How to use
Building a routine
A routine that works is short and consistent. In the morning: cleanse, apply vitamin C, moisturize, then sunscreen — every day, without exception. At night: cleanse, apply your treatment (retinaldehyde or an exfoliating acid, on alternate nights, never the same night), then moisturize. Everything below is the detail behind those two lines.
Five rules worth following
- Patch-test before the first full use. Apply a little to the inner forearm or behind the ear for a few days before it goes on your face, especially with vitamin C, acids and retinaldehyde.
- Introduce one active at a time. Give a new active a couple of weeks on its own before adding another, so you can tell what your skin is actually responding to.
- Start slow, then build up. Retinaldehyde and acids begin at two or three nights a week, not nightly. More is not faster — it is just more likely to irritate.
- Never layer retinaldehyde and acids on the same night. Alternate them on different nights. Used together they tend to over-exfoliate and leave the barrier sore.
- Sunscreen every morning. Actives leave skin more sun-sensitive, and daily SPF is what protects the results the rest of the routine is working toward.
By active
Vitamin C
What it does- Morning only. After cleansing, apply 3–4 drops to dry skin before moisturizer.
- Always follow with a broad-spectrum sunscreen as your last morning step.
- Store away from heat and light and keep the cap closed; oxidation is faster once opened.
Retinaldehyde
What it does- Evening only. Apply a pea-sized amount to dry skin after cleansing, then moisturizer on top.
- Introduce slowly: 2–3 nights a week for the first few weeks, then build up as tolerated.
- Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning while using it.
- Evening routine in order: retinaldehyde serum, then night cream, with the eye cream around the orbital bone.
- Introduce the retinaldehyde serum 2–3 nights a week and build up as tolerated.
- Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning while using the retinaldehyde serum.
Niacinamide
What it does- Morning and evening, first step. Massage a coin-sized amount over damp skin for 30–60 seconds.
- Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry — do not rub.
- Follow with your serum and moisturizer while skin is still slightly damp.
- Morning and/or evening. Apply 3–4 drops to clean skin before moisturizer.
- Layers well under sunscreen in the morning and under your night cream in the evening.
- Can be used every day; there is no need to build up slowly.
Exfoliating Acids
What it does- Evening, 2–3 nights a week. After cleansing, sweep over dry skin with a cotton pad or clean hands.
- Wait a minute, then follow with serum and moisturizer.
- Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning while using it.
- Evening, once or twice a week. Spread an even layer over clean, dry skin, avoiding the eye area.
- Leave for up to 10 minutes — do not let it crack and over-dry — then rinse with lukewarm water.
- Follow with a hydrating serum and moisturizer.
Hyaluronic Acid
What it does- Morning and evening. Apply 3–4 drops to slightly damp skin after cleansing.
- Always follow with a moisturizer to seal in the water it holds.
- In very dry air, apply to visibly damp skin rather than dry skin.
- Morning and evening. Tap a rice-grain amount along the orbital bone with your ring finger.
- Do not apply to the lash line or the inner lid — stay on the bone, not the eye itself.
- Let it settle before applying concealer.
Ceramides
What it does- Morning and evening. Massage over damp skin, or apply to dry skin and rinse for a gentler cleanse.
- Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry.
- Best in the evening as a second cleanse after an oil or balm first cleanse.
- Morning and evening. Apply a pea to hazelnut-sized amount to face and neck after serums.
- In the morning, follow with sunscreen as your final step.
- Press a little extra over any dry patches rather than applying more all over.
- Evening. Apply a hazelnut-sized amount to face and neck as your final night step, after serums.
- Use as the seal over a retinaldehyde or hydrating serum.
- Reduce to dry areas only if it feels heavy in warmer months.
- Morning routine in order: cleanse, Vitamin C serum, moisturizer, then sunscreen last.
- Use the Vitamin C serum in the morning only, under the sunscreen.
- See each product for its own full directions.
Mineral Filters
What it does- Every morning, as the final step of your routine after moisturizer.
- Apply generously — roughly a two-finger length for face and neck; less than that under-delivers the SPF.
- Reapply every two hours of sun exposure and after swimming or sweating.
Not sure where to start?
If a product arrived damaged, email us within seven days with a photograph of the leak or breakage and the outer box — we replace or refund in full, with nothing to post back.
If you are not sure which actives suit your skin or in what order to use them, tell us what you are working with. We would rather answer a question than have a product sit unused.