Cleanser To Moisturizer: The Best Order To Apply Your Skincare Products
What is the right order to apply your skincare products? Serum before eye cream? Moisturizer after face wash? Are you having 5,6 or even 10 products in your skincare routine and not sure if you are applying them in the right order? This article will tell you exactly the correct order in which your skincare products should be applied, along with beauty devices that could elevate your routine effectiveness!
The Importance of The Right Skincare Routine Steps
The order that you follow to apply each of the skincare products is important. Applying specific products before or after another could affect your skin’s ability to fully absorb all the nourishing compounds. According to Dr. Williams (2022), the order of the products applied should based on their weights. Going from the most lightweight products to the heaviest is the recommended order.
However, due to the advanced technology, skincare products are now more complex to offer multiple benefits in 1 product. Thus, you should be aware of which products can be used together to avoid irritations.
The Specific Order to Apply Your Products
- Makeup Remover
Your skincare routine should always start with a makeup remover to dissolve not only makeup but also sunscreen and all the dust and bacteria on your face after a whole day. Using makeup remover would help to clean your face and enhance cleanser’s effectiveness in the next steps.
Currently, there are multiple types of makeup removers on the market. Depending on your skin type, micellar water or oil cleansing products would be more suitable for your skin.
2. Cleanser
Sadly makeup remover alone will not get your face clean enough. A gentle and suitable face cleanser would give your skin a deep clean. This overall helps the pores be able to “breathe” and more effectively absorb the incoming products.
During washing your face, beauty devices that help to elevate your deep cleansing process are highly recommended. One of the most beloved products on the market at the moment is FOREO LUNA by FOREO. Products like this not only help to clean your face more deeply with T-Sonic pulsations but also gently remove dead skin cells left on the face.
3. Exfoliator
No products are guaranteed to fully release their use if the surface of the skin is filled with dead skin cells that hinder the products from being absorbed. The use of exfoliators helps your skin color to become even by removing dead skin cells and smoothening the skin surface. There are two most common exfoliators on the market at the moment that will suit different skin types — chemical and physical exfoliators.
4. Toner
Some might argue that toner is no longer relevant in the skincare routine. However, the new and developed toners now do more than restore your skin’s pH level. Toners help to remove the last traces of impurities stuck in your pores even after the cleanser. These products are now more beloved by beauty gurus as they help to calm the skin and act as an emergency source of hydration after using face cleanser (Neutrogena, 2023).
5. Serum
Serums are products that come in viscid form that contain concentrated ingredients that aim to not only hydrate your skin, but also help with other skin issues such as acne, discoloration, or dullness.
Using a suitable serum will help you to address the skin issues that you are having. One of the most demanded reasons for using serum is to hydrate and calm the skin. Furthermore, different ingredients used in serums will also bring different benefits to users. For example, ones with vitamin C, vitamin E, or green tea extract help with skin aging and skin discoloration while ones with salicylic acid or similar plant-based derivatives will be perfect matches for acne-prone skin (Lindberg, 2020). Due to this product’s thin viscosity, it should be applied before moisturizer to ensure absorbability.
6. Moisturizer
Hydrating the skin with serum will become useless without the use of moisturizer after. Applying moisturizer after serum helps to further enhance the calming effect on your skin. Most crucially, it will lock the hydration supplied by serum inside the skin. This helps to hydrate your skin for a longer period.
7. Eye Cream- Night Routine
Eye creams usually come in thick cream or gel form. That is why applying this product in the last few steps of your skincare routine would be the most reasonable. Eye creams help to further moisturize the skin areas around your eyes. Consistent use of eye cream will help to help your under-eye skin get firmer, which appears to be smoother, brighter, and more lively (CeRaVe, n.d.).
8. Sunscreen — Morning Routine
Skipping sunscreen feels like committing a crime that contributes directly to your skin's aging process. According to White-Gibbson (2022), the benefits of sunscreen are:
- Delaying signs of aging, like wrinkles
- fading scars
- Preventing discoloration
- Protecting from blue light
Sunscreen is commonly applied last in the skincare routine to preserve SPF’s effectiveness on the skin.
Key Takeaways
Turns out, the order in which we apply our skincare products plays a crucial role in how they would fully act and deliver the desired results on our skin. If your skincare routine is too complex, referring to dermatologists is a smart move to fully take advantage of each product’s functions and avoid potential skin irritations.
References
CeRaVe. “The Benefits of Using an Eye Cream.” CeraVe, www.cerave.com/skin-smarts/skincare-tips-advice/what-does-eye-cream-do. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
Cleveland Clinic. “Here’s the Right Order to Apply Your Skin Care Products.” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 19 Mar. 2024, health.clevelandclinic.org/proper-skin-care-product-order.
FOREO. (n.d.). Complete lineup of Foreo Devices. https://flip.go2cloud.org/aff_c?offer_id=4&aff_id=2114&url_id=809&source=contbtech
Lindberg, Sara. “Benefits of Face Serum: Expert Advice on What to Know.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 15 Sept. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-face-serum.
Palmer Skin. “Curious on How Much Product You Should Be Using? . . . Applying Too Little May Not Provide the Des… in 2024: Skin Care, Skin Care Routine, Skincare Products Photography.” Pinterest, 2024, www.pinterest.com/pin/104075441383790371/.
“What Does Face Toner Do & Why Should You Use One?: The Bar.” What Does Face Toner Do & Why Should You Use One? | The Bar, Neutrogena, 2023, www.neutrogena.com/the-bar/truth-about-face-toners.html.
White-Gibson, Zuri. “Sunscreen, Explained.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 3 Aug. 2022, www.healthline.com/health/sunscreen-explained#other-ways-to-protect-the-skin.
