How many skin care products do you use on the daily? Maybe you’re just a cleanse-and-moisturize kind of person. Or, maybe you’re a skin care addict, with your daily product list in the double digits. Whether you’re using a minimal amount of skin products or go all out every time, there’s a correct order and an incorrect order of skin care products. The order in which you apply your products can affect each product’s potency. We want you to get the most out of your routine. So, we’ve done the heavy lifting for you and created a handy-dandy skin care timeline! Apply your products in the following order for healthy, glowing skin.
First, A Couple Things to Keep In Mind
Yours Is Yours, Ours is Ours
We’re about to list more than a few steps, but don’t think that you have to use all of these products to have a “good” skin care routine. The best part about skin care is how personal it is! Your skin, your choice; if you find a routine that works for you, stick to it. You don’t have to follow ours to a T.
Lightest to Heaviest
We recommend beginning your routine with the lightest products and gradually move into products that are more viscous. Lighter formulas have smaller particle sizes, which means they can easily penetrate the skin. Heavier products are meant to seal the deal; ending your routine with your favorite cream helps to keep all the work you just did in.
Step 1: If You Wear Makeup, Remove It
This is a no-brainer. Or, it should be. Sleeping in your makeup is basically asking acne to take root. We recommend choosing a gentle cleanser that takes everything off in one step, such as our Liquid Face and Body Wash. If removing your makeup is easier said than done (late night? We’ve all been there), stash makeup remover wipes in your night table for emergencies.
Step 2: Cleanse
Makeup remover is good at removing gunk from the surface, but more often than not, you’ll need a little extra help. Next in our order of skin care products? Cleansing. Wet your skin, pump a small amount of our Olive Face and Body Wash into your hands, and massage into the skin. Gentle cleansers deep clean pores, ridding the skin of any makeup or dirt makeup remover may have left behind.
Step 3: Exfoliate (But Not Too Often!)
On days when I’m going to exfoliate, I like to rinse off my cleanser, but use my exfoliant before I dry my skin. Products like cleansers and exfoliants work best on wet skin. I also let the scrub sit on my skin for a minute before rinsing off and patting my face dry.
Step 4: Tone
Cleansers let your pores breathe, but impurities can find their way back onto your skin just as quickly as you removed them. That’s where toner comes in. Toner hits your pores with one last blast of freshness, helping them close. It also adds an extra layer of protection for acne-prone skin, and can even act as a moisturizer. We can’t say no to double duty!
Step 5: Serum
A good serum is your key to turning back the hands of time. These super-light moisturizers are formulated to even skin tone, smooth wrinkles, and deliver soothing ingredients to the deepest layers of the skin. Plus, serums are very concentrated, so a little goes a long way!
Step 6: Eye Cream
This is another good way to age gracefully. A good eye cream reduces the appearance of signs of aging around the eyes without irritating the skin or breaking the bank. Dab a small amount under the eyes using your ring finger for best results.
Step 7: Face Cream
We like to think of face cream as the light at the end of the tunnel. The penultimate step in our order of skin care, face cream works as a sealant, locking in everything that came before. We like using a thicker formula at night when compared to our daytime moisturizer. Bonus points if it contains anti-aging ingredients, like our Q10 Protection Cream.
Step 8: Oil (If You’d Like)
If you like an extra layer of moisture, or have severely dry skin, we recommend finishing off with a drop or two of oil. Because oil and water don’t mix, be sure to leave time between applying each product. This allows each formula to soak into your skin without interruption.
For minimalists, skin care gurus, and everyone in between, Sebamed offers solutions for every step of your skin care routine. Our mild formulations are tested by dermatologists for the best skin compliance. Each product is pH-balanced to the same level as healthy skin, strengthening your skin barrier and protecting you against skin conditions. Check out our complete product lineup here.
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I need to start adding an extra layer of oil after moisturizing so my skin is super plum.
Hi Haley! Moisture really is the key to healthy, full looking skin. One of our moisturizers is heavier than the others, which means you only need to use a little product and will have extra coverage. No needing to double up on product and waste money! We highly recommend it for you: Moisturizing Face Cream. If you try the product please send us an email after – we would love to hear your feedback! Best wishes.
I love putting serums on my skin. They feel incredible!
Hi Haley! Riiiight?! All of our team here has their favorites. And, because we don’t have our own Sebamed ones, and have a gentle formulation to all of our products – our ENTIRE Sebamed line works great with other brands. We’re curious – what’s your favorite? We’d love for you to sound off and let us know! Looking forward to hearing from you. 🙂 Best wishes.