What Order Should Your Skincare Products Go In?

Apply your skincare from thinnest to thickest. In practice that means cleanser, toner, serum, eye cream, moisturizer, and sunscreen last in the morning. Thin, watery products go on first so they can reach the skin, and thicker creams go over the top to hold everything in. If you only remember one rule, that is the one.

Why does the order matter?

A rich cream forms a layer on the surface of the skin. That is its job. Put a watery serum on top of it and much of the serum sits on the cream instead of on your skin.

Going the other way, light to heavy, lets each product do what it was made for. It also means you are not wasting what you paid for.

What is the right order in the morning?

1. Cleanser. A gentle wash to remove oil and whatever you put on the night before. If your skin is dry in winter, a rinse with lukewarm water is sometimes enough.
2. Toner. Optional. It goes on right after cleansing, while the skin is still slightly damp.
3. Serum. Serums are thin and concentrated. Morning is the usual time for a vitamin C serum.
4. Eye cream. Pat it on gently with your ring finger. Do not rub.
5. Moisturizer. This seals in the layers under it.
6. Sunscreen. Always last, and every day, including gray December ones. It needs to sit on top of everything else to work.

Makeup, if you wear it, goes on after sunscreen.

What is the right order at night?

1. Cleanser. The most important step of the evening. Sunscreen and makeup need to come off properly. If you wear a lot of either, cleanse twice.
2. Toner, if you use one.
3. Treatment. This is where an exfoliating product or a retinol goes, on the nights you use it. Not every night, and not both on the same night unless you have been told otherwise.
4. Serum. A hydrating serum fits here, especially on nights without a treatment.
5. Eye cream.
6. Moisturizer. Night is the time for your richer one.

No sunscreen at night. Retinol belongs in the evening because it can make skin more sensitive to sunlight.

Where does a spot treatment go?

On clean skin, after toner and before moisturizer, dabbed only on the blemish. Some spot treatments are meant to go on last, so read the directions on yours and follow them over any general rule.

Where do exfoliating pads, scrubs and masks fit?

• Scrubs are used in place of, or right after, your cleanser, then rinsed off.
• Exfoliating pads go on after cleansing, in the treatment step.
• Masks go on clean skin, come off after the time on the label, and are followed by the rest of your routine.

Once or twice a week is plenty for most skin. More on that in how often you should exfoliate your face.

Do you have to wait between steps?

Not long. Give each layer a moment to sink in so the next one does not pill or slide. Thirty seconds to a minute is fine for most products. The exception is anything whose label asks for more time.

Do you need all of these steps?

No. A routine that gets done beats a perfect one that sits in the cabinet. The three that matter most are:

• A cleanser that does not leave your face tight.
• A moisturizer that suits your skin and the season.
• Sunscreen in the morning.

Everything else is an addition for a specific concern. Add one product at a time, and give it a couple of weeks before you judge it or add another. If your skin stings or turns red, back off to the basics.

If you have been given a prescription for your skin, ask your doctor or dermatologist where it goes in your routine and what not to combine it with.

Does the order change in winter?

The order stays the same. The products shift. Cold air outside and furnace heat inside dry skin out, so December is usually the month to move to a creamier cleanser, a hydrating serum and a richer moisturizer, and to cut back on exfoliating if your face feels raw. See keeping your skin from drying out in an Illinois winter.

If a new set of skincare lands under the tree this month, resist opening all of it on the same night. Sort it by step, start with one product and work the others in slowly.

Not sure what your skin needs?

The Spathetics shop carries each step in the routine above: cleansers, toners, serums, eye care, moisturizers and Sheer Protection SPF 30. Choosing among them is easier when someone has looked at your skin. A facial is a good time to ask, because Ashley can see what your skin is doing and tell you which steps are worth your money. The Express Facial is a short way to do that, and the Deluxe Facial is the full version. See all facials, or book an appointment online.