If you have an 8-step skincare routine but your skin looks worse, this is why.

I got a call from a distressed girlfriend the other night, asking for help with her skin. 

As the founder of a skincare brand, this isn't an uncommon occurrence. However, most of the questions I usually get are about skin reactions or people who want to start a skincare routine or looking for the odd product recommendation.

But my girlfriend sounded upset and completely overwhelmed.

"I have all the products," she said, "Everything that I've seen people recommend who have amazing skin, and I've been using them all correctly, I'm sure, for months. But my skin just looks worse!"

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With the beauty explosion on social media, it's hard not to get swept up in a million different skincare routines, hacks or best and worst product recommendations we see daily. 

Even I find myself clicking 'add to cart' most weeks when I get swept away in a video on the newest 'stem cell infused skin tint' or 'drone technology serum' — and more skincare is the last thing I need. 

However, for the DIY'ers who have been absorbing all this content and building their skincare routines based on other people's recommendations, which sometimes end up amounting to 12 to 15 different products, it can be an absolute minefield for your budget and your skin.

As I tried to gently break it to my friend who had spent thousands of dollars on these top-of-the-range skincare products, they are probably making your skin worse. 

All the best skincare products or all the popular skincare products don't make the best skincare routine for your skin. In fact, all those products together are likely causing your skin more harm than good.

Too many active products, even if they are the most expensive fancy cosmeceuticals, can become too much for your skin over time. I see so many people buying the fanciest vitamin C serum because someone told them it's the best, and then their skin begins to break out. Or the fanciest new eight weights of hyaluronic acid serum and then they get a red, irritated rash. 

This is an expensive exercise in confusion and overwhelm, so I'm here to share the simple, easy tips I told my friend so she could get her skin back to thriving

1. Stop using all your products.

If your skin looks a little lacklustre, red, irritated, breaking out, dull, dry or flaky, the first thing to do is stop using your products. Don't throw them away. Just cut back your skincare routine significantly for a while. 

More products mean more irritation opportunities, and the currently buzziest trend 'barrier impairment'. Often, the more products you use on your skin, the more chance you have of disrupting your skin's natural barrier, which protects your skin and keeps it healthy. 

Any disruption to this barrier, such as too many active serums or over-exfoliation, can appear on your skin as redness, skin texture, dryness, dull-looking skin and a range of other issues. That's why we want to strip back your entire routine and focus on returning that barrier to its best self.

The best way to do this is to stick to a very gentle and simple routine. 

A non-foaming cleanser that you can use every morning and night is the best place to start, Cetaphil's Gentle Skin Cleanser ($21.99) is an easy and affordable option everyone can pick up at the chemist. It's gentle and won’t cause any disruption to your skin's barrier. 

Next, you will use a hydrating barrier repair serum for extra protection; La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Dermallergo Serum ($55.95) is specifically formulated to hydrate your skin while soothing barrier impairment.

Lastly, you're going to lock everything in with a gentle moisturiser. The Avène Cicalfate+Restorative Protective Cream ($29.99) is an excellent option if you don't already have a gentle moisturiser, as it actively works to restore your skin barrier and protect it from the environment. 

Products that will help reset your skin. Image: Supplied.

As always, you must apply your sunscreen every single day. As dull as this routine might seem, sticking to these simple steps for around three to four weeks will give you the best chance of getting your skin back to a good place. 

You may be surprised how many of the skin issues you were trying to fix look better after cutting back your routine and allowing your skin to heal.

2. Go slow.

Once you have your skin back to a good place or you feel ready to add in some active products, remember to go slowly. Only add one new active skincare product at a time to your routine so you don't overload your skin. 

This also allows you to check if anything new will cause you to break out or become irritated; if you only add one thing at a time, you will know exactly who the culprit is if your skin suddenly freaks out. 

Think consciously about your biggest skin issue; if it's fine lines and wrinkles, you might add a retinoid. If it's pigmentation and skin brightness, try a vitamin C product. An antioxidant and peptide product might work best if it's just general preventative ageing you are looking for. 

Start from your biggest concern and work down the list, one at a time, leaving at least two to three weeks before you add new products to your routine.

3. Speak to a professional.

Although it's great to access so much free beauty knowledge online, it takes time to pinpoint what is actually relevant to you. What you think are wrinkles on your face might actually just be dehydrated skin, which is easily fixed. Or what looks like skin texture could actually be a fungal condition. 

With any skin concerns, it's always best to speak to a professional; doctors can be an excellent first step if you have any problems that are really bothering you. 

However, a dermal therapist at a reputable skin clinic is also a fantastic way to find out what your specific skin actually needs; most will do free skin consults. 

It's best to take exactly what skincare products you are currently using with you — that way they can look at your routine and make sure it actually suits your skin type and needs. 

Want to read more from Amelia? Check out more of her articles here or follow her on Instagram.

Have you ever gone too hard with skincare products? Share your experience with us below.

Feature Image: Supplied/Amelia Gartner.