The best order to apply your skincare routine
I love my skincare routine, I actually take pride in it. I enjoy taking care of my skin, which is why I won’t skip the basics, ever, but I’ll also give my skin what it needs when it’s crying out for help. I talk about how to have a basic skincare routine and whilst as long as you cleanse, moisturize and SPF you’re doing the basics, on some days your skin might need more.
Building a skincare routine can be overwhelming, even more so when there are a ton of products on the market. It can be confusing how to use them, when and what’s the best order to apply your skincare in order to get the maximum results. If you’re just starting out building your skincare routine or wondering if you’re applying products in the right order - then this blog is for you!
The order you apply your skincare matters otherwise your products don’t get a proper chance to penetrate the skin. Not only is there an order to apply your products, it’s also a different order from AM to PM. This is simply because your morning skincare routine is all about protection from things like pollution and sun exposure and your night time order is all about repairing your skin because your skin isn’t exposed to anything external while you sleep. This also explains why you use different products at different times of the day.
The best morning skincare routine order
#1 Cleanser
You may have removed your makeup the night before and even if you haven’t, use a gentle and hydrating cleanser to clean any excess oils and sweat left on your skin. I prefer a gel, milk or balm cleanser, and yes you can use the same one in the evening too but only cleanse once in the morning!
#2 Toner
Use a toner to help rebalance your skin’s PH balance and this also helps prep your skin for your serum and moisturizer. Little tip - always apply your products according to consistency after cleansing, lightest to heaviest.
#3 Hydration mist
There are so many gorgeous smelling hydration mists to use and although you don’t necessarily have to include this step, I personally believe you should. I’ll tell you why…using a mist that contains glycerin or Hyaluronic acid allows the skin to be slightly damp before applying the next set of products and what does that mean?! It means it allows your skin to do a better job of absorbing what you are layering on after. Try Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow Ultra Fine Mist to maximize the results from your skincare routine.
#4 Eye cream
I used to make the rookie mistake of applying this as the last step and only at night (I genuinely don’t know why). I soon learnt that the reason eye cream comes before your serums and moisturizers, is because no matter how hard we try we are probably going to end up getting some in the eye area. This then defeats putting on eye cream after because it just won’t absorb as it should.
#5 Serum
The stage of your routine where we use products to target specific concerns and serums are great for this because they are made up of smaller molecules which have the ability to travel deeper into the skin than other products. I like to use a vitamin C serum in the morning as this helps brighten complexions.
#6 Moisturizer
Once a serum has been applied our skin will benefit from a moisturizer. This is because moisturizers prevent water loss, boosts the ability to smooth the appearance of the skin and they help improve the skin’s barrier. If you know your skin type, great, if you don’t, pay attention to your skin - it could be showing you signs of dryness, an oily t-zone etc - based on this you can choose your moisturizer that suits your skin best.
#7 SPF
If you’ve read any of my other blogs, you would know how much I bang on about SPF. It is so important and I would always use a stand alone SPF. I know there are lots of moisturizers that contain SPF 15 for example but if you assume you’ve got your SPF covered from just that, you’ll find by lunchtime you are no longer protected. Plus you generally need to apply more SPF for protection.
The best order to apply your night time skincare routine
#1 Double cleanse
The first step in the evening is to cleanse and then double cleanse to remove makeup and sunscreen. I use a cleansing balm like Farmacy Beauty GREEN CLEAN Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm to first break down makeup and/or SPF and then use a cleanser to really make sure your skin is clean and feels comfortable ready for the next part of your routine.
#2 Toner
This is essentially repeating step 2 from your morning routine. However, if you intend on using retinol at night, I would use a balancing toner rather than an acid toner because they enhance the potency of retinol.
#3 Retinol
The goddess ingredient we all love. Retinol has a ton of benefits including increasing cellular turnover and it helps stimulate collagen production. Apply retinol, or retinal like Medik8’s Crystal Retinal on dry cleansed skin and leave it for 20 minutes.
#4 Eye cream
Same as morning routine, tap gently around the eye area and a little tip - if you suffer from puffy eyes use a serum or gel eye cream instead of a cream one.
#5 Spot treatment (optional)
This is totally optional and really only applicable when you have a spot! Apply it before your moisturizer so it can really get to work before layering another product on top. But if you are planning on using retinol then skip this step so you don’t irritate the skin.
#6 Night moisturizer/Oils
Make sure to use your night moisturizer first and then your oil because remember they are heavier in terms of their consistency. Night creams also do a bit more than your day moisturizer because they are formulated to work with your skin’s overnight repair.
If you prefer at this stage to use a serum; I always say these are the products where you can splurge a bit of money on if you can. These products target your specific skin concerns. This is your treatment time so go to town!
Face mask (1-2 times a week)
I love a face mask, they are great for shedding any dead skin cells on your face and really brightening your complexion. Not to mention it makes your skin super soft! If I choose a face mask, I avoid using retinol that day just because the face masks I tend to use have acids in them and you don’t want to overdo it! It’s the perfect way to end the week, grab a good book, apply your face mask and glow baby..GLOW!
Extra tips when applying your skincare routine
For both your night time and day time skincare routine ordering, allow each product to really absorb into your skin before moving onto the next step and take your time applying! Use your treatment products in order of their consistency, lightest to heaviest! Do not mix ingredients such as exfoliating treatments and vitamin C together - they can end up counteracting one another.
As I mentioned earlier, it can be overwhelming thinking of the best order to apply your skincare and catering your routine to get the best results. But all it takes is practice and I promise you’ll be able to do it with your eyes closed!
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