Some skincare companies just keep getting more creative. Or maybe we should say more greedy?

Their latest strategy is to create lots of “steps.” As in the number of steps it takes to execute a skincare regimen.  Some require as many as 20! That means — you got it — 20 products to buy.

Your skincare regimen isn’t choreography. There shouldn’t be so many steps the very thought makes you dizzy. One of the things the skincare experts at the buying offices of Nordstrom, where our products are sold, like so much about ZO Skin Health is its simplicity. It increases compliance.

Beyond the basic greed factor, and the thought of wasting your money, here’s what is wrong with using too many products — from a clinical standpoint:

• Overmoisturizing skin will actually cause more harm than good. It forces the  skin cells in the dermis to stop collecting water from the food and water you drink, which stops the cells from supplying it to the surface of the skin.

• Too many products can and will induce acne, blackheads and whiteheads, because your skin pores will become clogged.

• Using the wrong products or too many products can cause skin sensitivity.

Let’s keep it simple.  ZO Skin Health consists of five simple steps — the same way I created the Obagi NuDerm system.

Step 1: Cleanse. Massage for one full minute to rid of the sebum that leads to blemishes. Step 2: Activate. Slough off dead skin cells, get rid of excess sebum and open the pores, to enhance penetration of active ingredients. Step 3. Stimulate. Wake up dormant skin cells that lead to aging skin. Step 4: Calm & Nourish: Lock in moisture and give skin its “R and R.” Step 5: Protect: SPF is the most effective anti-aging source out there.

We won’t trip you up over too many steps. After all, we know you have a life.