Why You Don't Need a 10-Step Routine

Somewhere along the way, skincare turned into a performance. Ten steps, twelve steps, entire bathroom shelves auditioning for a place on your face. It looks impressive, but your skin isn’t keeping score. It’s just trying to stay balanced.

The truth: most routines are long because the marketing is loud, not because your skin needs that much attention.

More products ≠ more results

Layering product after product feels productive. It’s the same rush as organizing your Spotify playlists at 2 AM. But biologically? Skin can only absorb so much before the extras just sit there.

Too many layers can:
– crowd the barrier,
– dilute actives,
– block absorption,
– increase irritation.

The irony: the routine meant to “boost glow” usually ends up stressing the skin into dullness.

Skin works best when the message is clear

Your barrier likes consistency, not confusion. It responds to simple cues: hydrate, strengthen, protect.
If every night you feed it a different cocktail—acids, oils, toners, essences, mists—it’s basically guessing what you want.

And guessing is how sensitivity starts.

The essentials do the heavy lifting

A functional routine really needs three things:
Cleanse. Treat. Protect.
The details shift depending on your skin goals, but the framework doesn’t.

Hydrators only need one or two reliable humectants.
Actives work better when used purposefully, not thrown in daily out of habit.
Moisturizers don’t improve when you combine five of them. They just get thicker.

When “more” actually hurts your results

Overuse of actives—especially AHAs, BHAs, and retinoids—breaks down your barrier faster than dryness can move in.
Mixing too many formulas increases your chance of incompatible ingredients.
And long routines often make people inconsistent, which kills progress faster than a bad product.

The calm approach works

Minimal routines are not lazy. They’re strategic.
When your barrier is supported, hydration stays put, inflammation lowers, and treatments work the way they’re supposed to.
Fewer steps = clearer signals = better results.

The bottom line

You don’t need a 10-step routine. You need a smart one.
The Body Dept. keeps it simple because your skin isn’t a hobby—it's a living organ with limits.
Focus on what works, skip the theatrics, and let your skin breathe.