e.l.f. Discovery

The Layering Routine: The Order You Should Be Applying Your Skincare

Let’s face it: the world of skincare can be an intimidating one. From endless products and tools to skincare trends and hacks, it can feel overwhelming when you’re simply trying to build a reliable skincare routine. Amid all of the different recommendations and TikTok videos, sometimes the best thing you can do for your skin is just getting back to basics. And a lot of what “getting back to basics” is about, is making sure you’re applying your skincare in the right order so that your skin can optimally absorb all of the ingredients you’re putting on it.

Regardless of what products you’re using and whether you have a 12 step routine or a three step routine, the way you layer your products will undoubtedly affect the health of your skin, which is why we’re sharing our ultimate guide to applying your skincare routine. Keep reading to find out the order you should be applying your products in and the products that will pave the way for plump, hydrated, and healthy-looking skin.

What is the Correct Way to Apply Skincare?

Does the order of your skincare really matter? The short answer? Yes! Applying products in the correct order allows them to absorb into the skin correctly and help them perform their best. A routine you do in the morning typically isn’t exactly the same as the products you would apply in the evening. Even the thickness of the products you use can alter how effective they’ll be if they’re not applied in the correct order.

Typically, lighter products that have a thinner or more liquid consistency are applied earlier in the routine, while thicker products are usually applied as the final steps. Look to products like cleansers, facial mists, and toners at the beginning of your routine. Save thicker serums, moisturizers, face creams, and SPF to apply at the end. We’re breaking down the step-by-step routine to target your concerns and help you achieve healthy, glowy looking skin.

Step 1: Face Cleanser

Yes, it’s obvious, but any and every reliable skincare routine begins with cleansing your face. Whether it’s washing away makeup, oil, and debris after a long day or starting your morning with a fresh, clean face, cleansing is key for the rest of your routine. We recommend beginning your routine with a gentle face cleanser like the Holy Hydration! Daily Cleanser, which helps to clean, hydrate, and nourish the skin with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides. We love this cleanser because it leaves skin feeling moisturized and healthy-looking.

Step 2: Facial Mists

Our e.l.f hot take: facial mists are a majorly underrated step of a solid skincare routine. Why do we like them? They can help to add an extra layer of hydration and moisture back into the skin. They can also help products you apply later in your routine to optimally absorb into the skin. Many facial mists are also packed with ingredients to help soothe, balance, and refresh. The Holy Hydration! Hydrating Coconut Mist is formulated with a blend of Coconut Oil, Vitamin B5, and Vitamin E to help calm, nourish, and instantly soothe the appearance of skin. Spray the mist directly onto your skin following cleansing, or keep it in your bag for an immediate refresh throughout the day.

Step 3: Toner

While we’re on hot takes: toners may be triggering when it comes to skincare routines. Typically, when we think of “toner” we think “product that’s probably going to sting or burn my skin.” And we get it; face toners can be on the harsher end of the skincare spectrum, and while they can be effective in minimizing the appearance of pores or targeting breakouts, they can occasionally feel too strong for everyday use.

The key to a holy grail toner—one that will always deserve a spot in your daily routine—is finding one whose main benefit is balancing the skin. That’s when we look to Keep Your Balance Toner, an ultra-gentle and supportive toner that focuses on refreshing the appearance of skin, while hydrating with Hyaluronic Acid and soothing with Aloe Extract. After using you’re facial mist, apply a small amount of the Keep Your Balance Toner onto a cotton pad and gently dab (don’t swipe) all over your skin.

Step 4: Face Serums

Your serum step is the one where the thicker consistency we mentioned earlier can come into play. Serums can range in thickness, with some sitting on the classic liquid side, while others lean into more of a liquid-to-thick, jelly-like consistency. Face serums are often considered “active” skincare products, in that they contain ingredients that can help to even out skin tone, reduce the appearance of fine lines, fade the appearance of dark spots, brighten the appearance of skin, or simply help to hydrate and plump. What we’re saying is, they’re a key part of an effective routine.

Go in with the Holy Hydration! Triple Bounce, our serum that delivers 1.7% Hyaluronic Acid in three molecular weights which provide three different intensities of plumping hydration. Next, layer our Vitamin C Serum to help brighten and even out skin tone while delivering free-radical-fighting antioxidants to skin.

Step 5: Eye Creams

Don’t forget the delicate skin under and around your eyes! While using an eye cream can help to brighten dark circles, firm the appearance of skin, and give an overall plumper and healthier appearance around the eyes, using an eye cream can also be a preventative tool for firmer, brighter eyes down the road. After you’ve applied your serum, use one finger to gently pat the Holy Hydration! Eye Cream around and under eyes. With a rich formula infused with Hyaluronic Acid and Peptides, this nourishing cream helps to lock in moisture for plumper, brighter looking skin.

Step 6: Moisturizer or Face Cream

Another essential step of your skincare routine in the morning and the evening is moisturizer. Our skin requires a lot of hydration in order to feel and look healthy, so it’s crucial to deliver that hydration via a moisturizer or face cream. For those with oily skin or those who are prone to breakouts: you still need to hydrate your skin!

We recommend opting for a lightweight, gel-based moisturizer. The Gel-Yeah Moisturizer is a great choice as it’s specifically formulated with oily, breakout-prone skin in mind, and delivers moisture without the heaviness. If your skin runs on the drier side or you simply prefer a richer, thicker cream, the Holy Hydration! Fragrance Free Face Cream is your winner. Replenishing, plumping, and brightening, it absorbs quickly and can help to deliver hydration to the skin. Hydrated skin is also important for smooth, glowing makeup—another reason to never sleep on this step!

Step 7: SPF (Obviously!)

Whether it’s sunny weather, cloudy weather, cold or hot, SPF is always a must. And it’s also essential year-round, not just during the sunnier summer months. Enter Suntouchable Invisible Makeup Primer with SPF 35. This face primer meets SPF is a lightweight, velvety-clear gel sunscreen that doubles as a blurring primer to create a smooth canvas and grip makeup for long-lasting wear. We love it for its zero-white cast finish and how quickly it absorbs into the skin. It’s also infused with soothing Aloe Extract and Meadowfoam Seed to help calm and nourish skin.

Step 8: Glowy Base

Now that your skin feels clean, hydrated, plumped, and nourished, finish it off with a glowy bronzed base that’s also an antioxidant-rich serum (can you tell we’re all about extra layers of skin-loving nourishment?!). Our best selling Bronzing Drops give a warm, sun-kissed glow, while moisturizing and nourishing skin with ingredients like sunflower seed oil and antioxidants like Vitamin E, plus marula oil and raspberry seed oil. Lightweight and non-greasy, it absorbs quickly and can be used on your face and body to serve back-from-vacation radiance. Apply it directly onto skin, or mix a few drops with your moisturizer for a glowy, hydrated look.

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