What Nine Years of Working With Skin Has Taught Me

When I first started working professionally with skin, I thought my job was primarily about helping people improve the way their skin looked.

Nine years later, I see it very differently.

I've learned that skin is not something we simply need to fix. It is a living, constantly adapting organ with an extraordinary ability to protect, repair and regulate itself.

And the more skin I work with, the more I appreciate that my role isn't to fight against that biology.

It's to understand it.

To support it.

And sometimes, quite simply, to get out of its way.

Here are some of the things my years working with skin have taught me.

1. Healthy skin comes before beautiful skin

This sounds obvious, but it's something I've become increasingly passionate about.

We can improve pigmentation, soften lines, refine texture and stimulate collagen—but if the skin is inflamed, irritated or struggling to maintain its barrier, I don't believe we should simply keep adding more treatments.

The skin barrier is fundamental to how skin functions. When it is compromised, skin can become dry, reactive, uncomfortable and less tolerant of active ingredients. Even everyday skincare can suddenly start to sting.

I've seen this repeatedly in practice.

Sometimes the best treatment is not another treatment.

It's allowing the skin to recover.

2. More skincare does not necessarily mean better skin

This is probably one of the biggest lessons I wish more people knew.

We're surrounded by skincare products promising brighter, smoother, younger-looking skin.

It's very easy to accumulate them.

A cleanser.
An exfoliant.
A toner.
A vitamin C serum.
A retinol.
An acid.
A peptide serum.
Another serum because someone on Instagram said it was life-changing...

Before long, skincare becomes a full-time job.

But every product is another variable.

And when your skin becomes irritated, it can be surprisingly difficult to work out what caused it.

I've become much more interested in what your skin actually needs than how many products we can fit into a routine.

Minimalism isn't about doing less for the sake of doing less.

It's about removing what isn't necessary so we can focus on what is.

3. Your skin doesn't need to be constantly exfoliated

The idea that we need to remove dead skin cells to keep skin looking fresh is deeply embedded in modern skincare.

But the Stratum Corneum—the outermost layer of the epidermis—is not simply "dead skin" that needs to be scrubbed away.

It is part of your skin's protective system.

Exfoliation can have a place in a carefully considered routine, but more isn't automatically better. Over-exfoliation can contribute to irritation and barrier disruption, particularly when combined with other active ingredients.

I've learned to respect the skin's natural rhythm much more.

Sometimes glowing skin comes from removing something rather than adding another exfoliant.

4. Sensitive skin isn't a skin type I want you to simply "put up with"

I see many people who have spent years being told that they have "just sensitive skin."

Sometimes they do have a naturally reactive skin type.

But sometimes what looks like sensitivity is a skin barrier that has been repeatedly challenged.

Too much cleansing.

Too many actives.

Too frequent exfoliation.

Too many treatments.

Or simply using products that aren't appropriate for that individual skin.

This is why I don't like treating sensitivity as an inconvenience that we should work around forever.

I want to understand why the skin is reactive in the first place.

That is one of the reasons Corneotherapy has become such an important part of my approach.

5. Stronger doesn't mean better

This applies to almost everything in skincare.

A stronger acid isn't necessarily better.

A higher percentage of retinol isn't necessarily better.

A deeper treatment isn't necessarily better.

More frequent treatments aren't necessarily better.

The best treatment is the one that gives the skin an appropriate stimulus while allowing it to recover and adapt.

That sounds simple, but it requires much more thought than simply following a protocol.

The skin in front of me is the protocol.

6. Every skin has a history

This is something you only really appreciate after years of working closely with people.

Two women can have the same concern—say pigmentation or redness—and need completely different approaches.

Their skin may have different histories.

Different medications.

Different hormonal influences.

Different levels of sun exposure.

Different skincare habits.

Different previous treatments.

Different tolerance.

Different expectations.

And, importantly, different lives.

I don't believe in treating a photograph or a diagnosis in isolation.

I want to understand the person attached to the skin.

7. Prevention is much more powerful than correction

This is probably where my thinking about ageing has changed the most.

I don't really like the term anti-ageing anymore.

Ageing is not something I believe we need to fight.

What interests me much more is skin longevity.

How do we maintain healthy skin function, resilience and integrity for as long as possible?

That means protecting against UV exposure, supporting the skin barrier, managing inflammation and using treatments thoughtfully rather than waiting until damage has accumulated and then trying to reverse everything.

In New Zealand, this is particularly important. UV exposure is a major contributor to skin cancer, and the Cancer Society recommends combining sunscreen with shade, protective clothing, a hat and sunglasses when UV levels are high.

For me, good skincare is increasingly about preserving rather than constantly correcting.

8. I don't believe in treating everyone

This may sound strange coming from someone who runs a skin clinic.

But I genuinely believe that knowing when not to treat someone is part of being a good practitioner.

If your skin is inflamed, I may recommend that we settle it before we introduce an active treatment.

If I don't think a procedure will give you the result you're hoping for, I'll tell you.

If I think you're buying a product you don't need, I'll tell you.

And if I think something needs medical assessment rather than cosmetic treatment, I'll refer you appropriately.

I don't want my clients to feel that they have to keep having treatments simply because they come to my clinic.

I'd much rather you understand your skin well enough to make good decisions for yourself.

9. Good skincare should fit into your life

I've also learned that the theoretically perfect routine is useless if you don't enjoy using it.

If your skincare takes 25 minutes every morning, you probably won't maintain it.

If a sunscreen feels unpleasant, you'll avoid wearing it.

If a retinoid leaves your skin constantly irritated, you won't use it consistently.

If you need ten products to feel that you're "doing skincare properly", something has probably gone wrong.

The best skincare routine is one that is appropriate for your skin and realistic for your life.

Consistency will almost always beat complexity.

10. Treatments work best when they're part of a bigger picture

I love advanced skin treatments.

My Gold Standard Dermapen-4 treatments, for example, can be incredibly useful when appropriately selected and performed.

But I don't see a treatment as a magic reset button.

The skin we treat in the clinic is the same skin you take home afterwards.

What happens between appointments matters.

Your skincare.

Your sun protection.

Your barrier.

Your lifestyle.

Your consistency.

Your recovery.

This is why I prefer creating a long-term treatment plan rather than simply selling individual treatments.

11. The most rewarding changes aren't always the most dramatic

Some of my favourite results aren't necessarily the dramatic before-and-after photographs.

They're the client who tells me:

"My skin doesn't sting anymore."

"I don't feel like I have to cover my skin every day."

"I finally understand what my skin needs."

"I can leave the house without makeup."

"My skin feels comfortable again."

Those moments remind me that skin confidence isn't necessarily about looking perfect.

Sometimes it's simply about feeling comfortable in your own skin.

What nine years have ultimately taught me

After nine years, I know much more about skin than I did when I started.

But strangely, I also know how much there is still to learn.

That's something I value.

My nursing education has added another dimension to the way I think about skin, health and the person sitting in front of me. And I continue to study because I don't believe good practitioners should ever stop being curious.

My approach today is much less about chasing perfection and much more about skin health, resilience and longevity.

I want to help people understand their skin rather than become dependent on me for it.

I want treatments to have a purpose.

I want skincare to be simple enough to maintain.

And I want every decision we make to be grounded in what your skin actually needs—not what happens to be trending on social media.

Perhaps the biggest lesson of all is this:

Healthy skin doesn't need to be constantly pushed, corrected or controlled.

Sometimes, our job is simply to create the right conditions for it to do what it was designed to do.

And after nine years of working with skin, that is something I trust more than ever.