Melanin-rich skin isn't one thing. Some of us are managing active breakouts and the marks they leave behind. Some are dealing with dullness and a barrier that needs rebuilding before anything else will work. Some want to get ahead of fine lines without risking the irritation that harsher anti-aging actives can trigger. A single "one-size-fits-all" routine was never going to serve all of that — which is exactly the problem Core & Glow exists to solve.
Here's how to find your starting point.
Start here if you're new: The Hero Routine
If you're not sure where to begin, start small. Our three-step Hero Routine — Correct, Treat, Protect — pairs a Pigment Perfecting Serum, a Dark Spot Face Cream, and a tinted SPF30 sunscreen into a simple daily system. It's built around the same tyrosinase-targeting science as everything else we offer, just distilled into the fewest possible steps. A strong entry point, and a strong routine to fall back on any day your full system feels like too much.
Routine 01 — Complete Anti-Aging Renewal & Firming
Best for: fine lines, loss of firmness, under-eye concerns, skin that wants renewal without irritation risk
This is the routine for anyone who's avoided retinol because of what it can do to melanin-rich skin — the sensitivity that triggers new dark marks. Built around Bakuchiol, a gentle plant-based retinol alternative, paired with dedicated collagen and peptide actives for structural firmness, including two different under-eye formats. Ten products, two philosophies, one system that lets your skin age on its own terms.
Routine 02 — Complete Brightening & Dark Spot Correction
Best for: hyperpigmentation, dark spots, uneven tone, stubborn or localised marks
The core of what Core & Glow was built to solve. Vitamin C by morning, Alpha-Arbutin by night, a Kojic Acid moisturiser working in between, and a concentrated spot treatment for the marks that need more than a general routine. Finished with a no-tint SPF50 stick, because correction only works if protection shows up every day too.
Routine 03 — Hydration & Glow Repair
Best for: dullness, dryness, a compromised skin barrier
Not every concern looks like a dark spot. Sometimes it's skin that just feels tired, dry, or reactive — and for melanin-rich skin, a weakened barrier makes every other concern worse. A fragrance-free biphasic remover, a 5% Niacinamide moisturiser, a gentle brightening exfoliator, and an overnight AHA concentrate work together to restore what a disrupted barrier has been hiding.
Routine 04 — Complete Acne & Post-Blemish Renewal
Best for: active breakouts, post-acne marks, oily or combination skin
For melanin-rich skin, clearing a breakout is only half the job. This routine treats both fronts at once — a cleanser and Salicylic Acid toner to manage active blemishes, a precision spot treatment, and Niacinamide and Glycolic Acid actives to fade the marks acne leaves behind. It doesn't just clear skin. It erases the evidence.
Routine 05 — Overnight Renewal & Resurfacing
Best for: uneven tone, clogged pores, skin that needs consistent renewal
A PM-only routine built around one job: let your skin do its best work while you sleep. At its centre is an AHA Peeling Concentrate — 10% Lactic Acid, one of the gentlest and most effective acids for melanin-rich skin — supported by a pH-balancing cleanser, a hydrating toner, and a fragrance-free overnight cream that seals everything in.
A few ground rules that apply to all of them
- SPF is non-negotiable in the morning, especially on any day you've used an active ingredient the night before.
- Don't stack two exfoliating acid steps (AHA/BHA) in the same routine without spacing them out — more isn't always faster.
- You can mix routines. Every product has its own place in our line, and plenty of people combine, say, the brightening serum from Routine 02 with the barrier-repair moisturiser from Routine 03. Build what your skin actually needs.
- Consistency beats intensity. Every routine here is designed for daily, sustainable use — not a short-term fix that trades results for irritation.
Not sure which one is yours? Start with the concern that bothers you most, not the one you think you're "supposed" to treat first. That's always been the point of building a brand around melanin-rich skin specifically: your skin, your rules, actives chosen to actually work with both.
Nourish Your Core. Celebrate Your Glow.