There’s nothing that we love more than a multi-step nighttime skincare routine… but what's the correct order to layer your products? A good rule to live by is to apply your products from thinnest to thickest. Keep reading for a step-by-step list of what skincare products you should use in what order:
1. Cleanser
None of the fancy skincare products you purchased will get the job done if you begin with dirty skin. Make sure to start with a cleanser that is beneficial for your skin type, whether that’s oily, dry, acne prone, etc. More importantly, make sure to always wash your face before bed since your skin can accumulate oil, dirt, sweat, makeup…you get the point. Just clean your face, and then we can begin the magic that is a nighttime skincare routine.
2. Face Mask
This next step isn’t a nightly step, but something you should do 1-3 times a week depending on the mask. The face mask should always come right after cleansing and before applying any other products.
3. Toner/Essence
Toners may not be for everyone, but if you like to include them in your skincare routine for a little extra cleansing and pH balancing, this is the time to use it. If you’re more of an essence enthusiast, always use it after cleansing and before moisturizing as it preps your skin for moisturizers!
3. Eye Cream
Once you’ve done your toning or essencing (let’s just pretend that’s a word), you would gently dab your preferred eye cream under the eyes. Make sure to be very gentle when applying eye cream since the skin under the eyes is very delicate.
4. Spot Treatment
Spot treatments may not always be necessary, but if you’ve got a pesky blemish popping up and ready to ruin your day, you would apply your spot treatment after the eye cream and before and other moisturizing.
5. Serum
Up next is your special serum. Serums are a must in our opinion, especially in your nighttime routine. They’re lightweight and there seems to be a serum for any skin concern, whether it’s moisturizing, blemish clearing, radiance, elasticity, etc. Just remember to use a small amount – a little goes a long way!
6. Moisturizer
Hydrated skin is healthy skin. That’s why you should always make sure to moisturize! As with most skincare products, you always want to make sure you’re choosing a moisturizer with ingredients that work with your specific skin type. Moisturizing is also an essential step because it locks in all the products that you used before it to really harness all of the benefits of each item.
7. Oil
After moisturizing is when you’ll want to use your oil. Facial oil is also a vital step in your skincare routine due to their smaller molecular makeup. Since the molecules are smaller in an oil, they’re really able to penetrate and absorb into the skin to feed it all the nutrients it needs. Using an oil is one of the last steps because it actually locks in all of the water from any of the products that you used, keeping your skin hydrated. You never want to use oil in the earlier stages because it can prevent other products from penetrating the skin as much as they should.
8. Sunscreen
Last but definitely not least is sunscreen. Obviously, if you’re in full swing of your nighttime routine, you won’t be needing any SPF. If you’re doing your morning routine, you absolutely need to be protecting your skin from harsh UVB and UVA rays.
