why smaller works

• Fewer products means fewer chances of irritation and pilling.
• It’s easier to tell what a product is doing.
• Products get used before they turn.
• Routines stay short enough to keep up.

When your routine is enough.

Before you buy the next thing

Ask which role it fills, and what it would replace. Ten questions to ask before buying.

For an Ozera routine, the serum comes before eye gel and cream. 004 belongs in the morning; 003 on the evenings you use retinol. Those are roles, not a requirement to own both. See the routine.

Photography: Noah Blaine Clark / Unsplash. Editorial photograph.