Every evening (and by “evening” I mean 2am, when I’ve finally finished reading) I go to the bathroom and do my cleanse-second cleanse-acid toner-essence-eye cream-serum-oil-nightcream thing. During that time, I like to watch/listen to beauty Youtubers, the theory being that it’s efficient to do those two things at the same time. In reality, I end up doing my skincare routine veeeery slowly, because I want to watch more videos.

There is an insane amount of beauty-related channels, but not too many dedicated to skincare. Or at least not to the type of skincare I’m interested in. When the young US vloggers get out their make-up wipes and gritty scrubs, I run, screaming. There is of course the indomitable Caroline Hirons, but I’ve mentioned her so many times (same with Sali Hughes, although she sadly doesn’t do her excellent recommendation videos any more). Many of the most popular beauty and lifestyle Youtubers – from Michelle Phan to Zoella and Tanya Burr, from In the Frow to Lily Pebbles and The Anna Edit – include skincare in their videos, but it’s usually not nerdy enough for me.

So in case you are like me and want some hard-core skicare-geekery, here are three channels to try:

1. A Little Bit etc. Maree Sye has a blog, Instagram account, Youtube channel and an amazing cleanser collection. She also does fashion, but on Youtube it’s mostly make-up and skincare. Her skin seems to be a bit oilier than mine, but we have a remarkable overlap in products that we like. Mostly, they are expensive. But the fact that you use luxury skincare does not mean you rave about anything and everything with a fancy brand name. The opposite, in fact: the more you are exposed to seriously high quality skincare, the more demanding you get. Plus when you are no longer 22, you’d really like your skincare to actually do something, thank you very much. If she’s saying that La Praire essence is worth the money, I’m interested.

2. TophCam. Christopher Cameron is a young guy from New York who REALLY likes skincare. He knows his ingredients and is so enthusiastic that I truly enjoy watching him. Again, our skin types are not identical, but we share the love of many cleansers, exfoliators and hydrators. While effectiveness is important for him, he also loves green skincare, so check him out if this is your thing. In addition to the Youtube channel, he has a blog and posts his elaborate routines on Instagram. I find it so comforting to watch someone whose evening line-up includes more products than mine.

3. Gothamista. Like the rest of the world, I’m fascinated by Asian skincare, but it’s a bit of a maze: fermentation, ampoules, essences, 13 steps… I have found Renee’s videos helpful when trying to make sense of it all, and she has introduced me to many interesting brands (very dangerous on the eve of a trip to Japan). Also, once you’ve seen her skin without makeup, you’ll pay attention to everything she has to say on the topic of skincare. Gothamista’s video style is the most formal of the three, but counterintuitively, you are more likely to find something budget friendly here – Korean and Japanese brands are often reasonably priced.

Do you ever watch Youtube videos? And if yes, any skincare gurus you swear by?