The 70/30 Rule: Why Home Skincare Gets You Most of the Way, but In-Clinic Treatments Take You to the Finish Line
If you’ve ever wondered why your at-home skincare routine is working but still not giving you the wow factor you’re looking for, you’re not alone. Many people invest in high-quality skincare, only to feel like they’ve hit a plateau. That’s because while cosmeceutical ingredients provide about 70% of your skin’s transformation, the final 30% comes from professional in-clinic treatments. Why? Because in-clinic treatments use stronger ingredients and advanced technologies to trigger deeper, more significant changes that topical skincare alone simply cannot achieve. Let’s break it down!
The Power of Active Ingredients in Your Skincare (The 70%)
Your daily skincare regimen should be built on powerhouse ingredients that target aging, hydration, skin renewal, and balance. Each ingredient plays a vital role in keeping your skin functioning at its best. Here’s what you need to be using and why:
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Niacinamide – The All-Rounder
• Brightens skin
• Strengthens the skin barrier
• Reduces inflammation and redness
• Controls oil production
2. AHA’s (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) – The Skin Polishers
• Exfoliate dead skin cells
• Promote cell turnover
• Help fade pigmentation
• Improve skin texture and radiance
3. Peptides – The Skin Builders
• Boost collagen and elastin production
• Strengthen the skin’s support structure
• Improve firmness and elasticity
4. Vitamin C – The Glow Booster
• Fights free radical damage
• Boosts collagen production
• Brightens the complexion
• Helps fade pigmentation
5. Retinol – The Gold Standard for Anti-Aging
• Increases cell turnover
• Reduces wrinkles and fine lines
• Stimulates collagen production
• Repairs damage in the DNA of the cell
6. Vitamin B5 – The Skin Soother
• Enhances hydration
• Supports healing
• Reduces inflammation
7. SPF – The Ultimate Protector
• Shields against UVA/UVB rays
• Prevents premature aging
• Protects against pigmentation and skin cancer
8. BHA’s (Beta Hydroxy Acids) – The Pore Purifiers - for oilier skins only
• Unclog pores and reduce breakouts
• Balance oil production
• Helps to oxygenate the pore so acne causing bacteria dies
9. Epidermal Growth Factors (EGF) – The Skin Regenerators
• Speed up skin healing and regeneration
• Improve elasticity and firmness
10. High-Quality Moisturisers – The Skin’s Best Friend
• Lock in hydration for 8 hours or more (poor quality moisturisers will evaporate after a few hours)
• Protect the skin barrier - allow skin to heal from the onslaught of the environment - Must be bnourishing and derived from natural sources as it is your skins food for the day/ night
• Enhance the effectiveness of active ingredients - without adequate hydration your active ingredients will be reduced in effectiveness by up to 70% - hydration is key - the more we hydrate the quicker our active ingredients can work and the skin start to track forward very quickly.
• I have seen it time and time again where clients are using lots and lots of active ingredients but very little hydration and when we switch it up they get more result in 1 week than they have had in 2 months. I always use this analogy - your active ingredients are like high performance athletes that produce big results but without an adequate support crew their performance is greatly impaired. Your cleanser, SPF and moisturiser is the support crew.
• Layering your hydration is best and ten fold more results are gained by layering a hydrating serum under your moisturiser, active serums can also be hydrating such as Vitamin C that has an oil base and contains Vitamin E, serums that are Hyaluronic Acid based are perfect and often contain B5. These serums travel to deeper layers of the skin to support hydration and need to be locked in and sealed with a great quality moisturiser.
• The best moisturisers often have great technology under the bonnet so to speak such as Peptides, often Vitamin C, and all good moisturisers with have Tocopherol which is Vitamin E which is a brilliant healing and protective ingredient.
Why Cheap, Diluted Skincare Fails You Many products on the market contain these ingredients, but not all are formulated with the right concentrations or delivery systems. If you’re using low-quality, diluted products, you’re essentially giving your skin a ‘light snack’ or very little benefit instead of a full meal. I like to use hte analogy that if you have a headache and you take 1/8th of a headache pill then the dosage is not enough to tret the concern. It is the same with these brilliant skin saving ingredients, if the percentage is not enough then the result will nto be there. The companies that use diluted ingredients know this also but because they are distributing and have a licence to distribute a 'General Cosmetic' that is ONLY allowed to create a product that has a low level of active ingredient. That is their lane and must manufacture products that sit within that category The results are minimal, slow, or non-existent improvements. Investing in professional-strength, well-formulated skincare is crucial to seeing real changes in your skin.
Typically when you start on Cosmeceutical skin care you can feel a result overnight, fresher, cleaner, clearer, smoother and within 2 weeks you are getting comments on how good you are looking. That is just the start and its all up from there.
Why You Need Professional Treatments for the Remaining 30%
Your homecare ingredients can do the bulk of the heavy lifting when it comes to skin health and anti ageing but it will reach a plateau. This is where in-clinic treatments step in to elevate your results. These treatments use stronger, more advanced methods that go beyond the surface and push your skin into accelerated repair, rejuvenation, and transformation. Here’s how:
- Pigmentation Removal
• Treatments like laser, IPL, and chemical peels specifically target and break down stubborn pigmentation that topical skincare alone can’t fully erase. - Collagen & Elastin Production Boosters
• Microneedling, radiofrequency, and laser treatments work deep in the skin to trigger a natural healing response, producing more collagen and elastin. - Refining the Stratum Corneum (The Skin’s Surface Layer)
• Professional peels, dermabrasion, and advanced exfoliation remove dead skin layers more effectively than at-home scrubs, revealing a smoother, more refined texture. - Hydration Infusion & Barrier Repair
• Treatments like hydradermabrasion and skin boosters infuse deep hydration and nutrients into the skin, leaving it plump and glowing. - Skin Stimulation & Mitochondrial Energy Boosting
• LED light therapy, radiofrequency, and ultrasound stimulate cellular energy production, making your skin more responsive and resilient.
The Bottom Line: A Smart Skincare Approach
Your skincare journey isn’t about choosing between at-home products or in-clinic treatments—it’s about using them together. A well-balanced, professional-strength home regimen gives your skin 70% of what it needs, and the extra 30% from clinic treatments takes your results to a whole new level. If you are on a budget then homecare always comes first without exceptions. The key is consistency, commitment, and using the right products for your skin’s needs.
FAQs About Skincare & In-Clinic Treatments
1. Can’t I just use high-quality skincare and skip treatments?
Your skincare is essential, but professional treatments amplify and accelerate your results. Think of it like going to the gym—you can work out at home, but using professional trainers and equipment gets you fitter, faster!
2. What happens if I use cheap skincare products?
You’ll likely see little to no results because cheap products often contain watered-down or ineffective concentrations of active ingredients. Often they do skin more harm than good. I liken it to junk food for skin.
3. How often should I get in-clinic treatments?
This depends on your skin goals, but most people benefit from a monthly or bi-monthly treatment. Many of our clients purchase our great value packages where they stagger luxurious maintenance facials in between their more invasive treatments like Needling, HIFU or IPL.
4. Are professional treatments painful?
Most treatments are designed to be comfortable with little to no downtime. Some may cause mild discomfort, but the results are seriously worth it!
5. Will I see results right away?
Some treatments offer instant results, while others (like collagen stimulation) take weeks to show full effects. Newly formed collagen takes 90 days to fully maturate.
6. Is SPF really that important?
Absolutely! No matter how good your skincare is, UV exposure will undo your progress. SPF is non-negotiable.
7. Can I overdo skincare treatments?
Yes! Too many aggressive treatments can harm your skin barrier. More is not always best as you do need to allow your skin adequate healing time in between invasive treatments. A professional can guide you on the best approach.
8. How do I choose the right skincare products?
Look for cosmeceutical-grade products with clinically proven ingredients, and consult a professional for recommendations.
9. What’s the biggest skincare mistake people make?
Not using a proper homecare routine with the right ingredients and expecting miracles from treatments alone. Here is another analogy - Having a treatment without homecare is like going to a gym once a year and expecting big results. Not much is going to happen at all. However exercising everyday which can be likened to using correct skincare daily, then going to the gym your in -clinic treatment, the result will be very visible and greatly enhanced as the homecare routine has prepped your s
10. What’s the best way to start a new skincare regimen?
Start simple with a good cleanser, antioxidant serum, moisturiser, and SPF. Then build up to actives like Retinol, Vitamin C, Niacinamide, Vitamin B5 and AHA’s and BHA's for oilier skins only and get help from the experts. Trying to navigate this increasingly confusing landscape with so much misinformation is very difficult for the lay person. However it is very simple when you understand the cornerstones of skin health.
Final Thoughts
Skincare is a journey, not a quick fix. Commit to high-quality homecare (the 70%) and pair it with professional treatments (the 30%) for the best, long-lasting results. With the right approach, you’ll have glowing, youthful skin that keeps getting better over time!