Lesson 3 of 5 · 7 min
System 2: Skin Protocol
Set and don't touch
The entire system: AM cleanse → moisturizer with SPF 30+. PM cleanse → pea-sized adapalene 0.1% (weeks 1–2: twice weekly; 3–4: alternate nights; 5+: nightly as tolerated) → moisturizer.
That's four products. The discipline of this system isn't complexity — it's refusing complexity for 16 weeks while the retinoid does its slow work.
The retinization valley (weeks 2–6): flaking, dryness, one or two purge breakouts. Survival kit: buffer the retinoid between two moisturizer layers, never skip SPF (retinized skin burns fast), and do not add products to 'fix' the irritation — that's how routines die.
Weekly deliverable: one same-light macro photo of your worst skin zone. You will not perceive daily change; the week-1 vs week-12 comparison is the payoff and the proof.
Escalation gates: cystic acne → dermatologist now, not at week 16. Persistent pigment at week 12 → add azelaic acid 10%. Everything else → patience. The system is boring because boring is what works.