Skincare Layering Explained: What Goes First and What Comes Next?
You go through your bathroom or bedroom drawer and you notice you have accumulated various skincare products over time, from cleansers to toner, a serum or two, moisturizer, face cream, face gel, scrub, clay mask, sheet mask and maybe a sunscreen. Then comes the question almost everyone asks at some point: which one goes on first?
And the reason for this question AFTER you have gotten the products instead of before, is the fact that a lot of people just accumulate products without actually knowing what it is for and if ist right for them. All most people do is, see a product is good for a friend or a celebrity or someone they just admire and then they go ahead to get it. But do not worry, we are here to help you sort out step by step how and what you should layer on in your lots and lots of skincare products.
It is important to know that applying skincare products in the wrong order prevents these products from doing their job, for example a thick cream sitting on a sunscreen can prevent the sunscreen from doing its job and also applying too many things at once on your face can leave it feeling heavy, sticky or irritated. But do not worry, in this blog post, we will be breaking down, step by step the proper way to layer your skincare products.
What Goes First?
Skin layering does not have to be complicated and there is a simple formula to always get it right and that is: lighter, thinner products go on before thicker, richer ones i.e water-like products such as toners and serums go first, creams and butters follow and sunscreen goes on last in the daytime. Once that clicks, the rest of the routine falls into place. Now let us break down this principle for both morning and evening routines along with sone
Understanding the Order of Your Skincare Routine
Now let us break down skin layering for both morning and evening routines along with some product recommendations.
Step 1: Cleanser
Everything starts with a clean surface. Through the day, your skin collects sweat, dust, oil and, if you live in a busy city, plenty of pollution. Skincare applied over that buildup has a harder time doing its job, hence the reason why you need a good cleanser. And a good product recommendation for a cleanser is the ORÍKÌ Gentle Foam Citrus Cleanser with Green Tea. This product is designed to cleanse while helping maintain the skin's natural moisture balance and it contains grapefruit and apple cider vinegar. If you currently have a foaming gel cleanser from an international brand like CeraVe or Neutrogena, this plays a similar role as a gentle, everyday cleanser, formulated locally.
Step 2: Toner
After cleanser, a toner is the next step. Although it is not a magic fix, its job is to refresh the skin after cleansing and prepare it for what comes next. Some toners suit oily skin better, while others are made to soothe or hydrate. For those who have oily and blemish-prone skin brands such as the ORÍKÌ Herbal Skin Clearing Toner and Paila’s choice helps cleanse and refresh while reducing excess sebum without leaving the sim feeling tight and dry.
However, it is important to note that If your skin is dry or sensitive, you can skip toner entirely and go straight to serum. It is totally an optional step, not a mandatory one.
Step 3: Serum
Now this is the power hose of treatments, serums are where your specific skin concerns get addressed. They are lightweight and concentrated, so they go on after toner and before your moisturizer. A good rule of thumb is to apply the thinnest product first, and serums are always thinner than creams. For good product recommendation, you can go for international brands of serums such as serums such as The Ordinary's popular niacinamide serum as well as Vitamin C serums from brands like Timeless or La Roche-Posay.
However, if you want easily accessible and locally formulated options that perform the same functions as the ones mentioned above, then the ORÍKÌ Vitamin C Anti-Aging Serum and ORÍKÌ Youthful Skin Niacinamide Serum 10% are the perfect choice for you.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that you do not have to use both. Just ensure that you choose based on what skin concern bothers you the most and you are good to go i.e Choose dullness points toward Vitamin C, while dark marks and uneven tone point toward niacinamide. And if you choose to use both, ensure you rotate them between morning and night, that is, one in the morning and one at night.
Step 4: Moisturizer
Moisturizer comes after your serum because it is thicker and its job is partly to seal everything in. All skins need moisturizer, even oily ones. When a skin, regardless of its type, is not moisturized, it can feel rough and look dull and it can become more reactive. Hence the reason why it is important to invest in a good moisturizer.
Two good product recommendation we will be leaving you with is the ORÍKÌ Skin Rejuvenating Face Cream and the ORÍKÌ Whipped Shea Butter Soufflé. The face cream is lightweight moisturizer that provides hydration without feeling heavy, which suits our warm climate while the whipped shea cream soufflé is designed for dry, thirsty skin (however, take a patch test to ensure it is well tolerated by your face before continued use in order to prevent skin clogging)
Step 5: Sunscreen (Daytime Only)
Sunscreen is the final step of your morning routine. It sits on top of everything because it needs to form a protective layer on the surface of the skin. It is not a product you apply and then cover with a serum or a face cream. Dermatologists generally recommend SPF 30 or higher, applied generously and reapplied every 2 hours if you are outdoors for long periods. This matters in Nigeria, where we are exposed to intense sun exposure all year round.
Morning vs Night: How to Layer Your Products
Once you know the lighter, thinner, thicker to richer formula, you are good to go as there really isn’t much difference between morning and night routine with the only difference being the application of sunscreen in the morning so morning and night routine goes thus:
- Morning Routine : Cleanser — Toner — Serum —- Moisturizer —- Sunscreen
- Nighttime Routine: Cleanser — Toner — Serum —- Moisturizer
To make your layering produce better results, let each product settle for a minute or so before the next one. You do not need a timer though, just avoid rubbing wet layers over each other and ensure to use a thin layer of each product (except sunscreen) rubbing more product does not mean better results.
Is This Skin Layering Technique Applicable to Both Men and Women
Yes, it is. And the same applies to skincare products for women and men. The principles of layering are identical for everyone: cleanse, treat, moisturize, protect. Skin does not follow gender rules, so choose your skincare routine products based on your skin type and concerns. A man with oily, blemish-prone skin and a woman with oily, blemish-prone skin can follow exactly the same routine and so can anyone with dry or dull skin.
Conclusion
Skincare layering basically boils down to following the simple formula of going from thinnest to thickest. The order is simply cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer and sunscreen, with sunscreen skipped at night.
You also do not have to follow every step every day. Start with the basics, add one product at a time, and see how your skin responds. Choose the serum that matches your main concern, skip the steps that do not suit your skin and keep your routine simple enough to stick to.
If you would like to build that routine with locally made products, ORÍKÌ is a Nigerian skincare brand with cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers and more that can fit into many different routines. To shop the full ORÍKÌ skincare range, you can shop on the ORÍKÌ official website or visit any of Oriki’s physical stores in Lagos.