The Correct Order to Apply Skin Care Products

The Most Effective Ways to Layer Your Skincare

Applying your skin care products in a specific order maximizes their efficacy. Yet, backed by science, the correct order to apply skin care products has yet to be widely known among everyday consumers.

People often think that using various skincare products on your skin will produce the best results. However, this is far from the case. The product can only work its magic if correctly applied in a specific order.

The order of your skincare products optimizes your skincare routine!

With research and experts backing it up, the most effective way to apply skincare products is in the following order: cleanse, tone, exfoliate, mask, serum, eye cream, moisturizer, facial oil, and spot treatment.

While some of these steps are optional, only you can tweak your skincare routine to best suit your needs. So follow these steps to make the most of our skincare products!

The Facial Cleanse

The grounding first step and foundation of your skincare routine is to cleanse the skin thoroughly. So many overlook the importance of this step, but without a good cleanse, the rest of your skincare routine will suffer.

Be sure to use a cleanser, like our Moisturizing Cleanser or Foaming Peptide Cleanser, that will not disrupt your skin’s natural barrier with harsh ingredients, such as sulfates and parabens.

Harsh cleansers tend to strip the skin of its natural oils, leading to both dryness and other unwanted skin concerns. If you are dealing with an irritated skin barrier, switch to a gentle cleanser to begin the repair process.

Further, select a cleanser created for your skin type to solidify a good foundation for your skincare routine.

The Toner, Deep Clean and Prep

The benefits of toning the skin include:

• Providing a deeper cleanse
• Improving skin tone
• Balancing the skin’s pH levels
• Supporting the absorption of additional skin care products

You want to use toner devoid of ingredients such as alcohol, witch hazel, and fragrance, like our Natural Lavender Toner or D20 Skin Prep Toner, to avoid skin irritation.

The Brightening Exfoliant

Regularly voted the “favorite” step of a skincare regimen for its dramatic effects, physically or chemically exfoliating the skin is next on the list.

Physical exfoliation is rubbing a product on your skin to remove dead skin cells. Our Skin Polish Instant Glow Microdermabrasion contains bamboo stem microbeads purposed to manually exfoliate the skin without irritation.

Chemical exfoliation is the use of active ingredients in skincare products to remove dead skin cells. The active ingredients in chemical exfoliants absorb into the skin without manual assistance. Our Glow-On Anti-Aging Exfoliant contains 10% glycolic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid naturally derived from sugarcane.

In addition, exfoliating cleansed skin gives you a clear canvas to work with for the rest of your skincare routine. The less skin gunk to deal with, the better!

Treatment Masks

Face masks are an excellent go-to for self-care. They make you feel like you’re in a luxury spa without the price tag! You’re not only pampering yourself, but nourishing your skin too.

What kind of mask you use is dependent upon your skin care goals. Oily skin battling acne? Try our Moisturizing Clay Mask to help regulate oily skin and prevent breakouts. Dry skin looking to appear more youthful? Try our Super Youth Anti-Aging Mask to smoothe fine lines and wrinkles.

In particular, skincare professionals recommend face masks to directly address skincare concerns with an at-home treatment. In addtion, because face masks are occlusive, they create a barrier over the skin that enables active ingredients to absorb completely into the skin over time. Therefore, you get more bang for your buck with a good face mask!

Facial Serums and Intensive Treatments

So next up in your skincare routine is a super-concentrated, nutrient-dense serum. Compared to the liquid gold of your skincare regimen, serums pack a punch!

Do what works for you, whether you prefer to use separate serums for morning and night, or the same serum for both occasions. Educate yourself on what ingredients work in synergy with one another, and what ingredients cancel one another out.

For example, avoid applying Vitamin C in the morning, and following it up with a moisturizer containing an AHA, like glycolic acid. Certain acids have the ability to alter the pH of Vitamin C, decreaseing its effectiveness due to destabilization.

Experiment with our Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid for a powerful morning serum and our Peptide Cocktail Anti-Aging Serum for a results-driven serum in the evening.

The Eye Cream

Your skin is the thinnest and most fragile around the eye area. Because this area produces less oil and collagen, it struggles to maintain hydration and elasticity. Therefore, the skin surrounding your eyes should be treated gently and deeply nurtured to maintain a youthful appearance!

Commit to our Peptide Eye Serum to fight away signs of crows feet, or our Eye Bright with Argireline to improve your skin’s natural glow.

The Triple Treatment Moisturizer

Quench your skin’s thirst with a hydrating moisturizer. Choose a moisturizer suitable for your skin type and appropriate for where you live. Seasonal weather changes do make a difference in our skin’s needs!

For those wanting an extra lift in their skin, use our Ageless Advanced Peptide Moisturizer.

A moisturizer used by any skin type (especially sensitive skin types) is our All-Natural Essential Moisturizer.

The Beauty of Facial Oil

Facial oil is the last product you should apply to your face, neck, and décolleté. Using a facial oil tricks the skin into thinking its produced more sebum, which then assists in regulating the skin’s sebum production.

Pick a facial oil that will complement your skincare regimen and cater to your skin type!

Spot Treatments

A spot treatment is the final product you should apply to your skin. Take a small, clean cloth and remove the product that has already been applied to the spots you will treat. Dab the spot treatment on, and allow time to dry.

If you apply the spot treatment in the morning, cover it with a little bit of sunscreen and follow up with a concealer, if desired.

There you have it: the ultimate guide to applying your skin care products (without wasting product or preventing product ingredients from showing us what they’re made of!)

Sources:
https://www.today.com/shop/skin-barrier-damage-repair-t234313
https://practicaldermatology.com/articles/2020-apr/the-effect-of-cleansers-on-the-skin-microbiome
https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/what-does-toner-do#benefits
https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/glycolic-acid-vs-salicylic-acid
https://www.usdermatologypartners.com/blog/should-you-add-a-simple-face-mask-to-your-skincare-routine/
https://www.dermstore.com/blog/best-skin-care-ingredients-pairing/
https://www.bustle.com/style/eye-cream-before-or-after-moisturizer
https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/benefits-of-using-face-oil-on-oily-skin
https://blog.reneerouleau.com/when-in-my-routine-should-i-apply-an-acne-spot-treatment/

Author:
Article Written by Sara Katharine Creamer ~Licensed Esthetician