Exfoliation is only half of a facialist's logic. The other half is what you put on skin afterwards, and the second grid is full of the creams and serums I would pick for that part.

KateCeuticals SuperCell Rejuvenation Peptide Serum is the one aimed at the look of lines, and it layers well under almost anything. The +Retinol Vitamin C Moisturizer is an overnight firming cream, so it lives on my evening shelf and never goes near a morning routine, and I would add it gradually because retinol asks for patience. Wrinkle Warrior is a 2-in-1 plumping moisturizer and serum with hyaluronic acid, handy if you want one step instead of two.

For calmer nights there is DeliKate Recovery Cream, a ceramide moisturizer made for sensitive skin, and it is what I reach for after a strong exfoliating evening. The Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream is the classic comfort-cream option. HydraKate Recharging Water Cream goes the other direction, a water cream for warmer weather.

A simple way to use them: a serum first, a cream on top, and a thicker layer only where skin feels dry. If you use an exfoliating treatment that evening, pick the soothing cream and skip the retinol.

I also like that the textures here are so different from one another. Goat milk and water cream are very different formulas, and the serums sit somewhere in between, so you can match the feel to the weather and to how your skin looks that day.

The last grid covers the quiet essentials: what you wash with, what you put near your eyes, and what goes on before you leave the house. A facialist will tell you the last one matters most.

Goat Milk Moisturizing Cleanser is a gentle cream wash for dry, sensitive skin, and DeliKate Soothing Cleanser is the other mild option, both suited to mornings when skin feels delicate. I would pick one of them for the days you are using acids or sulfur in the evening, so the wash itself does not add to the pile.

Around the eyes there are two choices. KateCeuticals Lifting Eye Cream is a peptide eye cream, and the +Retinol Firming Eye Cream is the evening version. Use a small amount, pat it around the orbital bone, and keep it off the lids.

Hydrakate Illuminating Sunscreen SPF 50+ Drops with Ectoin is the sun step. Shake the bottle, use the amount the label suggests, and reapply through the day, because sunscreen only works when you apply enough.

What I would skip: using an exfoliating treatment, a retinol cream and a sulfur wash all in the same night. Skin that stings, flakes or turns red is telling you to stop. If irritation lingers, see a doctor.

My version of a facialist's routine is simple. Morning: gentle cleanser, a serum if you like one, a cream and sunscreen. Evening: cleanse, then rotate. One night exfoliate, one night retinol, and the rest soothing cream.

The test that tells me it is working is comfort. Skin should feel smooth, not tight, and a product that stings after the first minute gets put back on the shelf. Introduce one thing at a time, patch test new formulas, and give each a few weeks. Kate Somerville started in a treatment room, but the routine at home works best when you are kind to your skin between the strong steps. That means fewer products on any given night, and more patience with the ones you already own.