Why Your Skincare Routine Isn't Working (And What to Do About It)

Here's the uncomfortable truth: your products might be fine. It's your routine that's broken.

The Problem Isn't What You Think

Before you blame your genetics or assume you need to spend even more money, let's talk about what's actually happening.

Most skincare fails don't happen because the product is "bad" — they happen because the way you're using it isn't working. It's like having the right ingredients for a cake, but mixing them in the wrong order and wondering why it didn't rise.

Your skin isn't complicated, but it does have rules. And when you break them, even the best products become expensive disappointments.

The Big Three Mistakes Everyone Makes

1. Playing Product Tetris (Wrong Order)

Trying to layer five different products without knowing how they interact is like winging a chemistry experiment on your face. Spoiler: it usually backfires.

The fix: Start with water-based products, end with creams or oils. That's the high-level rule — but it gets more specific based on what's actually in your routine. That's where skintuition can help.

2. The "More Is More" Trap

If one drop of retinol is good, five must be better, right? Nope. Your skin has a limit. Extra product doesn't equal extra results — it can actually make your routine less effective.

What's real: Most serums only need 2–3 drops. Most moisturizers? A pea-sized amount. Oversaturating doesn't speed up results. It just wastes product and clogs your skin.

3. Active Ingredient Chaos

Mixing every trending active without knowing how they interact is a recipe for irritation. Some ingredients cancel each other out. Some make each other unstable. Some are just too strong to combine.

The issue: Vitamin C and retinol? Great individually, not great together. Strong acids and retinol? Risky. You get the idea.

skintuition analyzes your product mix to catch these interactions for you — so you don't need a chemistry degree to avoid inflammation.

So... What Is the Right Order?

The truth is, there's no one-size-fits-all routine. The "right order" depends on your product textures, active ingredients, and your skin's sensitivity and goals.

In general, routines are structured to:

1. Cleanse and prep the skin
2. Apply treatments that address your skin concerns
3. Lock everything in with moisture and protection

But what that actually looks like can vary — especially if you're using strong actives like retinoids or acids, or balancing multiple goals like acne and dryness.

Ingredient Combos to Watch Out For

Some ingredients don't play well together. Instead of memorizing every bad combo, here are a few examples:

• Vitamin C and Retinol → better separated into morning and night
• AHA/BHA and Retinol → too harsh together for most skin
• Benzoyl Peroxide and Retinol → may cancel each other out
• More than one strong active → often leads to irritation, not improvement

skintuition checks your ingredient mix and flags conflicts for you, so you can skip the guesswork.

When to Expect Results (Realistically)

If you're switching routines every two weeks, you're sabotaging your own progress. Here's what a realistic timeline looks like:

Skincare takes time. That's why skintuition tracks your journey and keeps you consistent — because your skin needs more patience than panic.

Enter skintuition: Your Routine Reality Check

We built skintuition because we were tired of seeing people spend money on great products that never got the chance to work.

skintuition is an AI-powered skincare guide that helps you use what you already have, in the right way. It builds a routine based on your actual goals and skin condition — not trends, not hype.

• It checks for ingredient conflicts
• It recommends when and how to apply each product
• It helps you stay consistent and make data-backed adjustments

Because skincare is healthcare. And you deserve to feel confident in what you're doing.

Fix Your Routine Today

Your products aren't the problem. Your approach is.

Start by applying them in the right order, in the right amounts, with the right spacing. And give your skin the time it needs to respond.

Want to skip the trial and error entirely?

Let skintuition do the hard part.