You've done your homework and purchased high-quality skincare products; now you must find out how to use them, when to use them, and in what order—feeling a little overwhelmed? We have got you!
Why You Should Care About The Order Of Skincare Products
In general, apply products from thinnest to thickest. This guarantees that the entire product spends time in intimate touch with your skin and that no potent chemicals are squandered.
Applying skincare products in the correct order ensures that each product works as intended. The right sequence allows products to penetrate the skin properly, ensuring maximum efficacy.
Your Morning Skincare Routine
Starting your day with a well-structured skincare routine prepares your skin to face external aggressors. Here are the essential steps:
Step 1: Cleanse
You want to begin your skin-care routine on a clean slate; the best cleansers mean business. Cleansing removes the sleep, sweat, and overnight grime.
Cleansers come in a variety of formulations, including cream, foamy, gel, and oil-based. Choosing the appropriate cleanser is determined by your skin type and problems.
How to Choose the Best Cleanser for Your Skin Type
- For oily skin - Avoid overly stripping products (such as charcoal, sulfate, and clay-based cleansers) and instead opt for gel-based face washes or gentle foamy cleansers for oily skin.
- For dry skin -The perfect face wash for dry skin should be creamy, non-foaming, and have barrier-boosting components such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin.
- Acne-prone skin- Look for a cleanser that contains acne-fighting chemicals like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
- Sensitive skin- Use a gentle, creamy face cleanser with soothing colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera, and niacinamide.
How To Use It: When washing your face, use warm water rather than hot water, which can dry it out. Gently cleanse your face with your hands or a facial cleaning brush. If you want the cleanest complexion, try twice cleansing. Also, avoid being overly harsh during the drying process. Simply dry your skin with a clean towel.
Step 3: Toner or astringent
Toners remove debris and dead cells from the skin after cleansing while also hydrating the skin. An astringent is a product with an alcohol base that eliminates extra oil. Stay away from alcohol-based toners since they may cause skin irritation. After cleansing, contaminants left behind can be eliminated and pores can be less noticeable with the use of toners and astringents.
How To Use It: Immediately after cleansing, sweep the product outward over the face with a cotton pad or by tapping straight onto the skin.
Step 2: Treat
Face toners used to be awful, alcohol-based liquids that burnt your face. However, today's toners are either formulated with gentle, moisturizing ingredients for dry and sensitive skin or with chemical exfoliants to treat acne and pimples.
Toners aren't designed to sit on your skin and feel heavy. They are simply preparing your face so that the chemicals can be better absorbed later.
Toner (like most of the processes on this list) is entirely optional, but if your toner smells like nail polish remover or alcohol, you should stop using it right once and get an updated version.
How to Choose the Best Toner for Your Skin Type
- Acne-prone/oily skin: The best toner for oily and acne-prone skin will contain either BHA (beta hydroxy acid, such as salicylic acid) or AHA (alpha hydroxy acid, such as glycolic or lactic acid), which works to unclog pores, prevent breakouts, and dissolve blackheads over time.
- all skin types: Hydrating toners work best for all skin types, including dry and sensitive skin, because they help restore the water lost by your skin barrier when you wash and dry your face.
How To Use It: Tap acid-based toners over clean, dry skin every other morning; if you intend to use retinol at night, wait 60 seconds before layering on another product to avoid accidentally neutralizing the acid.
Step 3: Spot Treatment
Consider using serums or spot treatments. These solutions are intended to address specific skin conditions like acne, fine wrinkles, and dark spots.
How to Select the Best Face Serum for Your Skin Type.
Using vitamin C serum in the morning protects your skin from inflammation, while also gradually whitening dark spots.
Just keep in mind that Vitamin C can be irritating to sensitive skin, so use it every other morning (or every two mornings).
How To Use It: Apply toner to a cotton pad and sweep it outward from the center of your face. You might prefer a gentle mist formula that applies with a quick spritz. Either way, let the toner dry before proceeding to the following step.
Step 4: Eye Cream
Eye creams are lighter and thinner than face moisturizers, so use them before creams and oils. However, for the majority of people, eye creams are unnecessary. As long as you use moisturizer and sunscreen, your eye area is already receiving the TLC it requires.
If you're concerned about the symptoms of age around your eyes or simply want to get rid of under-eye bags eye creams may be useful. When choosing an eye cream, find a product that addresses your most pressing needs, whether hydration or the best anti-aging eye cream.
How to use it: Apply the eye cream in little dots around the inner corner of your eye and smooth outwards. Follow the orbital bones surrounding your eye, including the area immediately under your eyebrow, and gently pat it on your skin with your ring finger.
Step 5: Moisturizer
The best moisturizer relieves dry skin, keeps in moisture, preserves and supports your skin's barrier, and reduces the signs of aging. Moisturizer also serves as an excellent primer for makeup application.
How to use it: Moisturizer can be applied at various times during the day, but do so in the morning before your sunscreen and in the evening after applying a retinol or retinoid
Step 6: SPF
If you believe serums and moisturizers are necessary, sunscreen is very critical. It not only prevents premature aging, but it may also help prevent skin cancer. Sunscreen should be used every day, even if it's overcast, rainy, or you want to stay indoors. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30.
Find the Best Sunscreen for Your Skin Type
- Dry: Look for a sunscreen that provides both protection and hydration.
- Oily: Look for a sunscreen labeled non-comedogenic and oil-free, as they are less prone to clog pores and trigger or worsen outbreaks.
- Normal skin: Select a sunscreen that you are likely to use, such as a moisturizer combination or a tinted moisturizer with SPF.
- Combination skin requires a lightweight, non-clogging sunscreen.
- Sensitive skin: Select a mineral-based product containing zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide, which are less likely to bother your skin.
- Mature: Look for a sunscreen with powerful anti-aging chemicals that can work double duty.
Your Night Skincare Routine
Nighttime is when your skin repairs and regenerates. Here’s how to optimize your evening skincare routine:
Step 1: Double Cleanse
This is where it pays to switch up your routine from morning to night. Double cleaning removes all pollutants from your skin. For the best results, choose products that are specifically designed for your skin type.
Double cleansing begins with an oil-based cleanser, which is best for eliminating oil-based products such as makeup and sunscreen, and concludes with a water-based cleanser, which is more effective against sweat and bacteria.
How To Use It: Gently massage the oil-based cleanser into your skin for 60 seconds, then rinse with lukewarm water. Reapply your water-based cleanser while the skin is still damp. Gently pat the skin dry.
Step 2: Exfoliator or Clay Mask
Depending on your skin type, exfoliate 2-3 times a week or use a clay mask to draw out impurities. This step helps to keep pores clear and smoothens the skin texture.
Exfoliation eliminates dead skin cells, clears pores, and absorbs excess oil. These masks are best used at night to remove leftover dirt and help the skin absorb other products. In general, dermatologists advise against exfoliating every night to avoid damage to the skin barrier.
P.S. You might be interested in the Anti-Aging Vitamin C Clay Mask for Face, which uses Mediterranean Sea Clay to cleanse pores while also boosting collagen completely.
How To Use It: Use clay masks once or twice a week, either all over the face or on specific problem areas. After leaving it on for the suggested amount of time, rinse it with warm water and pat dry.
Step 3: Hydrating Mist or Toner
You can apply the same toner you used in the morning to your nightly routine. Remember to select one that is specifically made for your skin type and conditions.
Step 4: Serums and Essences
Nighttime is ideal for applying serums and essences that target specific skin concerns like aging, hydration, or pigmentation. These potent products deliver active ingredients deep into the skin.
Why do you need it? A serum can improve your skin's ability to mend itself overnight.
Step 5: Eye Cream
Repeat the process you used in the morning. The same eye cream can be used for both day and night, or you can use one with SPF in the morning and a heavier, more moisturizing eye cream in the evening.
Step 6: Moisturizer or Night Cream
Repeat the process you used in the morning. Depending on your skin type, you can use the same product morning and night, or you can choose one with SPF in the morning and a creamier, more moisturizing lotion at night.
Step 7: Face Oil
Finish your routine with a face oil to seal in all the products and provide an additional layer of nourishment.
Nighttime oils are ideal for dry skin. Thicker oils, which may result in an undesirable glossy complexion, are best applied in the evening. Cleanse thoroughly the next morning to remove any residue from heavier items. Because oils can reduce the effectiveness of sunscreen during the day, certain products should be best applied at night.
How to use it: Apply a few drops to your skin. For the best effects, avoid applying additional items on top.
