What Order Should You Apply Skincare Products?
Your Routine Doesn’t Need To Be 12 Steps
If arranging your skincare products feels like a chemistry puzzle, this guide can help.
An effective routine can be as simple as you need it to be. As a general rule, cleanse first, apply treatment products next, then finish with moisturizer and sunscreen. The American Academy of Dermatology agrees.
Using too many active products at once can potentially irritate the skin.
Your Morning Skincare Order
A practical morning routine looks something like this:
1. Gentle cleanser
2. Vitamin C or another treatment serum
3. Eye cream, if used
4. Moisturizer
5. Broad-spectrum sunscreen
6. Makeup
Vitamin C serums are commonly applied after cleansing and before moisturizer and sunscreen, although product directions can vary. Vitamin C functions as part of your daytime antioxidant routine without replacing the protection provided by SPF.
Sunscreen is generally the final skincare step before makeup. Although many start working immediately, apply sunscreen liberally about 15 minutes before sun exposure. It is also recommended to use broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30+ sunscreen. When you are outdoors, and depending on the product used, reapply about every 2 hours and immediately after swimming, sweating, or towel-drying.
This step is especially important in Scottsdale, where the sun shines nearly cloud-free 300+ days per year. Driving, walking the dog, sitting near windows, and spending time on a patio can all add to your cumulative UV exposure.
Your Evening Skincare Order
Your nighttime routine can focus on cleansing, treatment, and barrier support:
7. Cleanser
8. Retinal, retinol, or another nighttime treatment
9. Eye cream, if used
10. Moisturizer
Retinoids are generally used at night. If your skin becomes dry or irritated, applying moisturizer before the retinoid can improve tolerability.
If you're new to retinol or retinal, consider starting every other night or less frequently if your skin is sensitive, then increase frequency gradually as tolerated. More frequent application is not automatically better if irritation damages your skin barrier or causes you to stop using the product.
If a retinoid causes irritation, dermatologists may recommend using it less frequently or applying moisturizer first. Follow your clinician's instructions when using a prescription retinoid.
Do You Need to Wait Between Products?
Most people do not need to stand in the bathroom with a stopwatch. Allow each product enough time to settle so that it does not immediately mix with or roll off the next layer.
Texture offers a useful guide. Thinner products are usually applied before thicker creams, although it still makes sense to follow the directions for specific products. Sunscreen remains the final morning skincare layer, regardless of whether it feels thinner than your moisturizer.
Prescription topical medications are an exception. Follow the prescribing clinician’s instructions because the correct order can depend on the medication, formulation, and condition being treated.
Keep Active Ingredients Under Control
A longer routine is not necessarily a better routine. Combining retinal, exfoliating acids, scrubs, and other strong actives on the same night can increase dryness and irritation.
Choose products based on your main concern and consider introducing one new active at a time. This makes it easier to identify what is helping and what is upsetting your skin. The same principle applies to masks and exfoliating treatments. Products containing overlapping active ingredients can increase the risk of irritation.
For more guidance on skincare and skin health, read our ISDIN Skincare Guide, Skin Barrier Repair Guide, and Peptides vs. Retinol vs. Ceramides blog posts.
Your Personalized Skin Care Routine Example
Healthy skin is about consistent, evidence-backed practices that work for you. Keep your routine simple enough to follow consistently and introduce stronger ingredients gradually.
For a complete ISDIN product skincare routine, follow these steps:
1. Cleanser: ISDINCEUTICS Essential Purifier Foam Cleanser
2. Eye cream: K-Ox Eyes
3. Serum: Flavo-C Rejuvenating Serum
4. Moisturizing cream: Age Contour
5. Sunscreen: Eryfotona Ageless Ultralight SPF 50.
Tip: For an evening routine, use ISDIN Retinal Advanced for step 3 and remove sunscreen from your nighttime treatment.
Professional-grade ISDIN skincare products are available at Babyface LLC Medical Spa in North Scottsdale. Stop by to purchase yours during your next appointment. Visit our Contact page for hours, location, and contact methods, or schedule your appointment today!
Great skin starts beneath the surface. Our Persona Nutrition Vitamin Advisor program pairs you with science-backed supplements designed around your lifestyle. Take a quick assessment below to get your personalized supplement plan:
➡ Assessment Link: https://babyfacellc.personanutritionpro.com/customers
At BabyFace, we focus on high-quality ingredients that are safe, responsibly sourced, and expertly formulated. And you’ll have the support of our friendly expert nutritionist, Michael Colangelo, MS, CN.
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual results from professional treatments and skincare products vary. Consult with your healthcare provider before beginning any new treatment or skincare routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have underlying medical conditions.