Clay is the ritual part of the routine. Healthline says clay masks are made from clays such as kaolin or bentonite and have the potential to absorb oil from the skin, while noting most of the supporting evidence is anecdotal. I take that as it comes: a clay mask feels good, makes skin look matte for an evening, and I would not expect miracles from it.

innisfree's Super Volcanic mask is a clay made for oil control. Origins' Clear Improvement uses active charcoal. Benefit's POREfessional Deep Retreat is a kaolin clay mask. Kiehl's earthy clay mask is aimed at uneven texture, and it suits a T-zone that looks shiny by evening. The Ordinary's Salicylic Acid 2% Masque adds charcoal and clay to a BHA base, made for blemish-prone skin.

Peace Out's hydrocolloid strips are for the nose. Cleveland Clinic describes blackheads as open bumps filled with excess oil and dead skin, and it also notes that sebaceous filaments are thin, threadlike parts of the skin that help move sebum to the surface, and that everyone has them. So those tiny dots you see on your nose are partly normal, and a strip only lifts what is at the surface. Use it gently, and do not use it every day. After lifting one, rinse the area with water and follow with a light moisturizer, and do not go hunting for more dots with your fingernails, which only irritates the area.

Apply masks in a thin layer only where you need them and rinse before they feel tight and cracked. A warm, damp cloth helps lift the last of it off, and a plain moisturizer afterwards keeps skin comfortable. Do your mask on the evening you are not using an exfoliant, so your skin gets a break.

Once skin is clear, a primer is the practical way to smooth what you see. It does not change your skin. It fills in and blurs, so foundation slides on more evenly and lasts through the afternoon.

Hourglass's Veil Mineral Primer is the mineral one. Benefit's POREfessional Pore Minimizing Primer is a very familiar name. Huda Beauty's Easy Blur is silicone-free, which matters if silicone primers pill on you. Milk Makeup's Hydro Grip is the hydrating pick with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, good for dry skin that wants a grippy base for makeup. Bobbi Brown's Vitamin Enriched Face Base is a moisturizer and primer in one, with vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, useful for a quick morning. Eadem's Sunsuede is an SPF 50+ blurring primer stick that you can swipe over the T-zone when you are heading out.

What I would skip: layering three primers, or applying a thick one over a face that is dry and flaky. Smoothing starts with skin that is calm and moisturized. Apply primer with clean fingertips, pressing lightly from the center of the face outward and waiting a minute before foundation. Skip pressing product into every dip, and skip going to bed in it. Wash your face fully at night, because leftover primer and foundation sit in the very spots you are trying to keep clear.

Here is the weekly plan I would follow. Two or three nights of a BHA exfoliant, one evening of clay, and a strip on the nose only when it looks bad. In the morning, a moisturizer, sunscreen, then a primer on the areas that need it.

Give any change four weeks before you decide if it is working, and stop anything that stings. Texture is partly who you are, and clearer, less shiny skin is a better goal than perfect skin. If you have deep, painful or persistent breakouts, ask a dermatologist rather than adding more acids. Take a photo in the same daylight once a week, because your mirror lies and a photo does not. Change one thing at a time, keep a short note on your phone, and resist the urge to scrub, since irritated skin looks rougher, not smoother.