If self-care is part of your nighttime routine, you may already be layering your skin-care products. It’s as simple as it sounds—it’s the process of layering your skin care, in a specific order, to maximize the benefits of each product. A bonus is that because it takes a bit more time, you get to reap the rewards of an intentional and thoughtful routine. While skin-care layering can be done with as few as two products, you’ll find some people and cultures layer up to seven or more—it’s truly a routine that can be tailored to fit your skin-care needs and your lifestyle. Here’s how it works.
Does layering skin-care products work?
While you wouldn’t be blamed in thinking this is a ploy to get you to buy more products, skin-care layering does actually have benefits when done correctly. It offers the ability to target certain skin concerns with different products, can increase the absorption of the products when layered correctly and can even help boost efficacy of the products themselves.
How do you layer skin-care products?
The general rule of thumb for layering products it to start with the thinnest consistency and work up to the thickest. There are some steps that need to come before the others—for example, cleansing is the first step, always—but for the most part you can layer your skin-care products with this rule in mind.
For daytime
For daytime, you might have a less rigorous skin-care routine since most of our skin healing happens at night. But, it’s still worthwhile to have a few products to offer moisture and protection throughout the day. Your morning routine might look like this:
Cleanser > Toner > Treatment Products > Eye Cream > Moisturizer > Sunscreen
Treatment products are where you’ll have the most variety and ability to target with the ingredients and products that make the most sense for your skin concerns. A popular option for daytime is vitamin C, known for its brightening properties, but also a great product to pair with sunscreen since it can boost protection against UV damage. Always have your sunscreen be the final step in your skin-care routine—if you wear makeup, it should come after the sunscreen step.
For nighttime
Your nighttime routine might have the same steps (less the sunscreen) or more depending on your personal preferences. But a similar approach will follow, moving from lightest to heaviest in terms of product consistency.
Cleanser > Mask > Toner > Treatment Products > Eye Cream > Moisturizer > Face Oil
The exception to this rule is if you’re adding a skin-care mask that needs to be washed away—this should come before any other products that are going to stay on the skin.
What are the self care benefits of a skin-care ritual?
The added perk of a lengthier skin care routine (aside from glowing skin) relates to the ritual itself, which is connected to mood-boosting benefits and stress reduction. This is as simple as setting aside time for yourself to do something for yourself—it’s not always easy to do and so committing to a routine every night can go a long way to establishing that calming experience. It also offers a sensorial experience, especially if you are able to set the tone with aromatherapy and truly relax. And finally, routine and repetition can contribute to a meditative experience as well, calming your mind, letting you reflect on the day, and providing time to slow down and focus on yourself.
