Most people build a routine from the top down. They buy the serum first, because the serum is the interesting part, and skip the boring layer underneath. Then the serum stings, they blame the serum, and buy a different serum. This page is the boring layer, sourced from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
The shape of it
Think of it as three levels. The bottom is wash, moisturize, sunscreen. The middle is one active ingredient, if you have a reason for it. The top is everything else the internet is selling this month. The bottom level does most of the work, and if it's missing, nothing above it behaves.
Level one: wash, but gently
The AAD's face-washing rule: "Limit washing to twice a day and after sweating." More is not cleaner. From their acne-habits page: "Washing your face several times a day can further irritate your skin, leading to more breakouts." Technique matters as much as frequency: "Resist the temptation to scrub your skin because scrubbing irritates the skin," and "Use a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser that does not contain alcohol."
Level one: moisturize, even if you're oily
From the AAD: "Dry skin is irritated skin. Anytime you irritate your skin, you risk getting more acne." Their instruction is to apply moisturizer after washing, because "Applying it after you wash helps to trap much-needed water in your skin." If you're oily and skeptical, the oily-skin moisturizer page is the longer argument.
Level one: sunscreen, the real anti-everything step
The AAD's minimum is "an SPF of at least 30, which blocks 97% of the sun's UVB rays," labeled broad-spectrum and water resistant. The part people get wrong is the amount. For the face, the AAD says "use at least 1 teaspoon (about the amount needed to cover the length of your index and middle fingers)." For the body, "about 1 ounce of sunscreen — roughly the amount to fill a shot glass." Outdoors, "reapply sunscreen approximately every two hours, or after swimming or sweating." And a higher number is not a longer leash: "A high-number SPF does not allow you to spend additional time outdoors without reapplication."
Anders doesn't sell a sunscreen. Buy one anyway. The sunscreen page covers what to look for.
Level two: one active, with a reason
This is where serums live, and where the AAD's advice gets specific instead of general. For clogged pores, "dermatologists recommend using a retinoid." For inflamed bumps, a wash "that contains benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid." The pattern is one ingredient matched to one problem, not five ingredients matched to a feeling.
Two AAD rules for this level, both about patience:
- Give it time. Trying a new treatment every week "can irritate your skin, which can cause breakouts." Their number: "You want to use a product for 6 to 8 weeks."
- Apply it everywhere it's needed, not just on the spot. Treating only what you see "fails to prevent new breakouts."
Level three: everything else
Devices, mists, ten-ingredient serums, the thing that went viral on Tuesday. Some of it has evidence. None of it fixes a missing level one. If your face stings when you put moisturizer on, the answer is not a new serum.
The honest part
Anders sells a wash and a moisturizer. That's level one, on purpose. The mandelic serum we've written about would be a level-two product, and it isn't out yet. Nothing on this page needs either. A drugstore cleanser, any moisturizer that passes the label test, and a sunscreen you'll actually wear cover level one completely.
Sources
- AAD: Face washing 101
- AAD: 10 skin care habits that can worsen acne
- AAD: Moisturizer: Why you may need it if you have acne
- AAD: Sunscreen FAQs
- AAD: How to treat different types of acne
General education, not medical advice, and not a claim about any Anders product. If your skin stings, cracks, or keeps getting worse whatever you change, that's a dermatologist conversation, not a shopping one.