Drugstore, Clinical Skincare or In-Clinic Treatments: What Does Your Skin Actually Need?

If skincare TikTok and Twitter have taught us anything, it is that there is apparently a new ingredient we should all be using every week.

One person is telling you that you need retinol. Another has discovered a miracle serum for hyperpigmentation. Someone else is recommending a chemical peel, while an influencer with seemingly perfect skin is convincing you that your entire routine needs to be replaced.

And somewhere in the middle of all this advice, you are left wondering: Do I actually need all of this?

The truth is, great skin does not necessarily require a shelf full of expensive products, a prescription or regular trips to a clinic. Sometimes, a simple drugstore routine is more than enough. Sometimes, your skin needs something stronger and more targeted. And sometimes, the best thing you can do is stop experimenting and see a professional.

The trick is knowing which category your skin actually falls into.

First things first: skincare is not just beauty

We have become much better at talking about skincare as part of everyday self-care, and that is a good thing.

Social media has encouraged more people to moisturise, wear sunscreen, understand ingredients and pay attention to changes in their skin. It has also helped move us further away from damaging ideas around skin bleaching and constantly trying to change our natural complexion.

But there is another side to the conversation that we need to acknowledge: some skincare products are effectively doing the work of medicine.

Ingredients such as retinoids, benzoyl peroxide and prescription treatments can be used to manage acne and other skin concerns. Retinoids, for example, have been used medically for decades and can help with acne, pigmentation and signs of ageing.

That means the fact that someone on TikTok has used something successfully does not automatically mean it is…