Skincare order of application: which step goes where, morning and evening

ROUTINE

What order should you apply skincare in?

Apply your skincare in this order: cleanser, toner or essence, serum, eye cream, face oil, cream and, in the morning, sunscreen as the final step. Each step has a job that builds on the one before it. Cleansing clears the skin so that the products that follow sit on clean skin rather than on sebum, make-up or yesterday’s sunscreen. Watery products deliver moisture and dissolved active ingredients. Richer products hold that moisture in the skin and smooth its surface. Sunscreen should sit on top as an even film, so that nothing else gets rubbed over it. Bear in mind that this list describes the maximum, not a requirement. Most routines get by with a cleanser, a serum, a cream and sunscreen during the day. Toner, essence, eye cream and oil are extra steps that you only add if they fill a real gap. So before you buy one of them, it is worth asking which job it would take on that would otherwise be left undone.

1. Cleansing: with water or a mild cleanser.
2. Toner or essence: optional, and only if it has a purpose of its own.
3. Serum: the lightest texture with the most active ingredients.
4. Eye cream and face oil: optional, depending on your skin and the product.
5. Cream: rounds off your skincare.
6. Sunscreen: mornings only, always as the last layer.

Why does the ‘thin to thick’ rule apply, and when are there exceptions?

The ‘thin to thick’ rule applies because watery textures reach the skin more easily as long as there is no oily layer on top. A serum usually consists mostly of water and moisture-binding ingredients. According to a review in Clinical Medicine & Research, these moisture-binding ingredients, known technically as humectants, draw water into the stratum corneum, the skin’s outermost layer. Oils and waxes, by contrast, form a layer on the surface of the skin that physically slows down evaporation. If you apply a rich cream first, that layer is already sitting exactly where the serum was meant to go. The other way round, the cream holds in the moisture the serum has delivered. That is also how The Duo is designed: the light serum first, then the richer cream. Whether you massage it in or pat it on is explained in the guide on how to apply moisturiser. Whether you need both in the first place is covered in the article on serum and cream.

There are two exceptions, and both are about function rather than texture. Depending on the product, a face oil can go before or after your cream. Sunscreen, on the other hand, is always the last layer, even if a sun fluid is thinner than the cream underneath. How to settle the oil question for yourself is explained in the article Serum or face oil. Prescription creams should be applied exactly as your doctor or healthcare professional has told you.

What is the right skincare order in the morning?

In the morning, the order is: cleanse, serum, cream and finally sunscreen. Mornings are mainly about moisture and protection for the day ahead. After a night’s sleep, lukewarm water is often enough for cleansing, because all that is left on your skin is some residue from your evening skincare and a little sebum. Then comes the serum, followed by the cream and, as the last step, sunscreen. Whether sunscreen goes before or after your day cream and how long to wait in between is answered in a separate article: sunscreen before or after moisturiser. The amount you use also matters. The stated sun protection factor is measured with 2 mg of product per square centimetre of skin. A study by Faurschou and Wulf in the British Journal of Dermatology showed that when you use less product, protection does not fall proportionally but exponentially: at 1 mg per square centimetre, it drops to roughly the square root of the stated value. Antioxidant ingredients such as vitamin C fit well into the morning; the article on vitamin C serums explains when vitamin C makes sense in the morning.

What is the right skincare order in the evening?

In the evening, the order is: cleanse thoroughly, serum, eye cream or oil if you use them, cream – and no sunscreen. The biggest difference from the morning is the cleansing. In the evening, you are removing sunscreen, make-up and the grime of the day, and that often takes more than water. If you wear waterproof sunscreen or make-up, you may want to double cleanse: first with an oil or balm, then with a water-based cleanser. The evening is also the place for active ingredients that are sensitive to light or more demanding on the skin, such as retinoids or acids. This applies to retinol in particular; the article on retinol combinations explains why retinol belongs in your evening routine.

A study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology took measurements of skin barrier function every two hours over 24 hours in 16 healthy people. The authors conclude that the skin is more permeable in the evening and at night than in the morning. That is no reason to use more products in the evening, but it is an argument for keeping your evening routine simple and gentle.

Where do face oil, eye cream and treatment serums go?

Treatment serums go straight after cleansing or after a toner if you use one, eye cream goes after the serum and before your face cream, and face oil goes before or after the cream, depending on the product. Serums come early in the order because they have the lightest texture and usually the highest concentration of active ingredients. If you use more than one, thin to thick applies here too; the details are in the article on layering multiple serums. Which active ingredient works better in the morning and which in the evening, and which ingredients work together, is a separate question that the order of application does not settle. Eye cream is essentially a cream for a small area. You pat it on after your serum, before your face cream covers the rest of the face. Many people manage without it if their face cream is well tolerated around the eyes.

Where a face oil goes depends on what it is meant to do. As the richest layer, a pure oil often goes on last, over your cream in the evening. If you only want to make your cream a little richer, mix a drop into it. In her review on Judge.me, Daniela B. writes: “As I have rather dry, mature skin, I would like the face cream to be a little richer, so I supplement it with a facial oil from another brand” (review translated from German). This is exactly the kind of case in which an oil is a sensible addition – and the only kind in which the question of where it goes even arises.

Where do exfoliants and face masks fit into your weekly routine?

Exfoliants and masks belong in the evening, straight after cleansing and before your serum – not every day, but only now and then, depending on your skin and the product. An exfoliant removes dead skin cells. Afterwards, the skin is more receptive, but also more sensitive. That is why it should only be followed by your usual skincare, with no additional strong active ingredient on the same night. With acid exfoliants, the sun comes into play: a study in Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine found that 10% glycolic acid, applied six days a week for four weeks, made the skin more sensitive to UV light. One week after stopping, no difference could be measured any more. So if you use acids, you need to be particularly consistent with sunscreen the following morning. Rinse-off masks follow the same logic as exfoliants: apply after cleansing, rinse off, then follow with serum and cream. How often a mask is worthwhile is covered in how often to use a face mask. A sleeping mask, on the other hand, is a rich cream and replaces the last step on that evening. If you use several exfoliants or acid toners in the same week, add them up rather than looking at each one on its own.

Frequently asked questions