Тhe only thing more important than the ingredients you use is the order that you use the products.
Your skincare routine order will vary between day and night. Here is how to sequence your products:
Cleanser
Use daily. Morning & Evening.
Cleansing your skin well sets up your entire skincare routine for success. If your skin is oily, and your pores are clogged, your serums and treatments .
Cleansers are washed off, so you don’t necessarily need active ingredients in them. Pick one that’s light, foams well, and doesn’t dry your skin.
Exfoliant / Exfoliator
2-4x a week. Evening only.
Acid exfoliants work similar to a chemical peel at your dermatology office. They help remove multiple layers of dead skin. And reveal new, better-looking skin, to improve the appearance of dark spots & hyperpigmentation.
Daily exfoliation isn’t necessary, but regular exfoliation goes a long way. 2-4 nights week is a great baseline for exfoliation for both anti-aging, as well as for acne-prone skin.
Eye Cream
As needed. Morning and/or Evening
The skin around our eyes is the thinnest skin we have. And shows more signs of aging quicker than any other area. It’s important to use your eye creams before there are too many layers of other products on your skin. When choosing an eye cream, look for peptides that have proven to work for dark circles, eye bags and crow’s feet.
Serum / Treatment
As Needed. Morning and/or Evening
Serums are formulated to give your skin a targeted dose of a specific ingredient. They’re usually thinner in texture. For example, a Vitamin C serum is designed to help with sun damage because of its antioxidant-rich properties.
If you are using multiple serums at the same time, you can combine a few drops of each in the palm of your hand, mix them up, and apply them on your face, chest & neck. This minimizes the steps in your routine and keeps things simple.
Moisturizer
Use daily. Morning and Evening
Gels, lotions and creams provide slower absorption for a sustained moisture boost. They also lock in all the hydration and treatments that you’ve already put on your skin. They can come in light, gel-based formulas for oily skin and lotions and creams for normal and dry skin.
Some moisturizers also provide double-duty by containing skin-nurturing ingredients in their formulas like retinoids or collagen peptides.
Sunscreen
Use daily. Morning only.
20% of people in the U.S. get skin cancer at some point in their life. And 80% of all signs of aging – from dark spots to wrinkles – are due to sun exposure. This applies year round, whether you are indoors or outdoors.
Using proper sun protection daily is an essential step to skincare! When it comes to your morning routine, this should be the final step.
The most important part
When it comes to knowing what order to use skincare products the most important part is to listen to how your skin reacts to products. Adjust accordingly. There is no guide that will work perfectly for everyone, all of the time. If you are sensitive, start exfoliating once a week. If your skin’s doing well with exfoliation, you could increase it to 3-4 times a week.
As long as you pick the right ingredients at the right concentrations and use them consistently, you are well on your way to a clear, healthy looking skin!
