Beauty you can believe in.

A routine doesn't need ten products. Most people do well with four:

• Cleanse morning and night with a gentle, non-stripping cleanser.
• Treat with one serum that targets your main concern, such as dark marks or dryness.
• Moisturize to keep your skin barrier healthy, even if your skin is oily.
• Protect every morning with a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher.

Add one new product at a time and give it four to six weeks before you judge it.

Oily or acne-prone skin usually suits a gel or foaming cleanser, ideally one with salicylic acid or niacinamide.

Dry or sensitive skin suits a cream or lotion cleanser that rinses off without leaving skin tight.

Skip bar soap on your face. It is often too alkaline and can dry out and irritate the skin. If your face feels squeaky after washing, your cleanser is too harsh.

• Niacinamide helps with oil, enlarged pores and uneven tone. It suits most skin types.
• Hyaluronic acid draws water into the skin. Apply it to damp skin, then moisturize.
• Vitamin C brightens and helps protect against sun damage. Use it in the morning, under sunscreen.
• Retinol helps with texture and fine lines. Use it at night, start two or three times a week, and always wear sunscreen the next day.

Don't start several actives at once. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, ask a doctor before using retinol.

Somaliland is close to the equator, so the UV index is high in every season, including cloudy days.

• Choose broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher.
• Use enough: about two finger-lengths for the face and neck.
• Reapply every two hours outdoors, and after sweating.

Sunscreen also helps stop dark marks and pigmentation from getting darker, so it matters for every skin tone.

• Batch code: a short code printed or stamped on the product and box. They should match.
• Expiry date: often shown as EXP followed by a date.
• Open-jar symbol: a small jar with a number such as 12M. This means the product is good for 12 months after opening.
• Ingredients are listed from highest to lowest amount.

If anything looks blurred, misspelled or doesn't match, bring the product to us and we'll check it with you.