How to Layer Nighttime Skin Care Products

With each passing year, I am becoming more aware of how important it is to take care of my skin. After all, it is the true foundation under makeup and since I keep my everyday makeup routine simple most days, the condition of my skin plays a huge role in the completed look. What I didn’t know is that there is a proper order to apply facial products and doing it correctly makes a big difference in how skin absorbs important ingredients. I don’t know about you, but I’m all for a process that helps me get the most out of my skin care regimen and soak up all the benefits of my favorite skin care products. If you feel the same, then keep reading to learn how you should be applying your skin care products before going to bed to get the most out of your beauty regimen:

Step 1: Cleanser - Your products can’t deliver ingredients into the skin without a clean surface that’s free of makeup and dirt. First, remove your makeup (even if you haven’t been wearing makeup all day, cleanse anyway to remove any dirt particles or sweat that may have accumulated throughout the day) with your favorite makeup remover (my fave makeup remover is The Body Shop Chamomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter), then follow up with your favorite facial cleanser (my fave facial cleanser is CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser).

Step 2: Exfoliant - Exfoliating daily can be traumatizing for the skin, but on the days that you do exfoliate, make sure it comes right after you cleanse. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, so anything you apply afterward will be able to dive deeper into the skin instead of getting blocked by dirt and dead skin cells on the surface (my fave exfoliator is Freeman Feeling Beautiful Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask, this does double duty! It’s a mask and exfoliator in one).

Step 3: Treatment Products - If you are treating acne, age spots, uneven texture or anything in between, then load up on your facial treatment products in the evening on freshly cleansed skin, because you will be going to bed fresh-faced and these products will be under optimal conditions to work their best (if you’re wondering what falls under “treatment products,” think retinoids, topical acne medication, prescription creams or treatment face masks. My fave treatment product to spot treat my occasional acne breakouts is Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Defense Face Lotion).

Step 4: Serums - Serums are products that contain very concentrated active ingredients, and usually come in smaller containers because a little goes a long way. Now that your skin has been cleansed, primed, and treated, you’ll want to apply your serum at this point. Doing this on clean skin, but before any moisturizer or heavy creams, means those concentrated (and often expensive) ingredients will be able to penetrate the skin without any roadblocks (my fave serum is Alpha Skin Care Intensive Rejuvenating Serum 14% Glycolic AHA).

Step 5: Eye Cream - If you have an eye cream on hand for brightening tired eyes, boosting collagen, or anything else, then now is the time to use it. Since the under-eye area is so delicate and has thinner skin, applying your eye cream at this point will allow you to reap all the benefits without being blocked by a heavy moisturizer (my fave eye cream is Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Eye Cream. A more budget friendly option that I also really like CeraVe Eye Repair Cream).

Step 6: Moisturizer - Whether you’re applying a light daily moisturizer or a heavier night cream with active ingredients, make sure it always comes last in your routine. Not only will the heavier texture block ingredients from reaching the skin if applied too soon, so saving it for the end will create the added benefit of locking in all the ingredients you previously layered under it as well as much needed moisture (my fave nighttime moisturizer is L’Oréal Revitalift Triple Power Deep-Acting Moisturizer).

If you forget the exact order, don’t panic! The general rule of thumb is to simply apply your products in order of consistency starting with the lightest and ending with your heaviest or thickest product. I will be taking the next 2 weeks off for some much needed R&R. I will return with a new blog post on October 23rd so until then, stay happy, healthy and beautiful.

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