How to Properly Layer Your Skincare

It’s the classic beauty conundrum: in what order should I apply my skincare products? Does it even matter? Yes, it does matter! Today we’re showing you how to layer your products in a way that will give you the maximum effectiveness from each. 

Start with a clean face 

Before applying your products, it’s important to start with a clean canvas. Cleanse your skin first with lukewarm water and a cleanser that suits your skin type (usually, creamy texture works well for dryer skin types, like our Cucumber Milk Facial Cleanser, and gel for the oilier variety).  

If you feel extra grimy, pre-cleanse with an oil cleanser. Try our Chia Seed & Passion Fruit Cleansing Oil. Follow with a nice exfoliation, which will remove all the grime that accumulates during the day like makeup, oil, pollution, and dead skin cells. The Sweet Almond Exfoliating Crème is perfect for this. It will also allow the products to penetrate more deeply and evenly into your skin. For gentle exfoliation and a luxurious clean feeling, try our soft and plush bamboo washcloth. 

Pat dry 

Gently pat your skin dry using a towel. Take care not to rub and stretch the delicate skin on your face. Next, apply a gentle, pH-balanced and alcohol-free toner like our Citrus Balancing Toner to wipe away residual dirt, oil and dead skin cells (yes, there could still be some lurking around!). Now your skin is clean and prepared for your skincare products! 

Layer your products 

The trick to getting the most out of your skincare products is to apply them in layers—not randomly, but in a specific order. As a rule of thumb, apply the thinnest first, then work your way to the thickest. This way, the thicker products won’t prevent the thinner ones from penetrating your skin and delivering important nutrients and other benefits. 

Apply water-based products first 

Water can’t penetrate oil, so always put your water-based products on first. Any oils you layer over them will help to lock in that moisture. 

Start with your serums 

Packed with ultra-penetrating ingredients and highly concentrated, serums are a great way to feed nutrients and actives like vitamin C, vitamin A and peptides directly into your skin. 

They can also target specific skin issues like dryness, blemishes or wrinkles. Have more than one concern? You can layer your serums to address more than one issue. 

Apply your eye cream 

Nourish the delicate skin around your eyes with an eye cream or gel. Try this cooling, toning eye gel with vitamin K or a moisturizing formula with antioxidants like this licorice root eye treatment. 

Add a moisturizer 

Moisturizers are so important in keeping your skin supple and hydrated. Try a nourishing cream with honey and propolis extract or a vitamin-rich formula with sweet almond and avocado oil.

Don’t forget the sunscreen

Since UV rays from the sun can lead to signs of premature wrinklings, such as wrinkles, dark spots and sagging, the daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen is essential. It will help to keep the skin on your face even-toned, supple and elastic. Try this Daily Defense facial sunscreen with SPF 30 for broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection. 

Use a sunscreen that can double as a makeup primer 

Makeup primer is often used to help smooth the appearance of fine lines, conceal enlarged pores and even out the skin’s texture prior to makeup application. Our Daily Defense facial sunscreen with titanium dioxide can do double duty as a sunscreen and makeup primer in one! How’s that for convenience? 

Allow products to absorb 

Before applying your sunscreen, wait about 3-5 minutes to allow all of the products to finish absorbing into the skin. If you apply your sunscreen too soon after the other products, they won’t absorb as effectively and will instead become mixed in with the sunscreen and sit on top of the skin. 

Think it’s too long of a wait? Use this time to do some deep breathing and meditate! 

Apply antioxidants in the morning 

To help give your skin the protective benefit of topical antioxidants, apply your antioxidant serum in the morning. It makes a great complement to sunscreen when worn under it; in fact, according to research1, using an antioxidant and sunscreen at the same time boosts their protective power. Try to allow the antioxidants 20-30 minutes to absorb into the skin before heading out into the sun. Try our Vitamin C Peptide Renewal. 

Apply anti-aging serums at night 

Your body recovers from stress and damage done during the day as you sleep. During the deep sleep cycle, your body repairs its tissues.2 Applying your anti-aging serums before heading to bed will make those nutrients available to your skin when they’re needed most. Try Swiss Apple Wrinkle Remedy. 

Don’t forget your neck and décolletage! 

The skin on your neck and cleavage area is just as (if not more) delicate and vulnerable to the elements as the skin on your face, so be sure to protect and nourish it, too. Always apply your sunscreen to your neck after you slather it on your face. Try our Australian Plum Night Crème and Honey Moisture Mask With Propolis Extract. 

So, there you have it. Now you know not only what products to use to keep your skin looking and feeling its best, but how to apply them in layers so you get the most out of each and every one of them.