With a vanity full of skincare products, perfecting your regimen can get confusing. What do you actually need to use day and night, and what’s the appropriate skincare order for your regimen? Don’t fret. Here, we explain why it’s important to follow certain skincare steps and walk you through each step so you get the most bang for your buck.
Why the order of your skincare routine matters
Moisturizer, sunscreen, toner… oh my! Throw in a treatment product and serum and you have yourself a potential pile of confusion. Applying your skincare products in the proper order allows your skin to fully reap the benefits from each one. Your skincare routine order is dictated by the size of the molecules in your products; the smaller the molecule the deeper it can penetrate your skin. The rule of thumb is to apply your thinnest product first and layer up to the one with the thickest consistency. For example, most of the time after cleansing and toning you’ll begin with your serum, because it has the smallest molecules, and layer up to your sunscreen (for your morning routine).
How to properly layer your skincare products
In the end of the day, consistency with the most important steps of your skincare routine is what matters most. While we are giving you an example of a seven step skincare regimen here, you may not need or want to include all of these steps in your routine. The most important and non-negotiable steps are cleanser, toner and/or treatment, moisturizer, and sunscreen (in the morning).
Step 1: Cleanser
Cleanser may seem like a no-brainer first step in your skincare order, but believe it or not, some people skip washing their face all together. Make sure to wash your face in the morning and at nighttime. In the morning, use a gentle cleanser to get rid of any dirt, oil, and dead skin buildup.
Step 2: Toner
Apply a toner while your skin’s still damp from washing for maximum absorption. Toners have multipurpose benefits including hydration and exfoliation. Look for a gentle toner and swipe it across your skin with a cotton pad after you wash.
Step 3: Spot treatment
If you have a random pimple or suffer from regular breakouts, this will be an important step in your skincare routine order. If not, skip it! Apply your spot treatment before any other product. The active ingredients that’ll help dissolve the pimple will be most effective after toning. Wait a minute to allow your treatment product to dry properly before moving onto step four.
Step 4: Serum
These highly concentrated topicals have different targeted purposes and can seep deeply into your epidermis because of their small molecular weight. They’re normally the most expensive product you’ll find in your skincare regimen, which is also why it’s so important you use it correctly.
Step 5: Eye cream
Since the skin around your eyes is so thin, it requires a different consistency than the rest of your face. Eye cream formulators also pay close attention to the ingredients that’ll go around the delicate area since they can potentially seep into your eyes. If you have dark circles, fine lines, or crepiness around your eyes, you can benefit from this skincare step.
Step 6: Moisturizer
It’s important to understand your skin type so you can choose the appropriate moisturizer for you. You can clearly identify your skin type by washing your face with a gentle cleanser and not applying any of your other skincare products. Wait a while after washing and examine your natural skin texture and tone closely. If you look in the mirror and see that your skin is shiny, you have oily skin. If your face is red, flaky, tight, or irritated, you have dry skin. If you find you have patches of shine and patches of irritation or redness, then you have combination skin. You also may want to consider using a lighter moisturizer for daytime and heavier one before bed. Your skin regenerates as you sleep, and a true night cream can help it repair.
Step 7: Sunscreen
Make sure you include an SPF with UVA and UVB protection in your morning routine all year round – yes, even when winter skies are gray. UV rays can still penetrate through the atmosphere and affect your skin. Not only does wearing SPF help to prevent skin cancer, but it also helps to prevent the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and more skin conditions as you age.
The takeaway
Skincare products work synergistically to keep your skin hydrated, clear, and youthful. Choosing a three-step-system like these from proactiv is an easy way to begin to build an effective regimen. If you decide you want to add other products you can follow this guide to understand your skincare steps. Just remember the general rule of layering your skincare products from the lightest consistency to the heaviest and you’ll set yourself (and your skin) up for success.
