Our skincare routine consists of several products: cleansers, moisturizers, serums, gels, sunscreens etc. The order in which we apply these products is important to reap the full benefits from them and to prepare the skin for the next step. But what comes first? Toner or moisturizer? Serum or sunscreen? Here’s a quick guide to help you:
DAY SKINCARE REGIMEN
1. Cleanse: always start with clean skin. Wash your faces to remove dirt, oil and other impurities.
2. Exfoliant: this removes dirt and oil as well, so on days you exfoliate, you can avoid using a cleanser. Or you could use an exfoliating cleanser instead.
3. Tone: it removes excess oil and gives skin a soothing and refreshing feeling.
4. Prescription Topicals: apply them on your clean and dry face to help them penetrate the skin.
5. Serums/Gels: you should always start applying products with a thinner consistency first. In fact, thicker products may block the thinner ones from penetrating the skin and therefore do their job.
6. Eye cream.
7. Moisturizer: it will boost the efficacy of the other products by locking them in.
8. Sunscreen: physical sunscreens can be applied after moisturizer. Chemical sunscreens, instead, need to interact with skin cells to be effective. Therefore you should apply them on clean and bare skin and wait till they are absorbed before using serums, moisturizers and other skincare products. However, you can omit applying sunscreen if your moisturizer has SPF 30 or higher.
NIGHT SKINCARE REGIMEN
1. Cleanse: remove makeup, oils and dirt.
2. Mask: use only once or twice a week.
3. Tone.
4. Products containing Retinods: make sure your skin is not moist from creams or water as it could make retinoids more irritating. Products containing retinoids are best used at night as they can increase sun sensitivity. Sunlight can also degrade retonids so they will lose their efficacy.
5. Prescription Topicals.
6. Serum/Gels.
7. Eye cream.
8. Night moisturizer: during the night skin cells shed more easily and microcirculation is higher so the skin can heal itself. Applying a night moisturizer helps this process.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Ooh, I found this really useful cause I always wonder which product should go first. Now I don’t have to wonder anymore.
Whenever I buy a new product, I always ask for the order of application. Otherwise, it would not be as effective. To me, if I use a retinoid product, I would cease anything that contains AHA/BHA to avoid skin freak outs. Since retinoid and AHA/BHA are both skin exfoliants, using only one will do.
thanks for this post! I am glad I am doing the right thing
wow! you always doing something exciting! very helpful
Lisa: you’re welcome. There are just so many products out there it can be confusing
Dao: That is a great tip, thanks. Some ingredients can make others less effective, so it’s important to know how to use them properly. And you certainly don’t wanna use too many exfoliants as that would make skin red and irritating.
Nikki: you’re welcome. Am glad about that too, well done
Anastasia: thanks a lot hun!