Dermal Drain
The Solution
The Chemists
Our Guarantees
Reviews
FAQ
30 Days RISK-FREE
Dermal Drain
The Solution
Reviews
The Chemists
Our Guarantees
FAQ
30 Days RISK-FREE
How Tired Skin Bounces Back in 3 Weeks Using A "Chemically Perfect" 2-Step System
Menopause leads to Estrogen Deficient Skin. It drains the raw materials that keep your skin together — aka Dermal Drain.
Made In Canada
Doctor-Backed
No Subscription
Free Shipping
How Tired Skin
Bounces Back in 3 Weeks
Using A "Chemically Perfect"
2-Step System
Menopause leads to Estrogen Deficient Skin. It drains the raw materials that keep your skin together — aka Dermal Drain.
One Formula Finally Solves It
Fills microcracks → Holds 5x more hydration → Turns ceramide production back on → A face that feels right again.
2 Steps. Twice Daily.
No Retinol. No Acids.
Founded By Skin Chemists
1:1 Client Care
Made In Canada
Doctor-Backed
No Subscription
Free Shipping
4.8/5 ★★★★★ | 20,000+ Sold
“Since menopause decided my skin was enemy #1, I tried everything possible and spent so much money. Less than a month after starting this, my skin feels soft and hydrated again. I wish I’d found this years ago.”
— Kari J., Kelowna
Estrogen is the fuel that powers the body’s "factory" of vital skin elements. By 50, it drops 70-90%.
1
Skin Starts As a "Healthy Wall"
Full Of 3 Vital Materials
(1) Collagen: structure and elasticity.
(2) Ceramides: holds cells together.
(3) Hyaluronic Acid: hydration.
2
Estrogen Drops
Those 3 Materials Drop With It
→ Collagen down 2% per year
→ Ceramides down 50%
→ Hyaluronic Acid down 48%
It's not just aging. It's emptying. And it's made worse by the enzyme Hyaluronidase — that drains what little moisture your skin has left — and is 3x more active than it was at 30 [1].
3
Hyluronidase
Becomes More Active
This "aging-enzyme" dissolves your skin's natural Hyaluronic Acid at 3x the rate it used to.
4
Cracks Form. Moisture Leaks
The "Wall" Crumbles
→ Wrinkles deepen
→ Redness spreads
→ Dark spots surface
Great Products Designed For The Wrong Woman In Mind
Drugstore Options:
Right Ingredients. WRONG Ratios.
CeraVe… Cetaphil… La Roche-Posay…
All advertise ingredients like ceramides or Hyaluronic Acid on the label. And it’s true that they do contain them.
But ceramides only rebuild the barrier when mixed in a specific 3:1:1:1 ratio with cholesterol, fatty acids and phytosphingosine. And Hyaluronic Acid needs a partner - Polyglutamic Acid - to stop it from being drained by the enzyme Hyaluronidase [4].
Drugstore formulas don’t account for this. They can't afford to.
Formulating like this is simply too expensive to hit drugstore pricing.
But, they throw trending ingredients in the mix just to say it’s there.
Luxury Serums:
$300 Solutions. WRONG Problem.
La Mer... La Prairie... SkinCeuticals... Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair...
The price isn't the real problem. The target is.
Every luxury serum on your shelf was built to fight surface concerns:
Fine lines. Dark spots. Redness. Dryness. All symptoms, but not the cause.
And while they do those things well - none of them touch what's actually happening underneath.
Which is why results fade and those "problems" keep coming back.
It's like putting a fancy new roof on a house with a crumbling foundation.
Retinol:
Gold Standard. WRONG Conditions.
Retinol... Tretinoin... Retinaldehyde...
The "advanced anti-aging" actives your dermatologist prescribed.
All prescribed for one reason: it forces skin cells to turn over faster.
On a 30-year-old’s skin that's fully stocked, that can trigger fresh collagen production.
But on skin that's losing pieces of itself year after year – forcing more turnover doesn’t trigger repair.
It speeds up the breakdown – it’s like taking a hammer and chisel to an already crumbling wall.
6+ Step Routines:
Great Actives. WRONG Strategy.
Vitamin C. Niacinamide. BHAs. Peptides.
You've layered them. Stacked them. Rotated them.
More wasn't better. More was the problem.
Your skin barrier processes ingredients the way your gut processes food. After 50, both run slower, hold less, and reject what they can't break down.
The 7-step routine isn't being absorbed. It's piling up. Inflaming. Stripping. Make your skin more reactive.
Mature skin doesn't need more. It doesn't need stronger. It doesn't need fancier. All it needs is what's gone, put back. And help keeping it
Engineered by chemists who built for the biggest names in beauty → L'Oréal. Estée Lauder. Shiseido → But decided to create a system for the most ignored demographic in skincare: women 50, 60, 70, 80 and beyond.
1
Replace.
What Skin Lost
Ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids → in the exact 3:1:1 ratio your skin's barrier requires.
2
Activate.
Help It Make More
Phytosphingosine → the building block skin needs to produce ceramides on its own again.
3
Maintain.
Help It Lose Less
Polyglutamic Acid (Gamma PGA) → blocks hyaluronidase by up to 83% [3].
Introducing...
2 Steps: One Cleanser + Your Choice Of Moisturizer
Tap an image above to show product details below.
Step 1
Face Wash
The Product Everyone Underestimates.
Your cleanser decides if everything else in your routine works or fails.
Most face cleansers run at a pH of 7 or 8. Bar soap is 9 or 10. Yet, skin’s natural pH is 4.5 to 5.5...
That mismatch is why most cleansers leave skin feeling tight and “squeaky clean” – they’ve stripped the natural oils that coat your skin.
That means every wash is doing damage before whatever you put on next has a chance to help.
The Face Wash is calibrated to pH 4.5. That means it matches the skin exactly.
It cleans gently with chamomile and aloe to calm any redness, and replenishes lipids with jojoba and argan as it rinses.
No tightness. No stripping. No mineral residue. No damage to “the wall” that is your skin.
Leaving your face perfectly prepped for what comes next.
Full Ingredient List
“Unlike some others, this Face Wash does not strip your skin, nor does it leave it tight and dry!
— Reana, Surrey
Step 1
Reset: The Face Wash
The Product Everyone Underestimates.
Your cleanser decides if everything else in your routine works or fails.
Most face cleansers run at a pH of 7 or 8. Bar soap is 9 or 10. Yet, skin’s natural pH is 4.5 to 5.5...
That mismatch is why most cleansers leave skin feeling tight and “squeaky clean” – they’ve stripped the natural oils that coat your skin.
That means every wash is doing damage before whatever you put on next has a chance to help.
The Face Wash is calibrated to pH 4.5. That means it matches the skin exactly.
It cleans gently with chamomile and aloe to calm any redness, and replenishes lipids with jojoba and argan as it rinses.
No tightness. No stripping. No mineral residue. No damage to “the wall” that is your skin.
Leaving your face perfectly prepped for what comes next.
236mL
•
Sulfate-Free
•
Fragrance-Free
•
Paraben-Free
•
Cruelty-Free
Full Ingredient List
“Unlike some others, this Face Wash does not strip your skin, nor does it leave it tight and dry!
— Reana, Surrey
STEP 2
Restore: The Face Lotion
One Formula. Six Jobs.
Formulated with our proprietary TriGuard Matrix™. Replace what your skin is missing → Equip it to make more → Help it lose less.
It's a complete system in a bottle. Hydrates, moisturizes, repairs, smooths, firms, and protects. All without asking your skin to process six separate layers.
Polyglutamic Acid blocks Hyaluronidase (the enzyme draining moisture) by up to 83%. Holds 5,000x its weight in water. (Hyaluronic acid holds 1,000x. This is 5x stronger.)
Triple Ceramide Complex (NP, AP, EOP) rebuilds your barrier using the same lipids your skin produces naturally, in a clinically-backed 3:1:1 ratio.
Phytosphingosine triggers your skin to make its own ceramides again.
In other words the TriGuard Matrix™ uses the 3:1:1 ratio of ceramides to plug the “leaks” in your skin that are already there, starts back up your body’s ceramide factory, and uses Gamma PGA to stop new holes from being punched by blocking hyaluronidase by up to 83% while locking in 5x more moisture than hyaluronic acid alone.
80mL
•
Petrolatum-free
•
Fragrance-free
•
Paraben-Free
•
Cruelty-Free
Full Ingredient List
Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Polyglutamate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Squalane, Urea, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Allantoin, Cholesterol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide
"I went from 5 different lotions and serums to this. Skin looks better than ever."
— Samantha
STEP 2b (Alternate)
Restore: The Super Cream
The Richest We Make. Still Gentle Enough for Eczema.
Same hydration stack as The Face Lotion. Richer, heavier, built for skin that needs more.
Plus, it’s got two extra ingredients to carry a more powerful punch:
Lanolin holds 2x its weight in water. Forms a breathable barrier that seals moisture in for hours. Used in medical-grade wound care. It doesn't sit on top of your skin. It penetrates.
Shea Butter delivers deep, anti-inflammatory moisture that softens rough, crepey texture from the first application.
Occlusive layering locks everything underneath so your skin stops losing hydration to the air. Morning application still holding at bedtime. That's the difference.
This is for women who need an extra push, especially those who may live in dry climates or that have tough, cold winters.
Simply use it at night instead of the Face Lotion or on days where your skin is “begging” for more, use instead of the Face Lotion in the mornings as needed.
And it's not limited to your face. Neck. Arms. Hands. Elbows. Shins. Anywhere your skin is struggling, this is what you reach for.
236mL
•
Petrolatum-Free
•
Fragrance-Free
•
Paraben-Free
•
Cruelty-Free
Full Ingredient List
Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glyceral Stearate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Squalane, Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax, Dimethicone, Sodium Polyacrylate (and) Ethylhexyl Cocoate (and) PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate (and) Polysorbate 20, Tocopheral Acetate, Butyrospermum Parkii, Lanolin Anhydrous, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyglutamate, Argania Spinosa.
"After decades of confused skin, it has balanced things out in a way I could never have hoped for."
— Nancy, 70, Montreal
Outcomes Over Time.
Not Miracles Overnight.
Hydration Lasts
Skin holds moisture from AM to PM. No more tight-by-lunch. No reapplying cream just to feel comfortable.
Redness Calms
The flush you've been hiding with foundation visibly fades. Skin tone evens out from the inside, not the bottle.
Texture Smooths
Rough patches soften. Crepey texture around eyes and mouth fills in. Skin feels smooth under your fingers.
Dark Spots Fade
Age and sun spots gradually lighten as cell turnover improves. Tone evens. Concealer becomes optional.
Brightness Returns
The dull, gray cast of tired skin lifts. Natural radiance returns. Friends ask if you've been on vacation.
Barrier Rebuilds
Your protective wall rebuilds. Triple ceramides plug the gaps. Your skin defends itself the way it used to.
★★★★★
"In dermatology, this is the kind of new, high-level science we look for"
— Dr. Cristina Huang, MD, Board Certified Dermatologist
Formulated with clinically-backed ratios
Fragrance-free. Sulfate-free
Safe for sensitive, reactive, and rosacea-prone skin
No purging phase. No peeling. No panic.
Real Skin. Real Change. No Filters.
No Miracles. Just What Consistent Daily Support Looks Like.
✦✦✦✦✦
Get Your 100-Day Supply
For Up to 46% Off
With This Special Offer
✦✦✦✦✦
No Subscription. No Quiz.
Just Choose The Support That Matches Your Skin.
If You Pick The Wrong Tier?
We'll Swap It For Only The $15 Shipping Fee. Keep The Original.
Doctor-Backed
30-Day Risk-Free Trial
No Subscription
4.8/5
|
20,000+ Sold
For Up to 46% Off
No Subscription. No Quiz.
Just Choose The Support That Matches Your Skin.
If You Pick The Wrong Tier?
We'll Swap It For Only The $15 Shipping Fee.
Keep The Original.
Tap an image above to show offer details below.
Picture-Perfect Face
(Full Control)
The balanced choice. The lighter Lotion by morning. The richer Cream by night.
2 Steps: Face Wash + Lotion / Cream
Best for: Most women. A routine that matches your skin’s schedule (work hard during the day, repair at night). Adjust morning to night, or season to season.
Covers light, moderate, and heavy dryness
Morning to night. Summer to winter.
Face and body versatility
150 Day Supply
Shipping
$15 (FREE)
Total Value
$214.00
Your Price >>>>
$116 CAD
You Save
(
)
$0.77 / Day
This is the content for tab panel #1. You can replace this content with whatever you'd like inside the first panel.
What's Inside:
Step 1: The Face Wash. Same cleanser as the standard system. pH 4.5. Cleans without stripping. Preps your skin so Step 2 absorbs fully.
Step 2: Choose your level.
The Face Lotion for lighter days. Deeply hydrating. Absorbs instantly. Triple ceramide complex, Gamma PGA, hydrolyzed collagen. Your daily go-to when skin feels balanced.
The Super Cream for heavier days. Same hydration science, richer delivery. Lanolin, shea butter, occlusive layers. Reach for it when skin feels tight, rough, or extra dry. And it's not just for your face. Neck, arms, hands, legs. Anywhere your skin needs extra support.
Use one or the other. Or both: Face Lotion in the morning, Super Cream at night. Your skin changes day to day. Now your routine can keep up.
Read more
150-day supply = $0.77 / day
30-day risk-free trial
This is the content for tab panel #2. You can replace this content with whatever you'd like inside the second panel.
We have two guarantees because real life has two different risks: picking the wrong product, and the product not being right for you.
Guarantee #1
Tier Swap
Guarantee #1
Tier Swap
Picked the wrong tier? We'll send you the right product FOR FREE. Just cover $15 shipping.
If the tier you chose isn't right for your skin (too rich, not rich enough, the wrong moisturizer level), we'll send you the right one for the cost of shipping. Keep the original product. No questions. No return process. Just email us at hello@basic-maintenance.com and tell us what your skin needs. We'll handle the swap.
Guarantee #2
30-Day
100% Money-Back
Guarantee #1
30-Day 100% Money-Back
Tried it for 30 days and not feeling the difference? Get your money back (minus the $15 we pay to ship it).
If after 30 days the system isn't working for your skin, we'll refund every penny (minus shipping). You don't even have to send the products back. Most customers who request refunds are surprised when we tell them to keep what they've got. We trust you to give it to a friend, a daughter, or anyone whose skin might benefit.
How To Request Your Guarantee
1
Email Andrew
Send a message to hello@basic-maintenance.com explaining what happened. Tell us if you want to swap, refund, or get store credit. No forms. No hoops.
2
We Respond In 48 Hours
Andrew or our team responds within 48 hours (usually within 2-3 hours during business days). We'll confirm what you need and start the process.
3
It's Done
Refund processed within 3-5 business days. Replacement shipped within 2 business days. Store credit applied immediately. You don't lift a finger.
Why We Can Afford To Be This Generous
Less than 1% of customers ever request a refund. The vast majority of women who buy this system stay with it. We can afford to be generous with both guarantees because the formulas work. If they didn't, we'd be out of business. Instead we're going into in our third year, already with over 20,000 women using these products. The math works because the products work.
Skin Stops Drying Out By Afternoon
Polyglutamic Acid starts doing its job from the get-go.
From day one, it forms an invisible seal on the surface of the skin – trapping moisture inside instead of letting it evaporate.
This means, the “tight by 3PM” cycle starts to go away,
Skin stays comfortable from morning through afternoon.
No urge to reapply cream by 2 PM just to make it through to dinner.
And that “stripped” feeling after washing? Gone.
(A note for women coming off retinol or daily acids: The first few days may include a short adjustment period. That’s the skin barrier finally getting a break from being attacked. By the end of week 1, that settles – and the moister finally starts holding).
★★★★★
“Within one week of switching, my skin felt so much more hydrated and smooth. I was experiencing some irritation and it completely disappeared!”
– Joni D., Fredericton
What Happens After Day 30?
(That's Where We Come In)
How To Stay Consistent: Restocking + Special Discount Pricing
After 30 days, the system has done as pomised.
Skin Is Hydrated
You're holding more moisture, longer. Reapplying less often.
Hyaluronidase Is In Check
The moisture destroying enzyme eating through your skin's walls has been slowed down.
Ceramide Production On
Your skin's natural factory has been switched back on.
Visible Results Showing
Calmer, smoother, softer - all starting to show up in the mirror.
Of course, every woman's skin, skincare history and capacity for patience is different. There's a chance you may not feel anything in the first 30 days. If that's you, just email or call us.
We’ll send a prompt refund
Swap the moisturizer for the one that's the better fit
For the majority of women who love what they experience, there are amazing benefits to continuing your journey.
Dermal Drain is what happened to your body when estrogen dropped. The Picture-Perfect Face System reverses it – but only while you’re using it. Stop, and the “wall” of your skin starts to degrade and crumble once again. Hyaluronidase ramps back up. Hydration leaks. The ceramide factory shuts back down.
It’s like Jennifer B. wrote to us…
★★★★★
"I didn't realize how good my skin was feeling until I ran out and temporarily had to switch back to my old face wash and creams. So happy when I got my new supply of Basic Maintenance."
Consistency gets and keeps results. Month 3 is better than month 1. Month 6 is better than month 3. So how do you actually keep going?
After your first order, you're automatically invited into our Buyer’s Club – a private "membership" built specifically for the women who depend on these formulas. No Fee. No form. No Fuss.
What's Included?
Ongoing Education
Free weekly publications that cut through the noise. No hype. No sales pitches. Just honest, chemist-backed guidance to help you understand your skin, see through industry nonsense, and make confident decisions.
Monthly Stock-Up Events
Member-only pricing so you never run low or pay full price. A reason to restock on your schedule, not ours.
Early Access to New Tools
New formulas and treatments come to you first, before anyone else.
No Subscription Required
This is not a subscription. It's an open invitation to a private buying club. Purchase only when you need to restock.
It works because you stay consistent - the club removes friction
This Is Not A Subscription
You're in control. Buy when you need to restock. There's no recurring charge. No auto-ship. No cancellation process. Just better access to better products at better prices.
No recurring charges
Buy only when you need
Cancel anytime
No recurring charges
Buy only when you need
Cancel anytime
No recurring charges
Buy only when you need
Cancel anytime
Hi! We're Basic Maintenance. We're a small team of cosmetic chemists who spent years formulating for the biggest brands in beauty. L'Oréal. Estée Lauder. Shiseido. Companies and products you've seen, used and probably been disappointed by for years.
We saw the cash grab firsthand. Expensive products with constant upsells – eye creams, serums, toners, “overnight treatments” – each one positioned as the piece your routine isn’t complete without. Always ones more thing.
So we left. And built what should have existed all along.
A simple system. Real ingredients at real concentrations. Formulas designed specifically for how skin changes after 50. No 10-step routines. No miracle claims. No $120 serums that stop working the minute you stop buying them.
Every product is made in small batches of 500 units in Toronto, Canada. No bottle sits on a shelf for more than 30 days before it ships to you.
And if you ever have a question, Andrew, one of our founders shown above, answers personally. Not a chatbot. Not a call centre. A real person who built these formulas and knows your skin.
Actual Chemists. Honest Answers.
Even if it's not what you want to hear.
Live Chat
Click the chat icon on screen
If we're at our desk, you'll hear back in minutes. If not, within 24 hours.
Call
Leave a message with your name and email. We'll get back to you within 24 hours.
Real questions from real women. Straight answers from the people who made the products.
Which version of the Picture-Perfect Face System should I start with?
The Picture-Perfect Face System comes in three versions. Same Face Wash. Same TriGuard Matrix. The only thing that changes is which moisturizer — or moisturizers — are in the kit.
REGULAR (Lighter) — Face Wash + Face Lotion. The lighter cream, used twice daily. Best if your skin runs normal to moderately dry, you live in a milder climate, or you specifically prefer a weightless feel that disappears under makeup.
SUPER BOOST (Richer) — Face Wash + Super Cream. The richer cream, used twice daily. Best if your skin runs very dry, reactive, or rough year-round; you live in a cold-winter climate (Canadian Prairies, harsh winters); or you have rosacea, eczema, or a barrier compromised by years of harsh actives.
FULL CONTROL (Balanced) — Face Wash + Face Lotion + Super Cream. The lighter Lotion in the morning. The richer Cream at night. The way the chemists designed the system to be used — light hydration through the active day, deeper restoration during overnight repair. This is where most women end up. And it's only $13 more than Light.
You can always adjust later. If the first choice isn't a match, customer service will swap the moisturizer over for the cost of shipping only.
I'm in my 70s (or 80s). Is it too late for this to work?
No.
Some of our most enthusiastic customers are women in their 70s and 80s. Skin at any age can be healthier, more hydrated, and more comfortable.
A few examples from real reviewers:
Sandra W., 72: told her skin looked "beautiful and glowing" at a social event after a few weeks
Wanda V., 85: stopped wearing foundation within 30 days
Linda N., 73: "I'm 73, and my skin feels wonderful"
I have rosacea / eczema / very sensitive skin. Is this safe?
This system was designed specifically for sensitive, reactive, post-50 skin.
All leave-on products are fragrance-free.
Every formula is built to calm inflammation rather than trigger it.
There are no parabens, sulfates, dyes, fillers, or harsh actives — just the ingredients the skin needs to rebuild.
Dozens of customers with rosacea, eczema, and reactive skin have reported significant calming within 2–3 weeks.
Board-certified dermatologists (like Dr. Cristina Huang, MD, FAAD) has reviewed and endorsed the formulations as safe for sensitive and reactive skin.
If skin is currently severely inflamed or healing from a procedure (laser, peel, etc.), it's still wise to introduce any new product slowly.
But Basic Maintenance is built to be the gentle option — not the aggressive one.
What makes this different from CeraVe or what I can buy at the drugstore?
CeraVe is a fine baseline moisturizer for the broadest possible market — all ages, all skin types.
It's not formulated for the specific biological breakdown that happens after menopause.
Three differences that matter:
The ceramide ratio. CeraVe uses ceramides in random proportions. Basic Maintenance uses Ceramide NP, AP, and EOP in the precise 3:1:1 ratio science has shown actually rebuilds the barrier.
Polyglutamic Acid. CeraVe doesn't have it. It's the molecule that holds 5x more moisture than Hyaluronic Acid alone - and stops the enzyme Hyaluronidase from draining your skin's natural Hyaluronic Acid.
Phytosphingosine. CeraVe doesn't have this either. It's the only ingredient that signals the skin's own ceramide factory to fire back up — addressing the root cause, not just the symptom.
Why only 2 steps? Every dermatologist says I need more
Because most routines are designed to sell more products, not deliver better results.
After 50, the skin barrier is thinner, more reactive, and slower to recover. Every additional product, layer, and active is another chance for irritation, inflammation, and formula conflict.
Basic Maintenance combines the functions of 5–6 separate products into one formula — replacing moisturizer, serum, and eye cream all at once.
The simplicity isn't a compromise. It's the entire point.
A routine actually used every day does more for skin than a 10-step routine abandoned after a week.
What's the difference between the Face Lotion and the Super Cream?
Same hydration science. Different intensity.
The Face Lotion is deeply hydrating and lightly moisturizing. Absorbs quickly, feels weightless, ideal for skin that's moderately dry.
The Super Cream is deeply hydrating and deeply moisturizing. It uses lanolin and shea butter to create a richer barrier that locks moisture in for hours. It's what to reach for when lighter creams stop lasting — winter, dry climates, or very dry skin.
Both rebuild the barrier long-term. The Super Cream just gives more short-term comfort while it does.
Many women use Face Lotion in the morning and Super Cream at night — that's how the Balanced kit is designed to be used.
Can I use this with retinol or other actives I'm currently using?
We recommend pausing other actives for 4–6 weeks and letting the system work on its own.
Retinol and vitamin C aren't bad — but they're forceful. After menopause, the skin barrier is more reactive and slower to recover. Layering aggressive actives on top of a system designed to rebuild that barrier muddies the results and slows the repair.
Give the skin a chance to settle. Then decide if anything else even needs to come back.
Most women find it doesn't.
How long until I see results?
Most women notice softer, calmer skin within the first week.
Visible changes — reduced redness, smoother texture, dewy glow returning, crepey skin starting to plump up — typically emerge between weeks 3 and 4.
Compliments from people who actually matter (a husband who never notices anything, a daughter, a doctor at a routine appointment) usually start around the 1-month mark.
Stranger compliments tend to come at month 2 or 3.
The skin keeps improving the longer the routine continues.
There's no plateau — Phytosphingosine keeps the natural ceramide factory producing.
How does the 30-day risk-free trial work?
Try it risk free for 30 days.
1) Place your order. Your payment is a deposit for fraud purposes only.
2) Use the products for 30 days.
3) Love them? Keep them.
4) Not for you? Not a problem - just send us an email at hello@basic-maintenance.com and we’ll happily send you something else to try, or offer a full refund (minus shipping), or a store credit. No returns necessary.
No products to return
No phone tree to navigate
No questions asked
Is this a subscription?
No.
Every order is a one-time purchase. There's no auto-ship, no recurring charges, no commitments. Your card is only charged when you manually place an order.
After your first order, you're automatically invited into the Basic Maintenance Buyer’s Club — a private membership with member pricing on every reorder, plus monthly Accessibility Events.
How long does each system last?
Each is a 100-day supply. Roughly 3 months and 1 week of twice-daily use, morning and night.
A small amount goes a long way. Most women find a single tier of Basic Maintenance replaces 5–8 products that were rotating through the cabinet — so the actual cost-per-day ($0.96 to $1.09) is dramatically lower than what was being spent before.
Where is Basic Maintenance made?
In Toronto, Canada. Small batches of 500 units at a time. No bottle sits on a shelf for more than 30 days before it ships.
Made by cosmetic chemists who walked away from big beauty to build this brand specifically. Designed for cold, dry climates and post-50 skin — the climate and customer the founders see every day.
Can men use Basic Maintenance? Will it work on my husband's skin?
Yes — and they often do.
Roughly 1 in 4 reviewers mention a husband or partner who started using the system after seeing results on their wife's skin. Men's skin loses ceramides too (just on a different timeline), and the formulas are unscented and minimalist enough that men actually use them.
Some buy a separate set. Many just share.
What if the system I order is too light for my skin?
Easy fix. You can swap up to The Super Cream (the richest option in our system) for $15 shipping.
We don't ask you to return what you've got. Keep the original.
Use it on your hands, neck, or pass it to a friend whose skin runs less dry than yours.
Email Andrew at hello@basic-maintenance.com with your order number and let us know which tier you'd like next. We'll get the right product to you within 2 business days.
This is part of our Tier Swap Guarantee, which means you never get stuck with the wrong tier. Pick something. If it's not right, we'll send the right one.
What if the system I order is too heavy for my skin?
Easy fix. You can swap down to The Face Lotion (our lighter moisturizer) for $15 shipping.
We don't ask you to return what you've got. Keep the original. Save it for winter, for travel, or for the days when your skin needs extra cushioning.
Email Andrew at hello@basic-maintenance.com with your order number and let us know which tier you'd like next. We'll get the right product to you within 2 business days.
This is part of our Tier Swap Guarantee, which means you never get stuck with the wrong tier. Pick something. If it's not right, we'll send the right one.
What happens if the system just doesn't work for my skin?
Send us an email within 30 days of receiving your order and we'll refund every penny (minus original shipping).
You don't have to send the products back. We trust you to give them to a friend, a daughter, or anyone whose skin might benefit.
If you'd prefer store credit instead of a refund, we'll do that. If you'd prefer to swap to a completely different system, we'll do that too. Whatever makes it right for you.
Less than 3 out of 100 customers ever request a refund, so this isn't a scenario we encounter often.
But when we do, we handle it fast.
One email to hello@basic-maintenance.com and Andrew responds usually within a day.
How long does shipping take?
Orders typically go out within 1-2 business days. We use couriers as opposed to snail mail, so you can expect your stuff 2-5 days thereafter. Unfortunately, any shipping delays that occur after the product has left our warehouse are outside of our control. The best we can do is keep you updated as to your order’s whereabouts via the tracking information we’ll send to your email.
What are the ingredients?
The Face Wash: Aqueous Extract: Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water (and) Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine (and) Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (and) Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate (and) Cocamide MIPA (and) Decyl Glucoside (and) Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol, Cocomidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauryl sulfosuccinate, Glycerin, Argania Spinosa Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid
The Face Lotion: Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Polyglutamate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Squalane, Urea, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Allantoin, Cholesterol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide
The Super Cream: Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glyceral Stearate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Squalane, Ethylhexyl Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax, Dimethicone, Sodium Polyacrylate (and) Ethylhexyl Cocoate (and) PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate (and) Polysorbate 20, Tocopheral Acetate, Butyrospermum Parkii, Lanolin Anhydrous, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyglutamate, Argania Spinosa.
Do I need a separate eye cream with this?
Both our Lotion and our Cream are absolutely suitable for your eye area.
The only difference between the skin around your eyes and elsewhere on your face is its relative thinness.
Given the gentle and holistic nature of our formulas, you'll be hard pressed to find anything that's a better fit.
The only thing to note is that the skin around your eyes gets a lot of use. This is where all of our facial expressions start, meaning the skin gets pinched, squished, and folded more than anywhere else. You might find a second layer to be helpful for this reason. Try one to start, and if it feels like you need a second, no harm will come by doing so.
And, of course, avoid getting the lotion in your eye itself. Seems silly, but you'd be surprised the kinds of things we hear.
The Face Lotion and the Super Cream work just as well on your neck and chest as they do on your face.
In fact, this is one of the most overlooked areas for women over 50. The neck and décolletage tend to lose collagen and ceramides even faster than the face, because most of us have been ignoring those areas for decades while we were busy fussing over our cheeks and foreheads.
You don't need anything separate. Just don't stop at the jawline. Carry the lotion or cream down the front of your neck, around the sides, and across your chest every time you do your face.
A lot of women see the change in their neck before they see it on their face. It often catches them off guard.
Honest answer, probably not. But it depends.
If a particular serum is genuinely working for you, keep using it. Nothing about the system conflicts with what you're already doing.
But here's what's worth knowing. The Face Lotion already contains hyaluronic acid, plus polyglutamic acid (which holds five times more water than hyaluronic acid does). It also has hydrolyzed collagen, a triple ceramide complex, urea, allantoin, and squalane. It's essentially several serums folded into a single cream.
Most serums on most bathroom shelves are about 70% water with a small percentage of a hero ingredient. The Face Lotion is doing the work of several of them at once.
If there's one serum worth keeping alongside the system, it's a vitamin C in the morning. Apply it between the Face Wash and the Face Lotion. Otherwise, this might be the moment to let your bathroom shelf get a lot lighter.
Set them aside for the first four to six weeks.
Exfoliating acids work by stripping the top layer of skin to force new growth underneath. That's a wonderful process when your barrier is strong and intact. It causes real problems when the barrier is already drained.
Give the system time to put back what's missing first. Once your skin is calmer and the barrier is doing its job again, you can reintroduce a mild exfoliant once or twice a week if you still want one.
That said, most women find they don't go back. Once the underlying skin is in good shape, the urge to keep stripping and resetting it tends to disappear on its own.
Yes, especially the Super Cream.
It works anywhere your skin is dry.
A lot of customers use it specifically on their hands, elbows, shins, knees, and the backs of their arms. Anywhere the skin needs a real rescue.
If you're looking for a complete body routine, we also make The Body Wash and The Everything Oil. Both work the same way the face system does, treating the underlying cause rather than just the symptom.
But if all you need is something for the rough patches, the Super Cream is the one product that covers everything. A lot of people end up keeping one bottle on the bathroom counter and a second by the kitchen sink for after washing dishes.
Of course.
Skin is skin. What it's made of doesn't change as you age, you just have less of it over time. Younger skin still has plenty of its own ceramides, collagen, and hyaluronic acid, which makes our system work more as prevention than correction for a younger user. But the effect on the skin itself is the same.
Countless women in our community have ended up passing the system down to their daughters or granddaughters. We've seen it help with everything from stubborn hormonal breakouts to the early signs of barrier damage that come from years of harsh actives.
If your daughter or granddaughter has been wrestling with her skin, this works for her too.
[1]
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738081X07001976?via%3Dihub
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002432050700210X?via%3Dihub
[2]
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6451761/
[3]
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10897055/
[4]
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3942858/
