How to layer skincare according to your needs
How to layer skincare according to your needs
The effectiveness of the skincare routine depends not only on choosing the best products, but also on the order of application!
Among serums, creams, oils, and so many other products, applying your skincare routine in the right order can get challenging. And so that there are no doubts when it comes to taking care of your skin, we've created the ultimate guide for skincare layering.
It all starts with cleansing
Your routine will hardly be effective if you don't start by cleansing the skin! This step not only ensures that make-up and products applied during the day are removed, but it also eliminates the accumulated dust and pollution [1]. Additionally, skin cleansing allows you to accelerate the epidermal natural renewal through facial massage and exfoliating ingredients, such as acids (glycolic, lactic, salicylic) and enzymes (bromelain, papain).
Seal it with the creams, balms and nourishing oils
These products share a high lipid content in their composition, which provides them the ability to prevent water evaporation from the skin and promote the penetration of ingredients contained in previously applied products [2]. Therefore, creams, balms and oils of superior consistency should be applied at the end of the skincare routine. If your skin is dry, you can also layer light creams with heavier balms and oils.
What about sunscreen?
Sunscreen is essential to prevent premature signs of aging, which is why we recommend you use it every day [3]. But sunscreens are only effective if the sun filters are homogeneously dispersed over the skin. Therefore, we recommend you to keep the morning routine as simple as possible, by applying sunscreen over your serum, for a lighter finish on oily and combination skin, or over a moisturizer if your skin is dryer.
Move to the eye cream
The skin around the eyes is very thin, permeable, and it can easily become irritated. Therefore, eye creams should be applied before any other skincare product, so that the skin around the eyes becomes properly shielded from ingredients which may induce irritation.
The viscosity order
By following this rule, you will be able to maximize the penetration of active ingredients through the skin. When the skin is clean, products should be applied starting with the most liquid textures, such as mists, toners or essences, and moving on to more consistent textures, such as gels, fluids and emulsions. Noteworthy, there are also light oils with high concentrations of active ingredients that can be applied at this stage.
Read the source material
[1] Nash, J.F., Matts, P.J. and Ertel, K.D. (2007), Maintenance of healthy skin: cleansing, moisturization, and ultraviolet protection. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 6: 7-11.
Published 10.12.2007
[2] Zhai, H., & Maibach, H. I. (2001). Effects of skin occlusion on percutaneous absorption: an overview. Skin pharmacology and applied skin physiology, 14(1), 1–10.
Published 20.01.2001
[3] Guan, L. L., Lim, H. W., & Mohammad, T. F. (2021). Sunscreens and Photoaging: A Review of Current Literature. American journal of clinical dermatology, 22(6), 819–828.
Published 13.08.2021
