'I'm a dermatologist - common skincare error is making your complexion worse'

With so many tutorials popping up on , it can be hard to know which ones to follow - and now one leading dermatologist has warned against using too many products at once.

Viral five-step night time routines can make it feel as if we're not doing enough for our skin. However, Dr Safa al Naher, a dental and facial expert at has said we should be streamlining our skincare and be careful not to use the wrong products a it can wreak havoc on your skin.

The said it's better to keep it simple and stick to the basics rather than overcomplicating it. Viral trends see skincare influencers piling on a whole array of different products each night, and things like the 'morning shed routine' have raised questions over whether it's really worth the effort. Not to mention how expensive it can get.

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While people will bombard you about various products you 'need', the expert simply said everyday products should just be a "good cleanser and moisturiser morning and night."

She told Daily : "Sometimes I like to leave off the moisturiser in the evening, especially if I've been wearing makeup all day. I just like to allow my skin to breathe a little bit, but make sure that I put the moisture back in the next day. I think it's very intuitive - nobody knows their skin better than themselves, so nobody can really tell you.

"Sometimes your skin will feel tight and it will feel like it needs some extra moisture. And of course there's seasonal changes as well, so it's important for you to be in tune with that." But she said not everybody needs "lashings" of moisturiser either.

Dr Safa also warned you can "harm your skin barrier by using the wrong products for your skin". For example, if you have rosacea and you use lots of acids and harsh products, you could be "further damaging the skin barrier, which is already sensitised and potentially damaged."

She added: "I don't like to generalise - something as specific as skincare should be very tailor-made to a person, according to their skin type, what it needs, their age and the things that would be beneficial to them and their specific condition. We also need to take into account lifestyle and how much time you have, how much time you want to spend on skincare - also budget, of course, is really important."

There is no denying skincare products can get pretty pricey, and Dr Safa said finding which products work can be lot of "trial and error" and if people follow regimes that aren't right for their skin, they will be 'disappointed' and "setting themselves up for a failure".

All you really need is a cleanser and a moisturiser with SPF, according to the pro, but there are also products she suggests for those wanting to target specific issues. She explained: "If you do want to target specific issues such as pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, or if your skin is very sensitive, these are things that can be targeted with an active ingredient, an active product. It can be a serum, a treatment, or a moisturiser, for example, with some active ingredients.

"There are moisturisers with specific ingredients that can help you. A lot of people think that if you have oily skin, you don't need a moisturiser, but actually, sometimes your skin produces more oil if it is specifically dehydrated. So it's all about the individual assessment again."

When it comes to cleaners, she stressed the importance of using one, even if you don't need to remove makeup. The expert urged: "Even if you don't wear makeup and you're putting anything on your skin, then a cleanser, which is made for your skin type, is very important to remove impurities, to remove bacteria - especially if you live in a city. Our skin does collect pollution throughout the day - a good cleanser will just allow your skin to breathe."

There has been lots of talk about using retinols, discussion on how many times we should be exfoliating, and also what serums are best, but Dr Safa said there are ways you can add these into your routine without doing damage to your skin. "With ingredients like retinol, if you're starting out, you shouldn't use every single day. You gradually add to your skincare routine to allow your skin to get used to it."

Whereas for exfoliation, she said it depends on how you are exfoliating. "You can exfoliate with an acid, which sometimes you can use every day. If you've got very oily skin, for example, it might benefit you to do that. But if you don't, then you might just need to exfoliate a couple of times a week. You can also exfoliate with a gentle scrub and there's many medical grade skincare companies that do that."

If you do want to exfoliate, Dr Safa suggested using a microdermabrasion formula that actively exfoliates and retexturises the skin such as the but said: "I wouldn't do that every day – perhaps enjoy a self-care Sunday routine when you're really treating yourself and pampering yourself."

Do you have a story to share? Email niamh.kirk@reachplc.com

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