When I look at the bottles and pots cluttering my dressing table, I despair – wasn’t there a time when you just slapped on a bit of moisturiser in the morning and were done for the day? Now I use a serum before my moisturiser, then a primer, and of course at bedtime a richer night cream plus something just for the delicate skin around my eyes. I’m diligently feeding my skin with all the nourishment it needs, correct? Er, no. It could be that we’re clogging up our skin with too many different products and it’s freaking out (technical term). 

Befuddled, I turned to some skin experts to find out if we need to be a little less liberal with our skincare...

Sharon McGlinchey of cult Aussie brand MV Organic Skincare doesn't mince her words: “The skin is smart, it’s been protecting us for thousands of years. It needs a helping hand but it doesn’t need the amount of product marketeers tell us it needs.” Piling on products can lead to “Dull, sluggish and congested skin and possibly mature acne. What I see with mature skins is a tendency to small lumps and bumps just under the surface of the skin when too much moisturiser is used.”

Vanda Serrador at Neville Hair and Beauty agrees: “I have more clients with problematic skin now. They don’t wait [long enough] for the results of one cream, they just try another and that causes problems. The skin is always clogged, it’s not allowed to breathe or collect oxygen. It means they’re not seeing the results they want from their products.”

"The skin is smart, it’s been protecting us for thousands of years. It needs a helping hand but it doesn’t need the amount of product marketeers tell us it needs."

Dr Stefanie Williams is seeing the same thing: “I see patients in my dermatology clinic every single week who present with adult acne or rosacea, which is simply caused by using the wrong kind of skincare and overloading the skin with oils or other lipid-rich skincare products.”

Silvia Bayani, a therapist at QMS Medicosmetics in Sloane Square, has this to add: "Overuse of moisturizers is the most common mistake we make especially as some make-up now includes additional moisturizing agents… Restoring the moisture levels does not mean reaching for rich oils or heavy creams."

Ok, so we’re going over the top with our moisturiser – what should we be doing instead?

MV’s Sharon has this advice: “If you are oily then you probably only need a tiny amount on your cheeks or better still, use pure jojoba which is like sebum in structure and tends to balance an oily skin. For those with dryness or dehydration issues it’s best to apply a small pea size blob, but to damp skin – not dry!” 

“To avoid over-burdening the skin use a natural or organic moisturiser through the day – NOT at night. Creams contain emulsifiers and can, to some degree, occlude the skin. We do need this kind of protection through the day but at night, I believe we need to ‘treat’ the skin with oils. Plant oils and essential oils have a natural affinity with the skin so are ideal for night time use.”

"Knowing what I know now, I’d have used far less when I was younger"

Younger skin benefits from a lighter touch, as Sharon learned from experience: “Knowing what I know now, I’d have used far less when I was younger. The heavy creams I was recommended for my dry skin tended to make my skin even dryer and I became heavily reliant on them. I discovered years later that heavy, occlusive creams can inhibit normal skin function leading to even dryer skin.”

Dr Stefanie sums it up beautifully (and has inspired a ruthless cull of my dressing table): “While a 25 year old might get away with using an anti-oxidant serum and sun protection moisturiser only, somebody in their 30s or 40s will want to add something to support their skin's collagen production (e.g. a product containing retinol, which is best used in the evening). You might then also add a serum containing growth factors or peptides."

So, we are going overboard with our skincare regimes and need to get back to basics. Use products sparingly and be patient - give them a decent amount of time to show results (we're talking months, not weeks) before switching to something else. Always use a daily moisturiser with SPF, go natural or organic if you can and try a plant-based oil for night time, and even if it feels counter-intuitive, try to stick to the 'less is more' philosophy. Your skin will thank you for it.