The skincare world can sometimes be a bit of a minefield for some. With all of the cleansers, toners, serums, masks and more, your skincare routine can get seriously overwhelming.
Figuring out the right order to apply your skincare products, so that they are the most effective, is useful for numerous reasons. By conquering the right order will ensure your products perform to their best standard, and your skin will benefit massively.
Simply put, the general rule is to layer your products from thin to thick. So, for example, your moisturiser goes last because it tends to be the heaviest formula.
It’s also helpful to think of layering based on how effective you want each product to be. For example, if you’re applying an acne treatment, you would apply this before your moisturiser, so that there are less layers for the treatment to penetrate.
Make sense? Here is step-by-step guide to applying your skincare products, below. Happy layering!
IN THE MORNING
Cleanse with a facial cleanser
Start your morning off with a gentle cleanser. Your skin doesn’t typically need much washing in the morning as it does in the evening, so you can even get away with a splash of warm water.
However, if you do opt for a cleanser, use a gentle one with awakening properties, such as
Tone the skin with toner
A cleanser can only do so much, as its main purpose is to cleanse, refresh and prep the skin with a clean complexion. Using a toner is a great way to finish off this first phase, and assure all dirt and oils are wiped away. You’d be surprised sometimes as the remaining dirt that is on the cotton pad after swiping toner around your face!
It’s important to be aware that a lot of toners on the market have high amounts of alcohol in them, which can be harsh on your skin. Make sure to avoid strong toners that contain alcohol, as they can even strip your skin of your healthy essential oils you have naturally.
Use serum as your treatment step (if you need to)
Next, it’s time to focus on any problem areas. Serums are a great solution for a variety of skin concerns you may have. Uneven skin tone, dull skin, acne, fine lines – serums tend to be highly concentrated, so they work as a ‘treatment’ product.
Moisturise and ensure you use SPF
No matter what your skin type, it’s important to use a moisturiser, and ideally one that contains an SPF. If your moisturiser doesn’t contain SPF, then you can always apply your SPF as the very last step, on top of your moisturiser.
Eye Cream
The last layering step for your daytime regime is to apply eye cream (after moisturizer). It’s really helpful to use an eye cream daily, no matter what your age, because the skin around your eyes is different from the rest of your face. It’s a lot thinner and delicate, which makes it prone to fine lines and wrinkles more prominently than the rest of the skin.
IN THE EVENING
Carry out a deep cleanse
For those who wear makeup, it’s useful to remove your makeup with a micellar water or makeup removing cleanser before washing your face. If you don’t tend to wear makeup, you can head straight to your usual evening cleanser. As this will be the essential step to remove all the impurities from the day, opt for a cleanser which aims to deep clean the dirt away from the day.
Toner
Toner is especially important at night to act as that final cleanse to remove stubborn makeup and dirt. You only need a little amount onto a cotton pad to refine the skin, remove impurities and to tighten the pores.
Acne Treatment (optional)
Next, it’s most effective to apply any acne or redness treatment right after you cleanse, so that its closest to the skin to penetrate deep. Remember that you only need to apply a thin layer of an acne or redness treatment, as they are usually quite potent.
Serum (optional)
If you’ve applied an acne treatment, wait for it to dry before adding serum. If not, you can go ahead and massage this in straight after your toner. Use the same serum that you used in the morning for best results.
Night Cream
Now it’s time to apply your night cream, which should ideally be a different product to the moisturiser you used in the day. While you sleep, your skin is given its best chance at repairing itself, therefore choose your night cream carefully. It should be of a thicker texture, and one that slowly absorb into the skin overtime and provides super hydrating properties.
Eye Cream
Always apply your eye cream right after your night cream, just as you did in the morning.
Facial Oil (optional)
For those of you with dry skin, facial oils can be fantastic at solving a multitude of problems. From dry, flaky patches to tightness and dull texture, facial oils can intensely hydrate your skin deliver a concoction of skin loving vitamins.
Gently pat the facial oil into your skin as the final step, when you’ve finished applying everything else. Using facial oils over time can really improve the state of your skin.
Another important skincare product to consider is SPF. This can be present in your moisturiser, but nothing screams ‘healthy skin’ like using an SPF alone on top of your daily moisturiser. Always use SPF last as it normally has quite a dense texture, and the rule is – quite simply put – start light and end with your thickest products.
