Which skincare product for which problem: what the Glow Parlour teaches

In our game Glow Parlour, clients walk in with a skin problem and you have a few seconds to pick the right product off a shelf of five. It's a game, so it's simplified. But the pairs aren't random. Each one is the first thing we'd suggest to a friend with that problem, and together they make a basic routine.

Here's the reasoning behind each pair.

Dust and sweat: a gentle cleanser

"Rickshaw ride er por mukh e shudhu dhulo." After a day in Dhaka traffic, your face is carrying dust, sweat, sunscreen and oil. That layer clogs pores and makes everything you put on afterwards work less well.

The fix is a cleanser, but a gentle one. A harsh foaming wash strips the skin, and stripped skin often makes more oil to compensate. A low pH gel cleanser, like the COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser on the game's shelf, cleans without that tight, squeaky feeling. Wash once at night, and in the morning too if your skin is oily.

A sudden pimple: a pimple patch

"Kal photoshoot, ar aaj-i pimple!" Everyone's first instinct is to squeeze it, which is how a pimple that would have lasted three days turns into a dark mark that lasts three months.

A hydrocolloid pimple patch, such as the COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch, covers the spot, soaks up what comes out and stops your fingers getting at it. Put it on a clean, dry spot, ideally overnight. Patches work best on a pimple that has come to a head. A deep, painful lump under the skin is a different thing, and if those keep coming back it's worth seeing a dermatologist.

A dull face before a dawat: a brightening serum

"Kal biye barir dawat, mukh dull." Dull skin usually means uneven tone, dead skin cells sitting on the surface and not enough water in the skin.

A serum is a light, concentrated layer that goes on after cleansing and before moisturiser. The Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum on the game's shelf combines propolis and niacinamide. Niacinamide is one of the better studied ingredients for uneven tone and dark marks. One honest note: a serum the night before helps a little, but the real difference shows after a few weeks of using it every day. If dark spots are your main worry, read our guide to fading dark spots.

Dry, tight winter skin: a barrier cream

"Sheet e skin fata fata." From November the air dries out, and long hours under AC do the same thing all year. Skin that feels tight, flaky or rough has lost water through a weakened barrier.

A moisturiser with ceramides, like CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, helps rebuild that barrier. Put it on while your skin is still slightly damp after washing, which locks more water in. Oily skin needs moisturiser too, just a lighter one. Our guide to dry skin in winter goes further.

Sun, beach and campus at noon: sunscreen

"Next week Cox's Bazar trip!" Sun is the biggest single cause of dark spots and early lines, and Bangladesh gets a lot of it, on cloudy days too.

Sunscreen goes on last in the morning, after moisturiser. A light one like Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun is easy to wear in humid weather, which is half the battle, because the best sunscreen is the one you'll actually put on every day. Use about two finger-lengths for your face and neck, and put more on every two hours if you're outdoors or sweating.

The order they go on

In the game you only fix one problem at a time. On your own face, the five steps stack in this order:

1. Cleanser, morning and night.
2. Pimple patch, on a spot when you need it, usually at night.
3. Serum.
4. Moisturiser.
5. Sunscreen, morning only, always last.

You don't need all five on day one. Most people do well starting with a cleanser, a moisturiser and a sunscreen, and adding a serum once that feels like a habit. Not sure which textures suit you? The skin type guide and our free skin test will tell you.