Mastering the Art of Layering: A Guide to Skincare Product Layering
Whether you prefer a minimalistic routine of three products or a more intricate regimen of 10, it’s imperative to know the correct order to apply them to receive the best results for your investment. Here are some Florida dermatologist-approved strategies for layering!
Layer From Lightest to Heaviest Formulas
The basic rule is to cleanse and then apply the products from the thinnest to the thickest in consistency. Essentially, the more water-like a product is, the sooner you’ll apply it in your routine, and the creamier a product is, the later it goes on. As a rule of thumb, apply your products in this order: cleanser, toner (optional), serum, eye cream, moisturizer, and sunscreen (in the AM). It also helps to wait 30 to 60 seconds between products to help maximize absorption.
Topical Vitamin C Serum
Vitamin C should be on everyone’s skincare regimen. This skincare staple is a powerful antioxidant that brightens skin, protects against sun damage, and promotes collagen production. Unfortunately, very little oral vitamin C makes it to the skin, so it’s crucial to use vitamin C topically. Topical vitamin C can improve your skin’s texture, fight fine lines and wrinkles, even your skin tone, brighten skin, and improve pigmentation. If you’re not already using it, you’re missing out on a plethora of benefits. When incorporating a vitamin C serum into your regimen, it would be applied in the morning after cleansing and toning (optional), but before moisturizer and sunscreen.
Retinol Is the Gold-Standard in Anti-aging
This timeless skincare ingredient is a derivative of vitamin A. This ingredient helps promote plump, firm skin, and minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Retinol is an ingredient that should be applied at nighttime before your moisturizer. Only a pea-sized amount is needed, and it’s recommended to start only a few nights a week and slowly work up to nightly as tolerated by your skin. Consistent use will yield the best results!
Never Skip Sunscreen
Sun damage is attributed to more than 90 percent of the skin’s degeneration. Therefore, no matter how perfectly you layer your skincare, none of it is optimal unless you’re regularly using a good SPF. When it comes to your AM routine, sunscreen should always be applied last. Sunscreen is a shield, and we want it on top of our other products, blocking the rays from penetrating the skin.
With all things, there are exceptions to the rule. If you are treating a skin condition with a prescription product, it should be applied after cleansing and toning regardless of its consistency. This allows the medicated active ingredients to have the best chance of penetrating the skin to treat the skin condition.
Skincare regimens can be as simple or sophisticated as you like, just be sure to discuss with your dermatologist to find the best routine for your skincare needs! Contact us today!
