Have your patients' beauty routines changed in recent years? 

"Yes, women use far too many products in their beauty rituals. When I interview them, I find that their routines consist of several gestures, requiring several products with different galenics. This superimposition, and therefore accumulation of ingredients, is harmful. What's more, too many cleansings strip their skin and make it more fragile. For some, this leads to sensitivity, while for others, it leads to imperfections. While thicker Asian skins can withstand all these superimpositions, this is not the case for European skins, which are considerably thinner."

Are you questioning beauty routines? 

"Do the math. In the morning: two cleansings with foam and water, then a micellar lotion, you add a serum, a day cream, a sunscreen. Then foundation, blush, concealer and powder. Each formula contains at least 15 different ingredients... that's around 150. In the evening, you add two cleansers, a serum, a night cream, an eye contour cream... just imagine the number of different substances your skin has to cope with in 24 hours!"

You were talking about sensitivity? 

"Twice-daily cleansing scours and destabilizes the epidermis, which no longer performs its protective function. Especially when this cleansing is done with water and a foaming product. A single cleansing in the evening is more than enough. Morning cleansing is useless. I therefore recommend avoiding very hard tap water, which is very aggressive, especially for fine skin."

You also mentioned imperfections? 

"Yes, over the last ten years or so, I've been seeing more and more adult women who come for a consultation because they have blemishes, microcomedones, small pimples and even, in some cases, painful, inflammatory lesions, often on the lower face. This "adult acne" differs from teenage acne in that it occurs late in life, even after the age of 30, in women who may never have had acne in their youth. This phenomenon does not occur in men.

How do you explain this? 

"This "acne" is partly cosmetic. Women strip their skin too much, and use too many skincare and make-up products that have an occlusive effect and grease the skin. Accumulated skin care products clog pores, causing imperfections and inflammation. Not to mention make-up products, which also become encrusted."

What do you recommend? 

"I start by assessing everything my patient puts on her skin and narrowing down the list. The skin gets much better very quickly. With sensitive skin, I take care to avoid too much cleansing, as it increases the irritation process. Normal skins often apply too many creams they don't need, so they need to be reduced or even stopped. Oily skins, on the other hand, need to be vigilant and choose appropriate formulations. We must learn to listen to our skin and respond only to its needs, not to our desires."

Women think they're doing the right thing, but end up doing too much? 

"Yes, when I ask them why they use so many cosmetics, they say 'because I have to'. But every skin is different, and you have to listen to it. While some skin feels tight and uncomfortable, others are dry and need moisturizing. Others don't need anything, because they don't ask for anything. Their lipid layer is enough for them, and even a protective moisturizer on top... it's too much."