How a simple three-step routine helped Maya stop chasing skincare trends and start caring for her skin with confidence..
Meet Maya
Maya is 24, busy, online, and constantly surrounded by skincare advice.
Every time she opens TikTok or Instagram, someone is recommending a new serum, moisturizer, toner, mask, or “must-have” ingredient. One creator tells her she needs a ten-step routine. Another says she should completely simplify it. Her bathroom counter is slowly filling up, but somehow she still feels like she doesn’t know what her skin actually needs.
Maya doesn’t want to become a skincare expert. She just wants healthy, hydrated, glowing skin without spending every morning and night wondering what product comes next.
The more advice she sees, the more complicated skincare feels.
That’s Maya’s problem: she has plenty of products and information, but no simple routine she feels confident following.
Maya Finds Rhode
While looking for ways to simplify her routine, Maya discovers Rhode.
Instead of telling her that better skin requires more products, Rhode introduces a different approach: intentional skincare built around simplicity and supporting the skin barrier.
Rhode isn’t the hero of Maya’s story: Maya is.
Rhode simply becomes her guide, helping her understand that an effective skincare routine doesn’t have to take ten steps or require an overflowing shelf of products.
The Plan: Mini Rhode Kit
Instead of changing everything at once, Maya discovers a simple four-step Rhode routine that she can realistically follow every day.
Step 1: Cleanse
She starts with Pineapple Refresh, a daily cleanser that gives her a fresh, clean base for the rest of her routine.
Step 2: Prep
Next, she uses Glazing Milk, a ceramide facial essence that preps her skin with a layer of hydration.
Step 3: Glaze
She follows with Peptide Glazing Fluid, a lightweight gel serum that adds hydration and helps give her skin a dewy, glazed finish.
Step 4: Comfort
Finally, she applies Barrier Restore Cream, a daily moisturizer that comforts her skin and helps seal in hydration.
That’s it: Cleanse. Prep. Glaze. Comfort.
Instead of trying to keep up with a complicated routine, Maya now has four simple steps she can remember and consistently follow.
The Moment Things Change
For the first time in a while, Maya doesn’t feel like she is falling behind on the latest skincare trend.
Her routine feels manageable.
She knows what she’s using, why she’s using it, and where each product fits. Instead of buying something new every time a product goes viral, she can focus on consistency.
Her bathroom counter looks simpler. Her mornings feel easier. Most importantly, skincare starts feeling like self-care again rather than another item on her to-do list.
That is the transformation Maya was looking for all along.
She didn’t need more skincare. She needed a plan.
Ready to Simplify Your Routine?
If your skincare shelf looks a little like Maya’s used to, you don’t have to overhaul everything overnight.
Start by building a routine around the essentials and choosing products that have a clear purpose.
Want an easy place to begin?
What Happens If Nothing Changes?
Without a clear routine, it’s easy to stay stuck in the same cycle: see a new trend, buy another product, add another step, and become even more confused about what your skin actually needs.
Maya decided to stop chasing every new recommendation. Instead, she chose simplicity.
And sometimes, simplifying your routine is the first step toward finally enjoying it.
This content is part of a student project at UCLA Extension. Any logos used might be slightly changed to indicate that this document is NOT a communication from the company represented by the changed logo. Any statements made in this content are the statements of the UCLA student and not of any company. This statement is made so that any reader will understand this document is part of a UCLA student project and NOT a communication from any existing company.
