How to Layer Skincare Routine Products
Does your skincare routine order matter? The short answer is yes! Layering skincare in the correct order is essential to getting the most out of your skincare routine and the products you invest in, Plus, you’ll notice benefits to your skin health and appearance.
If you are wondering if you should apply toner before or after moisturizer, toner or serum first, or moisturizer first or serum, we have you covered.
This article will walk you through the proper skincare routine steps and order to apply skincare, along with some recommendations for the best skincare products for each step.
Keep reading as we walk through:
- How to layer skincare
- Skincare order – why it matters
- What order to apply skincare
- Common mistakes with skincare routine steps
- How to customize your skincare regimen
You won’t want to miss this information; your best skin is waiting!
The Basics of Layering Your Skincare Products
Whether you follow only a few skincare steps or have a more elaborate routine, you’ll want to follow the same order. Cleanse first, then use targeted products, seal it all in with a moisturizer, and don’t forget SPF during the day. We’ll walk through the order of skincare specifics shortly, but first, let’s talk about why it matters.
Why Order Matters
Your skin routine steps are essential for healthy skin because the order allows certain ingredients to penetrate the skin and others to reinforce the skin barrier. When you follow a random skin routine order, you could be missing the benefits of your products.
The bottom line is that the order of skincare products improves the absorption of active ingredients, and you’ll see better results from your routine.
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Skin Product Layering
The step-by-step skincare routine order we’re about to uncover follows the principle of applying thin, lightweight products first, followed by thicker ones.
Thin to Thick
When considering how to layer skincare products, apply from thin to thick consistency. This tip promotes better absorption, prevents clogged pores, and enhances skin barrier protection and hydration.
Skincare Routine Order
Next, let’s walk through the optimal skincare steps in order. The skincare routine steps include:
- Cleanser
- Toner
- Serum (or serums)
- Eye cream
- Moisturizer
- Sunscreen
Please note if you don’t use a product in one of the face routine steps, skip it and move on to the next step. For example, a simplified routine may only use cleanser, serum, and a sunscreen-moisturizer combination. Another might only use a cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
Cleanser – Remove Dirt and Makeup
The first skincare step should always be cleansing. Skin cleansing is a ritual humans have performed for thousands of years. Use a cleanser to create a clean slate and wash off makeup, sunscreen, oil, dirt, and stress from the day. Choose a gentle and balancing cleanser that doesn’t strip away the skin’s natural oils and promotes hydration.
In addition to the order of skin products, the products themselves also matter. For step 1, we recommend NassifMD® Pure Hydration Facial Cleanser. This cleanser contains antioxidants from matcha tea, vitamin C, a natural cleansing agent derived from coconut, and squalene to reduce inflammation, fight free radical damage, and leave the skin feeling soft, clean, and radiant.
After cleansing, consider adding NassifMD® Detox Facial Pads to promote skin detoxification and gentle exfoliation from hydroxy acids and bakuchiol (a gentle retinol-alternative). Start using them a couple times weekly and work up to daily use depending on your skin type. You can use Detox Facial Pads in place of your daily cleanser when necessary.
Toner – Balance pH and Skin Prep
Step 2 is using a facial toner to prepare the skin for the rest of your routine and balance the skin’s pH (by restoring acidity) after cleansing. This step is optional but highly beneficial. We recommend NassifMD® 3HA Hydrating Facial Mist for an effective, gentle, hydrating toner for all skin types.
NassifMD® 3HA Hydrating Facial Mist contains three forms of hyaluronic acid and nourishing and calming ingredients to plump, smooth, hydrate, and refresh the skin. Use it as step 2 in your skincare routine and anytime your face needs a quick refresh.
Serum – Target Specific Concerns
Step 3 of your skin treatment steps is to apply serums. Serums are typically lightweight, water-based formulas containing active ingredients, such as retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and peptides. They absorb quickly, and you can use multiple serums layered together. When considering how to layer serums, follow the rule of thin to thick.
While there are several options for the best face serums from NassifMD® facial plastic surgeon skincare, we often recommend starting with NassifMD® Hydro-Screen and NassifMD® Pro Peptide Collagen Serum.
NassifMD® Hydro-Screen is our best-selling facial serum to repair, firm, and protect the skin. It contains active ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and retinol, to reverse skin damage, reduce wrinkles, and transform the skin in as little as five weeks. It’s the best face serum for anti-aging!
NassifMD® Pro Peptide Collagen Serum contains hydrating ingredients, including peptides, to smooth and tighten the skin. It’s perfect for mature skin as well as reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and crepiness.
Eye Cream – Address Under-Eye Issues
Step 4 is for eye cream, which is optional but recommended. Eye creams can add moisture to the delicate skin under and around the eyes, which is more prone to wrinkles and sun damage. If you use other spot treatments on your skin, you can apply them here, too.
We recommend NassifMD® Peri-Orbital Complex with vitamin C, Ectoin, and antioxidants to combat the signs of aging and protect the skin around the eyes. This concentrated formula revitalizes and hydrates the skin around the eyes.
Moisturizer – Hydrate and Lock-In Moisture
Apply a quality moisturizer as step 5. Moisturizers are thicker than serums and should go after the skin treatments with targeted ingredients. If you don’t use serums, simply moisturize after cleansing and toning.
Moisturizers support the skin’s natural barrier, locking in moisture and the previous skincare layers. Try NassifMD® Soft Focus Hydrating Day Cream to plump the skin, increasing the glow. You’ll notice the fast effects in real time because of the key ingredients such as niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, floraesters (from jojoba oil), red clover extract, and more.
Sunscreen (AM) – Protect Against UV Rays
Sunscreen is the essential final step of your AM skincare routine. At night, finish with your moisturizer.
Sunscreen protects the skin from sun damage; it isn’t just for your face, be sure to apply it to your neck, ears, backs of hands, and any exposed area. To uplevel your sunscreen experience, choose products with moisturizing, hydrating ingredients from the
Common Skincare Routine Mistakes
Now that we’ve covered the steps to a skincare routine let’s walk through some common mistakes.
Using Too Much Product
NassifMD® Skincare is high quality. Each product contains a synergy of active ingredients in therapeutic doses, and a little goes a long way. There is no need to use a lot of each product. Just a few drops or pumps are typically enough to create a thin layer covering the face, especially when using products in each of the six steps outlined here.
The one exception is sunscreen. Often people don’t use enough sunscreen to get the full SPF protection. When applying sunscreen, you may need more than you think.
Skipping Steps
We’ve established that the facial routine order is important and can be personalized based on how simple or complex your daily routine is. While you may not need three serums or prefer a lighter routine, especially in the summer, there are some critical steps not to skip. Always cleanse, moisturize, and use sunscreen.
Incorrect Application Techniques
We’ve covered the products to use and the optimal order, but we haven’t discussed how to apply each product, which is also important. For guidance on the correct application technique for each product in the NassifMD® Skincare line, go to the product page and click on “How to Use” on the right hand side of the screen.
How to Customize Your Skincare Routine
Once you have the skincare basics covered and apply the products correctly in the correct order, there is ample room for customization and experimentation based on your skin type, season, and age.
For Your Skin Type
Choose specific products based on your skin type: oily, dry, sensitive, normal, or combination. Please read Understanding Skin Types: What’s Yours? to determine your skin type and the best products.
For the Season
To add complexity to your skincare routine, you may need to change the products you use for the season. Many people prefer fewer products and lightweight products in the summer and may need heavier, thicker ones in the winter when skin is drier.
Check out these resources for seasonal skincare:
- Secrets for Glowing Summer Skin: Craft Your Summer Skincare routine
- How to Transition Your Skincare from Summer to Fall
- 5 Winter Skincare Tips to Try this Season from a Plastic Surgeon
- Spring Skincare Routine
For Your Age and Skin Specifics
Your skincare routine will likely need to shift as you age. You may experience collagen loss, more fine lines, and pigmentation changes. Overall, you may find your skin benefits from more serums, hydrating ingredients, and a more detailed routine. Please read The Secrets of Anti-Aging Skincare: Maintain Youthful, Glowing Skin for more information.
If you haven’t been applying your skincare products in the correct order, now is the time to tweak your routine to experience more benefits from the products you choose and enhanced results. No matter how many products you use in your routine, following the six steps outlined here sets the foundation for healthy, radiant skin.
References
- Mukhopadhyay P. (2011). Cleansers and their role in various dermatological disorders.Indian journal of dermatology, 56(1), 2–6.
- Boo Y. C. (2021). Mechanistic Basis and Clinical Evidence for the Applications of Nicotinamide (Niacinamide) to Control Skin Aging and Pigmentation.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 10(8), 1315.
- Harwood A, Nassereddin A, Krishnamurthy K. Moisturizers. [Updated 2022 Aug 21]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545171/
- Petersen, B., & Wulf, H. C. (2014). Application of sunscreen--theory and reality.Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine, 30(2-3), 96–101.
