How To Layer Skincare Products – The golden rule of product layering is thinnest to thickest. Why? The lighter the product, the faster it absorbs into the skin.
We personally believe less is more when it comes to skincare, so adapt it to your daily life. Also, applying your skincare products to damp skin will allow your skincare products to absorb better. The goal is to start applying your skin care within 60 seconds of cleansing. You can also include a hydrating facial mist to moisten the skin before application.
How To Layer Skincare Products
Here’s a step-by-step example of a day and night skin care routine with the products mentioned here for how we apply them! Products marked with an asterisk are original products everyone should use!
Best Skincare Order: Which Products To Apply & In What Order
1) Cleanser*: Our favorite cleansers can be found here. If you are prone to dryness, don’t wash your face in the morning and just splash with water. If you are oily or prone to breakouts, we recommend washing your face in the morning.
2) Tone: Hello, Toning Pad + Toning Pad II! Toning pads replace toner and are formulated with some of our favorite acids, antioxidants and soothing ingredients. Each swipe reveals clearer, brighter skin while tackling clogged pores and increasing the penetration of your other skincare products, making them more effective.
3) Vitamin C Serum*: Liquid Gold is a multitasking antioxidant powerhouse micro-emulsion designed to penetrate deep into the skin, providing mega antioxidant protection from UV damage, anti-aging skin, boosting collagen production and SPF Increases its effectiveness. You are golden, honey!
4) Serum: Other serums like, Overachiever and Brightening Serum, will be applied after the Vitamin C Serum. The order of application for these two is personal choice!
How To Layer Your Skincare Products Like A Pro By Amanda Boles
5) Eye Cream: Our favorite eye cream is DEJ Eye Cream. Read this for more tips on how to treat dark circles.
For many people, an extra moisturizer is unnecessary, but if you need extra hydration, apply a hydrating lotion before SPF, but always, always wear SPF!
2) Tone: Toning is great for balancing the skin’s pH, improving the absorption of skin care products and preparing the skin for products to follow. Toning Pad (II) is formulated with some of our favorite acids, antioxidants and soothing ingredients. Each swipe reveals clearer, brighter skin while tackling clogged pores and increasing the penetration of your other skincare products, making them more effective.
3) Vitamin C Serum*: Liquid Gold is a multitasking antioxidant powerhouse micro-emulsion designed to penetrate deep into the skin, providing mega antioxidant protection from UV damage, anti-aging skin, boosting collagen production and SPF Increases its efficiency.
Layering Skincare: Create The Perfect Medik8 Regime
4) Serum: Other serums, such as overachiever and brightening serums, should be applied after the vitamin C serum. The order of application for these two is personal choice!
5) Eye Cream: As we mentioned earlier, our favorite eye cream is the DEJ Eye Cream and we recommend applying both morning and night! We like to apply Retinal Skin Therapy over eye cream at night for extra anti-aging benefits.
6) Retinoids: Don’t skip this one! We love Retinal Skin Therapy. You can read more about what retinoids are and how to use them here.
Mask + at-home treatment: If you include a mask or at-home treatment in your routine, make sure to wash your face before treatment. Follow the rest of your post-mask routine (but be sure to read specific product usage tips as some instructions vary).
How To Layer Skin Care Products In The Right Order
That’s it! If that seems like a lot, don’t worry—each of these steps can take a few seconds to take effect. Invest in your skin and years down the road, you’ll be so glad you did!
Cookies and this site go together like SPF and vitamin C. We use cookies on our website to ensure you only see things relevant to you. Learn more Finding the right skincare products for your skin can be a feat in itself, knowing how and when to use each product in your routine to ensure it works. Overusing products or layering products incorrectly can be ineffective and even harmful to your skin. A large component of my role as a licensed esthetician is not only advising my clients on which products to use but also making sure they are using them correctly. Knowing the best order to apply skincare products can be challenging, especially in more complex routines that can go over 10 steps. I’m here to provide relevant knowledge and tips so you can better understand how to layer your skincare products effectively. If your routine is more complicated, consulting an esthetician can be very helpful and necessary.
Of course, the first step in your skincare routine should be cleansing. I always recommend double cleansing in the evening, especially if you wear makeup. The first cleanse acts as your makeup remover and can be an oil cleanser to dissolve makeup. If you are acne-prone, I would stay away from oil cleansers as many oils are pore-clogging. For your morning routine, a single cleanse is enough.
Next is when you start to be aware of the compatibility of the products. Toner is the next step as it is the thinnest consistency and actually acts as another cleansing step. It lowers the pH of your skin to prepare it for other active ingredients.
How To Effectively Layer Skincare Products • Organically Becca
Since serums are the next thinning product they should be the next step in your regimen. The serum you use depends on what you are trying to treat in your skin. You can apply a hydrating serum such as hyaluronic acid in the morning if hydration is a concern or an antioxidant serum in the morning if aging is a concern. In the evening you can apply a hydrating serum to boost hydration or an exfoliating serum for congestion or aging concerns.
After your serum, it’s the perfect time to apply a moisturizer. Thicker in moisturizer consistency, you can also apply an eye cream. Finally, you should always apply SPF in the morning to finish off your routine. Be sure to let each product absorb for at least a minute before layering. As a final step in the evening, you can apply a spot treatment if needed.
These are the basic tips to remember and follow for an effective skincare regimen. When you are using different active products like hydroxy acids or retinol, there are other guidelines to follow. In general, don’t layer multiple active products in the same routine, this means splitting actives between your morning and night routine.
Florida based National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach with 6 years of experience in both medical and naturopathic fields. Nicole’s philosophy is that wellness and beauty are connected in a very powerful way In my previous post, I explored Asia’s obsession with skin and explained how their beauty culture differs from the West. In addition to prioritizing skin care over makeup, a typical Asian skin care regimen includes layering multiple products on the skin. I’ve broken down each step of the process into a ‘night’ and a ‘day’ method. The general rule is to apply products in order of thickness, building up from watery serums to thick creams.
How To Layer Skincare: The Correct Order To Do Skincare
Night- “Double Cleanse” is a two-step procedure that really, really removes all the gunk from your face. In step one, an oil-based cleanser melts away makeup—including waterproof mascara and other hard-to-move items. The second step, a foaming cleanser, turns into a foamy “cushion” that gently removes dirt, oil and other impurities without pulling on the skin. I approached oil cleansers with caution, as my skin is quite sensitive and acne-prone, but after incorporating oil cleansers into my routine for about 5 months, no issues.
Day- You wake up with significantly less dirt and gunk on your face (I hope), so no double cleansing in the morning.
“Lotion” and “toner” are different from what we usually think of in the West, while the word “milk” may be completely new to you. What is the difference? It’s hard to tell, since each company tends to market their products a little differently, but generally the only difference is the color of the substance (milks are creamy, versus lotions and toners, which are clear). Their purpose is to re-inject some of the moisture stripped away during the cleansing process, returning the skin to its normal pH level and preparing the skin to “receive” serums and additional moisture. This is in contrast to western style ‘toners’, which usually aim to remove any trace residue after washing.
Essences and serums are the real work of Asian skin care. They’re used to correct skin imperfections—from uneven skin tone, to excess oil, to clogged pores—if you can name a problem, chances are there’s an essence or serum for it.
How To Layer Skincare Products
. It’s just a light moisturizer, and it goes on before your second moisturizer (yes, two). At night, the emulsion is followed by either a sleeping pack or sleeping mask, both of which provide extra hydration to your skin and “lock in” everything.