After a pretty bad skin reaction from overusing products, I've had to completely strip my routine back.

I've said goodbye to my elaborate 15-step skincare lineup. I've stopped doubling down on exfoliants, actives and endless hydrating layers because, as I quickly learnt, more does not equal better results.

And as a skincare gal who used to slap on and trial every new product under the sun, it's been very humbling.

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Skin Changes in Your Forties | You Beauty

This reset has meant I'm now hunting for products that genuinely do more with less.

I want multi-taskers, toner-serum hybrids, barrier creams that double as sleeping masks, and SPFs that give a stunning natural glow so I can skip CC cream, concealer and foundation altogether.

And then I stumbled across a three-in-one serum from one of my favourite K-beauty brands.

The multi-tasking product…

It's a bottle of skincare goodness. Image: Supplied.

Please welcome the Dr. Althea ABC Glow Whipped Serum — currently on sale at Lila Beauty for $29.95 (down from $40).

What makes it different is the texture. In the bottle, it looks like a pale-yellow tinted water, but it dispenses as an airy, whipped foam (kind of like a foaming cleanser).

It comes out as a weightless foam. Image: Supplied.

This is what it looks like as soon as it's dispensed. But then, look!

As soon as it hits your skin, it melts down into a watery serum.

Look at that glaze! Image: Supplied.

The product is designed to work as a toner, serum AND bubble mask in one, which means you can genuinely cut down on skincare layers without feeling like you're missing a step.

The "ABC" refers to key ingredients that support brightening and barrier care:

A is for allantoin to soothe and lock in hydration, B is for bakuchiol to help improve elasticity and soften fine lines, and C is for collagen water to support hydration and plumpness.

There are two ways to use it. For everyday care, I dispense a few pumps after cleansing and gently pat it into my skin until absorbed. On low-maintenance days, I'll follow with just eye cream, moisturiser and SPF. At night, I might add a simple cream on top.

You can also use it as a hydrating glow bubble pack (instead of a sheet mask) by applying three or more pumps across your face and letting the bubbles sit briefly before patting in.

Here's my skin with just a bit of blush on. Image: Supplied.

What I love most about this innovative whipped serum is how gentle it feels. There's no heavy fragrance (a massive tick for me), it's vegan, and it's completed a skin irritation test, which makes it extremely ideal for my hyper-sensitive skin.

The whipped texture feels luxe, gives toner-level hydration with a subtle serum-like glow, but absorbs quickly without leaving any sticky film. And I can confirm it layers beautifully under makeup.

Since simplifying my routine and adding this into my very dialled-down lineup, my skin genuinely feels calmer, more hydrated, healthier and far less reactive. 

If you're in your minimal skincare era, do yourself a favour and add this to your cart.

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Feature image: Supplied.