The Order of Skincare? How to Layer Skincare in the Right Order
by Claudia Christin on Dec 14, 2020

What you should take into consideration
We believe there is no absolute right or wrong in skincare. Do whatever feels right for your skin and yourself. Don’t stress too much over it and experiment a little bit here and there! But, it doesn’t hurt to change the order a little bit, you may see a better result just by switching the order.
- • Function of products
- • Texture of products
- • pH of products
- • How your skin tolerates a certain order
Function of products
Get to know your products and their main function:
- • Cleanser of course is meant to remove any remaining dirt / excess sebum on your skin.
- • Toner is a product that is meant to restore your skin's normal pH, hydrate, or exfoliate your skin.
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- ‣ Exfoliating toner: Remove layers of dead skin cells, allows the next serum or product to absorb better.
- ‣ Hydrating toner: Add another layer of light hydration and feel refreshing.
- • Serum will deliver the most potent amount of active ingredients to your skin and target your specific skin concern.
- • Essence, Ampoule, Lotion is almost similar to a moisturizer but usually is lighter in texture to provide and lock in moisture.
- • Moisturizer is a product that is meant to prevent water loss, prevent and give your skin the moisture it needs to function properly.
- • Sunscreen is meant to protect your skin from the damage of UV radiation and is supposed to be the first layer of guard on your skin.
Texture/consistency of products
The easiest and basic rule to follow is to use the one with the thinnest consistency to the thickest one. So always start with something that has a more watery texture to it than the one that is most occlusive or creamy. Most products with a thin consistency, just like a toner, have more water content in it to replenish hydration without the ‘protective’ properties. It will help the absorption of products that are applied afterward like a serum. Then to top it off, you finish them with a creamy moisturizer with more occlusive properties that helps to lock in all the hydration and active ingredients in your skin. So, imagine when you put on your moisturizer before your serum, it will definitely prevent the active ingredients from absorbing and doing their job. A moisturizer can’t distinguish between the good and bad guy since they are just ordered to kick every foreign matter out of your skin. No matter how well-formulated your products are, with the incorrect order of application, you may not be able to see their full potential.