THE CORRECT ORDER TO APPLY YOUR SKINCARE PRODUCTS.
I’m often asked about the correct order to apply skincare products. Below is my general guideline, but be sure to click here to read my entire post with more details and product recommendations! Keep in mind you may not need all these steps, depending on your skin type, routine, and whether you’re prepping skin for day or overnight.
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Cleanse
Cleansing is the first step! Depending on your preference you could do a double cleanse, which is one of my favorite things. Start with a cleansing balm or oil and finish things off with a gel cleanser. The cleansing balm will remove dirty and oil and the gel cleanser will purify!
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Exfoliate/Scrub
If you use a scrub (I use a face scrub maybe 2x a week, usually in the shower after cleansing), now is the time to do it! Scrub a dub dub. I like to scrub my face (gently) for a full two minutes – it makes such a big difference!
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Tone
Toning is the last step of cleansing. I really turned a corner on toning over the past few years. Refer to this post! I didn’t think it was necessary until more recently but it IS necessary! It preps the skin for moisture (and actives/serums), allowing them to penetrate deeper!
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Mask
This step is non-essential but I got a lot of messages asking when to mask! Masking goes between cleansing and treatment. I like to cleanse and tone before doing a mask. If I’m doing a deep cleansing mask, I’ll do my regular skincare (essence, serum, cream, oil) afterward. The exception is if I’m doing a tissue off moisture mask, I will do serum and THEN the moisture mask, and then just tissue the mask off and apply face oil over that!
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Essence
Essence is the first step in treatment. It’s the least viscous and very watery so easily penetrates the skin!
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Serum
Your serum should probably be where you spend the most money. This is your active ingredient (I only use one at a time) and what is going to make the biggest difference in your routine! If you do the Bader cream, you can skip serum.
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Moisturizer
Since you’re applying your products from thickest to thinnest, moisturizer should really be your last step, besides oil! Lock in all those good actives you’ve just spent time applying.
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Oil
The last step in your routine should be face oil. For me, oils are saved for nighttime as after serum AND moisturizer I’m already pretty shiny, but I really like to lock in all that moisture.
