Remember how we were taught to wash our faces for bedtime back in the day (and by back in the day I mean a couple decades ago)? I still remember the good old soap, toner, moisturizer routine the lady at the Clinique counter taught me as she simultaneously sold me on their famous 3-Step Skincare line.  Well fast-forward to modern times, and my, how times have changed.  Apparently I’m in the old-school camp for still keeping my skincare routine fairly simple. Especially as a mom to a toddler, I’m lucky that I wash my face with soap at night, let alone use moisturizer.

But nowadays there are a million serums, color-correctors, exfoliators and pre-moisturizing moisturizers out there to keep you from aging, to reverse your wrinkles, and the list goes on and on. Did you know in Korea a woman uses up to 14 products a day?! 14! So what’s a girl to do?

Dermatologist Dr. Jennifer MacGregor of Union Square Laser Dermatology in New York tells the Huffington Post, “[E]very person needs an individualized skincare regimen.” So depending on your skin type (oily, dry, or combination), you may or may not need toner, and depending on your age, you may or may not need wrinkle-fighting retinol products, eye creams and magic serums.

Confused much?

I know I am. But at the end of the day, most doctors agree that the most important parts of your bedtime skincare routine are washing your face, applying moisturizer to not only your face but hands and neck as well, and get this, LOTS of sleep. There’s a reason it’s called “beauty rest” after all.  That sounds simple enough, right? The other stuff? That’s just icing on the cake.