Everything You Need To Know About Skincare Layering

Learning how to layer your skincare products can be a tad overwhelming. But it’s more than worth it for the look and feel of your skin. So, what goes first: serum or facial oil? And how long are you supposed to wait between applying eye gel and moisturiser? Here’s how to nail your regime, every time.

Layering skincare correctly can make all the difference to the health of your skin. OK, so we don’t suggest you start employing a K-beauty-style regime that consists of 17 steps and requires you to set your morning alarm an hour early to fit everything in. However, whatever steps you do take should be carried out a) in the correct order and b) in the right way.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to get this layering malarkey bang on the money. Just a little knowhow and a side of patience is all it needs.

Here’s what you should know…

Build Your Routine According To Your Skin Type & Concerns

First, you must figure out how many products you want to include in your regime. And, sorry folks, but we can’t tell you the sweet spot because everyone is different. Instead, take a few moments to think about your skin, then build from the bare minimum of cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen.

If your skin is dry or dehydrated, you should add a facial oil or hydration gel to your regime. Perhaps you’re concerned about ageing around your eyes. If so, bring in an eye gel. If it helps, write down your skin concerns and build your routine accordingly.

Don’t Overdo It

When it comes to active ingredients like antioxidants and AHAs, our motto is less is always more. It’s easy to make the mistake of overloading your skin with all manner of lotions, potions, essences and serums, and some of you might be able to get away with regularly loading up your skin with the likes of retinol, vitamin C and glycolic acid.

But for one thing, certain ingredients don’t always play nicely together, and for another, too much of a good thing can irritate your skin, causing redness, itchiness, even full-on breakouts. 

The good news is we’ve taken all these risks off your hands. Instead of bombarding you with hundreds of treatment serums to choose from, we’ve formulated a flawlessly balanced blend of skincare actives into one Pre-Eminent Beauty Serum.

And it’s perfectly suited for all skin types. This beautiful serum contains everything your skin needs, including hyaluronic acid to hydrate, fruit acids to boost cell turnover, vitamin E to aid healing and vitamin C to protect your skin and give you a gorgeous glow. You see, one serum. It’s all you need.

Know The Right Sequence

Once you know how many products your regime should include, you need to understand in which order to apply them. Obviously, you must start with Crystal Cleanser or Natural Luminosity Scrub but, if you like to do both, always cleanse first then exfoliate afterwards. 

Next, it’s all about following this very easy rule: apply your products in order of consistency with your thinnest, lightest and most viscous product coming first and your heaviest, thickest coming last. The reason for this is simple. If you apply thicker, richer formulas first, they’ll prevent the thinner ones from being absorbed by your skin, meaning all their benefits will be completely wasted.

To this effect, your ultimate order, after cleansing, should be Diamond Toner, followed by your treatment products. Serums are the lightest of these and have a very low molecular weight, so apply Pre-Eminent Beauty Serum after toning, followed by Imperial Eye Gel and then moisturiser. In the daytime, choose from Imperial Moisturiser or Organic Hydration Gel, and Night Elixir before bed.

After moisturising, it’s time for Organic Age-Defying Facial Oil. Even though our facial oil is extremely lightweight, oils are always thicker and richer than moisturisers so, following the light-to-heavy consistency rule, it makes sense oil should follow moisturiser.

Of course, you can also apply Organic Age-Defying Facial Oil instead of moisturiser if you prefer, but we recommend both for the ultimate age-defying boost.

This completes your evening routine, but in the morning, there’s one final step you must never forget: Organic Tinted Moisturiser With SPF 25. 

No matter what else is in your regime, and how thick or thin your chosen sun protection is, it should always (without exception) be the last thing you apply. Sunscreen acts like a protective shield over your skin, so you want it right on the top where it can effectively block the damaging effects from UV radiation. No arguments.

Perfect Your Timing

One final million-dollar question: should you apply each product immediately after the next or is it better to wait a couple of minutes for each one to soak in?

Well, most skincare experts agree that it’s wise to wait until each product has had time to absorb before applying the next. This allows your product time to settle and penetrate your skin, so it doesn’t cause pilling when you layer on the next. Pilling is when too much product balls up, leaving bits all over your skin. Not pretty.

How long to wait between applications depends on the formulation, so don’t bother with a stopwatch. Simply feel your skin a few seconds after applying your product and once it feels like it’s been absorbed (usually somewhere between 30 and 60 seconds) you’re good to move on to the next step in your regime.

If you can still feel a residue, pat and wait a little longer. Or you might have gone OTT on the amount so consider wiping away any excess before you apply your next product.

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule! 

After cleansing, you should always apply toner immediately, while your skin is still damp. This helps lock in moisture to keep your skin hydrated for longer. And you could also employ this rule to your serum. Damp skin absorbs ingredients deeper and quicker than dry skin, so applying serum immediately after toning will super-charge all those active ingredients for even better age-defying benefits.

We hope that makes things clearer for you and you can now get to grips with layering the products in your regime. Still a little confused? Then, you know where we are!