Foolproof Guide to Skincare Layering

With the plethora of skincare products flooding the markets, and of course your skincare cabinet, it can be a daunting task to figure out what comes after what. Whether you’re a newbie having a basic 3 step routine, or a pro with a full 10 step skincare regime, you need to know how to layer your skincare for maximum benefit.

Wondering why can’t you just slap on everything at once? Well, there won’t be a point of actually using those products when they won’t be able to penetrate into the skin. The right order makes sure everything is absorbed by the skin.

As a common rule of thumb, we always start from the lightest to heaviest since the thinner products can’t penetrate the heavier ones and hence, rendered useless. Easy-peasy right? Generally speaking, this is the order in which skincare is applied: cleanser, exfoliant, toner, serum, eye cream, spot treatment, moisturiser, retinoid, facial oil, sunscreen (ahh yes, never ever forget sunscreen!) Save it, screenshot it, memorise it or read it every time you do your skincare, but for the love of the skin gods, follow it. Wondering where the sheet masks come in? just after exfoliation, apply the mask to clean skin and pat in the excess essence and serums into your skin. Follow with toner and so on…

Now that we’ve got our basics cleared, let’s jump into differentiating this general order into morning and night time skincare routine.

MORNING

Cleanser- Exfoliant-Toner- Serum- Eye Cream- Spot Treatment- Moisturiser- Facial oil- SPF and now of course you can start off with makeup. Gushing tip- Use a minimum SPF 30 and reapply it every 3-4 hours to protect yourself from sun damage. If you have makeup on, use a powder or mist/spray sunscreen for reapplication).

EVENING

Makeup Remover- Cleanser- Exfoliant- Toner- Serum- Eye cream- Spot Treatment- Moisturiser- Retinoid- Facial Oil.

Now that you know the right order of things, adding products to your skincare regime shouldn’t be a herculean task! Find a routine that suits you and that you can follow.

Article by Ananya Jain

xoxo,

Team Gush