How to layer a routine
The order is thinnest to thickest. That single rule covers most of it, because a lightweight serum cannot get through a rich cream, but a rich cream sits happily on top of a serum.
Morning
- Cleanse — or just rinse with water if you did not wear anything overnight. Cleansing twice a day is more than most skin needs.
- Treat — serum on slightly damp skin. Press it in rather than rubbing. Give it thirty seconds.
- Moisturise — a lightweight cream that will not pill under what comes next.
- Protect — sunscreen, last, every day. If you are rebuilding a barrier this is not optional.
Evening
- Remove — if you wore sunscreen or make-up, use a dedicated remover first. A gentle cleanser is not built to do that job alone.
- Cleanse — the second step of a double cleanse, or the only step on a bare-skin day.
- Treat — serum, or an active if you use one.
- Repair — a richer night cream, last, to hold everything in while you sleep.
Three things that go wrong
Applying to bone-dry skin. Humectants pull water from wherever they can find it. On damp skin that is the water you just applied; on dry skin in a dry room it can be your own deeper layers. Leave your face slightly damp after cleansing.
Not waiting. Layering a cream onto a serum that has not absorbed is what causes pilling — those little rolls of product. Thirty seconds between steps solves it.
Changing everything at once. If something reacts, you will have no idea which product did it. Introduce one product at a time and give each a fortnight.
How long before it works
Hydration is immediate — you will see it the first day. Barrier repair is not: give any routine three weeks before judging it, and expect the first week to look like nothing is happening.