Skincare layering order, thin to thick
What order do you layer skincare in?
Thin to thick. 💧➡️🧈
Watery things go on first. Creams and balms go on later. In the morning, sunscreen goes on top of everything.
Why thin to thick?
Think of getting dressed. 👕
T-shirt first, then a sweater, then a coat. Nobody puts the coat on first!
Skincare goes the same way. A thick cream makes a cozy layer on top. A watery toner patted on over that cream would mostly slide around.
Thin to thick is a rule of thumb people use. No study proved it. It's easy to remember, though, and it keeps the heavy stuff on top. 👍
What does each layer do?
Here is a quick map, from thinnest to thickest.
| Layer | What it feels like | Its job |
|---|---|---|
| Toner | Like water | A first watery layer after washing |
| Essence | Water with a little slip | A light layer before serum |
| Serum or ampoule | Thin and silky | Carries ingredients for your concerns |
| Eye cream | Soft cream | Made for the thin skin near the eyes |
| Moisturizer | Lotion or cream | Holds the water in |
| Sunscreen (morning) | Lotion or fluid | Helps protect from UV light |
How does moisturizer hold water in?
Moisturizers work in a few ways at once. 🧪
Some ingredients make a seal on top of skin, like petrolatum. Some pull water toward the skin, like glycerin. And some add back the kinds of fats skin already has, like ceramides.
Reference: Rawlings and Harding, 2004
That's why moisturizer comes late in the order: it helps keep everything under it in place. 🛌
Where does sunscreen go?
Last, in the morning. Always. ☀️
Sunscreen works as a layer sitting on top. Rubbing a cream on over it can move it around.
The American Academy of Dermatology says to use broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, and to put more on about every two hours when you are outside.
Reference: American Academy of Dermatology
What about two serums?
Totally fine. Thin to thick again: the more watery one goes first. 🧴🧴
One thing to check: do the two serums carry the same star ingredient? Two products with niacinamide, for example, is just the same ingredient twice. The free quiz shows how many steps of your routine carry each key ingredient, so a double is easy to spot.
You can paste any ingredient list into the ingredient checker to see what is inside.
Can I layer acids and retinol together?
This is where people get nervous. 😬
Strong ingredients can be tough on skin. In one study, people using a retinol cream reported more flaking and stinging than people using a bakuchiol cream.
Reference: Dhaliwal et al., 2019
So many people keep exfoliating acids and retinol on different nights, and their skin doesn't get both at once.
If your product's label gives a rule, follow the label. If your skin gets red or sore, stop and ask a skin doctor.
How do I find my own layers?
Your skin type changes which layers you need at all. Oily skin may want fewer, lighter layers. Dry skin may want a richer cream. 🤔
The free skin quiz asks about your skin and builds a routine of 3, 5 or 7 steps from your answers.