What is MONAT skincare? The lines by skin type
8 min read Skincare Updated 1 November 2026 By Anna Sophie Schulenburg
MONAT skincare is the brand's facial care, sold as lines matched to skin type: Be Gentle™ for skin that feels tight or flaky after washing, Be Balanced™ for a shiny T-zone and Barrier Booster™ for skin that currently reacts to almost everything. Where it is listed, as in the UK, Be Purified™ covers oily skin. A water test one morning and the table below show which line is yours. You have chosen well if, in the first week, your skin doesn't feel tight after cleansing and isn't shiny again two hours after moisturiser.
Each line has its own cleanser and moisturiser, and Barrier Booster™ adds a toner and a serum. An eye cream, an essence and a nectar complete the range. MONAT is best known for hair care. If you're after shampoo, conditioner or a mask for hair and scalp, head to the MONAT hair care systems and how to use them. This page covers facial care only.
What is MONAT skincare, and which line suits which skin?
| Line | Products on the UK list | Texture | Suits | Less so if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Be Gentle™ | Creamy Cleanser, Nourishing Moisturiser, both also as a system | creamy cleanser, richer cream | skin that feels tight, flakes or reddens quickly after washing | your T-zone shines by midday |
| Be Balanced™ | Foamy Cleanser, Lightweight Moisturiser, both also as a system | foam, light cream | normal and combination skin with a shiny T-zone and calm cheeks | your skin feels tight after the foam |
| Be Purified™ | Clarifying Cleanser, Oil-Free Moisturiser, both also as a system | clarifying cleanser, oil-free moisturiser | oily skin prone to blemishes, shiny on the cheeks too | your cheeks feel tight or flaky |
| Barrier Booster™ | Hydra Refresh Cleanser, Ceramide Infusion Toner, Niacinamide Glow Serum, Barrier Defense Moisturiser | mild cleanser, liquid toner, serum, cream | skin that stings or feels tight at almost anything right now, say after exfoliating, cold weather or central heating | your skin is calm and you only want a basic routine |
| Single products | Eye Smooth™ Nourishing Eye Cream, Skin Revitalizing Essence™, Rewind™ Age Control Nectar | eye cream, essence as an in-between step, rich nectar | an add-on to one of the lines | you haven't found a cleanser and moisturiser yet |
The names follow MONAT's UK product list as of July 2026. The range changes, and your consultant knows what is in stock today.
If you're torn between the first two rows, decide with the cream-versus-foam comparison of the two everyday lines, which sets texture, cleansing and skin feel side by side.
The water test: what's your skin type?
Wash your face in the morning with lukewarm water only, pat it dry and apply nothing. After an hour, look in the mirror in daylight and press a clean tissue briefly onto your forehead, nose and cheeks. The full instructions, with a table for six results and what skews the picture, are in the water test for your skin type.
| What you see and feel | Skin type | Line to start with |
|---|---|---|
| Tight, matte, fine flakes on the cheeks or beside the nostrils | dry | Be Gentle™ |
| Stings or reddens even with water or a new cream | sensitive, or irritated right now | Barrier Booster™, later the creamy line |
| Oil on the tissue only from forehead and nose, cheeks unremarkable | combination | Be Balanced™ |
| Feels comfortable, barely any shine | normal | Be Balanced™ |
| Oily film everywhere, cheeks included | oily | Be Purified™ where listed, see the next section |
If two rows fit, say flaky cheeks and a shiny nose, take the cleanser from the milder row and apply moisturiser by zone: a little more on the dry patches, only a trace on the nose. Do the test on a day when your skin is calm. Straight after a peel or a day in the sun, it shows your skin's current state more than its type. What zone-by-zone care for combination skin looks like day to day, with amounts for the T-zone and the cheeks, is set out there step by step.
Oily skin: Be Purified™ and where it is listed
For oily, blemish-prone skin MONAT offers the Be Purified™ line, with a Clarifying Cleanser and an Oil-Free Moisturiser. It appears on the product lists for the UK, Italy, France and Spain; the German list doesn't carry it.
If you order in a market without Be Purified™, Be Balanced™ comes closest. Use the foaming cleanser morning and evening, and the light moisturiser only as a pea-sized amount, only where your skin feels tight after cleansing. If your skin shines more two hours after moisturiser than on a day without, skip it in the morning and keep it for the evening.
Inflamed, painful spots, lumps under the skin or blemishes that last for months belong with a dermatologist. Acne can be treated medically, and a skincare line doesn't replace that treatment. The same goes for redness that no longer fades and for weeping or scaly patches.
Cleanse, moisturise, protect: the basics with any line
Each of the lines covers the first two steps. You add the third yourself.
Step 1 — Cleanse. A pea-sized amount of cleanser into damp hands, 30 to 60 seconds over face and neck with your fingertips, then rinse with lukewarm water. For dry skin, lukewarm water is enough in the morning, and the Creamy Cleanser is for the evening only. If your skin feels tight ten minutes after rinsing, the water was too hot or the cleanser too strong.
Step 2 — Moisturise. Moisturiser goes onto skin that is still slightly damp: a pea- to hazelnut-sized amount for face and neck. A serum goes on first and needs a minute to sink in. Ten minutes after the cream, your skin should feel soft. If it still feels sticky, use less next time.
Step 3 — Protect. Sunscreen as the last step every morning, all year round. None of the lines in the table includes a sunscreen, so you add one from elsewhere, SPF 30 or higher. For face and neck you need about two finger-lengths of sunscreen to reach the SPF on the label.
If you're starting from scratch, first build a morning and an evening version with the basics of a skincare routine. Cleansing itself, with water temperature, amount and the usual mistakes, is covered in cleansing your face without irritation.
Toner, serum, essence, eye cream: where the extras go
Everything beyond the basics is optional. The order runs from thin to rich:
- Cleanse.
- Ceramide Infusion Toner from the Barrier Booster™ line: a few drops into your palms, then press it onto your face.
- Skin Revitalizing Essence™ as a hydrating in-between step.
- Niacinamide Glow Serum, a pea-sized amount.
- Eye Smooth™ eye cream, a grain of rice per eye, patted along the bone with your ring finger.
- Moisturiser. Rewind™ Age Control Nectar is rich, so it comes late; the label says whether it goes before your moisturiser or replaces it.
- Sunscreen in the morning.
Start with one extra at most. Whether the serum is worth it for you depends on what niacinamide can and can't do in skincare. How much eye cream you need and how to dab it on is in the guide to caring for the eye area.
Combining Barrier Booster™ with your everyday line
The Barrier Booster™ line suits phases when your skin answers almost everything with stinging or tightness. You can use the whole line until your skin settles, then go back to your everyday line. Or you can work single products into the line you already use: the Niacinamide Glow Serum before the Be Balanced™ Lightweight Moisturiser, or the Barrier Defense Moisturiser in the evening instead of the Nourishing Moisturiser when your skin turns rough in winter.
One cleanser per wash is enough. Two foaming cleansers in a row strip your skin twice and make the tightness you want to get rid of worse. You can tell whether your skin is in that phase from the signs of a stressed skin barrier. Introduce the four products one after another, following the order and amounts for Barrier Booster™.
Mistakes when switching, and how to fix them
| Mistake | Better |
|---|---|
| Starting the whole line on the same day | one new product every three to four days |
| A new product straight onto your whole face | a 48-hour test along the jawline or in the crook of your elbow |
| Carrying on with scrubs and acids while your skin stings | pause until your skin has been calm for two weeks |
| Switching after three days because nothing is happening | stay with one line for four weeks |
| Moisturiser on skin that has been rubbed dry | pat your face dry and apply to slightly damp skin |
What to watch for after one week and after four
| When | The line suits you | The line doesn't suit you |
|---|---|---|
| After the first cleanse | no tightness after ten minutes | tightness or stinging: cleanse more mildly, use cooler water |
| After one week | sunscreen and make-up go on evenly, no new redness | shine two hours after moisturiser: less cream or a lighter line; flakes: a richer moisturiser |
| After four weeks | your skin feels the same morning and evening, and you don't need to top up at midday | you top up at midday: a richer moisturiser; new redness: pause one product at a time |
Dry / sensitive skin
Core routine
- BE GENTLE™ CREAMY CLEANSER
- BE GENTLE™ NOURISHING MOISTURIZER
Optional
- MONAT Barrier Booster™ Barrier Defense Moisturiser
Cleanse gently, moisturise richly. Introduce new products one at a time and patch-test first.
Normal / combination skin
Core routine
- BE BALANCED™ FOAMY CLEANSER
- BE BALANCED™ LIGHTWEIGHT MOISTURIZER
Optional
- MONAT Barrier Booster™ Niacinamide Glow Serum
Lighter textures; don't skip sun protection in the morning.
Barrier & hydration focus
Core routine
- MONAT Barrier Booster™ Hydra Refresh Cleanser
- MONAT Barrier Booster™ Barrier Defense Moisturiser
Optional
- MONAT Barrier Booster™ Ceramide Infusion Toner
For tight, easily-irritated skin: cleanse mildly, moisturise in a barrier-friendly way.
Right away
Right after the first well-suited routine, skin feels clean, soft and comfortable.
With continued use
With regular care suited to your skin type, the complexion looks more even and better cared for over a few weeks.
What it can't do
Cosmetic skincare doesn't cure a skin condition, replaces neither sun protection nor medical assessment, and can't be pinned to a fixed results date.
Quick questions
Is the skincare part of MONAT hair care?
No. They are separate ranges from the same brand: the hair care systems look after hair and scalp, the skincare lines look after your face. You can use either one without the other.
Is there MONAT skincare for men?
Yes. The lines go by skin type, and the water test works for any skin. If you shave every day, you can start with the Creamy Cleanser and move to Be Balanced™ if your skin shines by midday.
Do I need an eye cream?
No. Your normal moisturiser can go up to the bone under the eye; just leave out the eyelids. Eye Smooth™ is an add-on for when the skin under your eyes still feels tight despite moisturiser.
Can I mix Be Gentle™ and Be Balanced™?
Yes, with a plan. For combination skin, the Creamy Cleanser pairs well with the Be Balanced™ Lightweight Moisturiser, for example. Swap only one product at a time, so that if your skin reacts you know where it came from.
After the free skin analysis, you can go through which line suits your skin with your consultant. The analysis starts with the water test and then asks how your skin has felt over the past few weeks and what you would like to change about it.