Does it really matter if you apply your SPF before your eye cream? Or if your face oil comes after your moisturizer? In a word: YES. Not only does having the right skincare products make a difference—how you apply them is important, too.

Product layering can be a little confusing. But if you want to get the best results from your beauty buys it is important to apply them in the right order.

Luckily, we’ve broken it down for you to take you from cleanse to creams without the headache. Read on and learn more about The Correct Order to Apply Skincare Products and become a pro at layering your products.

So Why Does Sequence in a Skincare Routine Matter Anyways?

There are problems that you may run into when you do not apply your skincare in the correct sequence, (order).

They may not go through the skin properly: This happens if you put thin, water or fluid-based products on the top of heavy, oily or creamy products. Heavier products will create a barrier to your skin that can prevent any other products from coming through.

The product can be less efficient: If specific products cannot enter your skin effectively, obviously, you will not receive the total benefit that the products offer. Also, when active skincare ingredients are intended to be applied apart from one another, then using them together can demilitarize the ingredients or even possibly develop, unwanted or a new chemical reaction, and in the end, your skincare routine is a bust.

You can damage your skin: When you apply skincare products out of sequence you can create new skin issues for yourself.  For instance, if applying a serum on top of facial oil, you can make your skin dehydrated, dry, itchy, and even irritated. One more thing, if you layer serum, oils, or creams on top of facial oils and/or on top of mineral sunscreen, you will perplex the dilution and coverage for your favorite sunscreen, increasing your chances of getting burned by the sun, or increase your chance of getting skin cancer due to not having your skin protected properly.  Lastly, you can be more susceptible to premature aging.  

Follow These Three Rules for Layering Your Skincare Products

Yes, there is three “general rules, for layering your skincare products:

1) Apply your products from thinnest to thickest texture.
2) Apply water-based products before oil-based ones.
3) Give your products time to absorb. Wait 1-2 minutes until each product feels dry, before moving on to the next step.

What is the Correct Way to Apply Skincare Products? 

Cleanser 

In the morning, start by splashing your face with warm water or, if you must, wash with a gentle face cleanser designed for your skin. The goal is to get rid of the residue left on your skin from the products you used the night before. Choose a non-drying, sulfate-free cleanser. 

The wrong cleanser can leave you with dehydrated skin. Nonie's of Beverly Hills has the perfect cleanser to help protect your skin from pollution. Our AHA Cleanser is gentle yet effective in getting the job done. The best part, our products are created with all-natural ingredients that your skin will drink up immediately, removing dirt, oil, and other impurities. 

Toner 

Toner can be helpful if you wash your face at the sink since it ensures that all traces of cleanser are removed from your skin. Most often, we forget to use toner in our skincare routine. It comes after cleaning and before using your moisturizer. A good toner is essential to use since it helps rebalance your skin. Most think it may be deemed unnecessary to use; however, toners have ingredients crucial for healthy skin, such as antioxidants, acids, glycerin, and anti-inflammatories.

Make sure to select one that is suited for your skin type. If you are looking for the best toner for face and skin care, check out our website.

We have a fantastic AHA Skin Tonic that will refresh and tighten your pores while leaving your skin with a smooth and polished texture. 

Treatment Serum

Now you can treat your skin concerns and fight free radicals with a serum containing active ingredients. L-ascorbic acid (the active form of vitamin C) is good for antioxidant protection, brightening, fading dark spots, and even building collagen. Vitamin C derivatives can give similar benefits, although they are not as potent. Or consider niacinamide, which is also an antioxidant, and treats pigmentation, wrinkles, acne, redness, and dryness. Other options include peptides, alpha arbutin, and alpha-lipoic acid.

Hydrating Serum or Essence 

This step is all about lightweight hydration. Look for serums or essences with humectants—ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and aloe vera that draw water into the skin. If you're using a cream next, then you don't necessarily need this step, unless your skin is very dry and could use the extra layer of it. Try to use a light serum that will fight the signs of premature aging, lighten, and brighten your skin and shrink the size of your pores, all while giving your skin the much hydration it needs to stay radiant and healthy.

Exfoliation

Our skin is constantly working to ensure that it’s healthy.  The best thing that you can do is to make sure to exfoliate your skin a few times a week, to shed away dead skin and build up and unclog pores.

Ensure that you are using an exfoliant with all-natural ingredients. You want to give your skin a fresh look and feel, but at the same time you want to make sure you avoid toxins at any cost.

Also, exfoliating helps fight the signs of aging by reducing fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, and evening skin tone. The best skincare routine always includes the use of an exfoliant.

What Types of Acids Are Used in Skincare?

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)

AHAs are chemical exfoliants that are made of naturally occurring mixtures fruits and plants.  Here at Nonie of Beverly Hills, we produce the best organic and vegan Alpha Hydroxy-based skincare products with all-natural ingredients.

Generally, people use AHAs for anti-aging skincare regimes and products. The most popular and commonly known AHAs are Lactic and Glycolic acid.

Both AHAs are extraordinarily delicate and soothing on your skin and will not cause dryness, irritation, or redness. They perform as chemical exfoliators that diffuse between skin cells and help in the process of naturally shedding the outermost dead layer of buildup, leaving you with radiant skin and a smoother complexion.

Can Facial Acids be Layered?

This is a yes and no answer.  Yes, you can, but layering acids is NOT recommended. That’s because you can strip your skin, causing severe irritations. Note that although we want to get rid of them, dead skin cells play an important role in protecting new cells that are not ready to come to the surface. If you remove all of them, it can leave your skin sensitive, red, and itchy. We should only remove the superficial layer for smooth and bright skin.

Love your skin, just pick the one acid that that works for you and your skin type.  If you did not know, the following acids are recommended and often used with these skin types:

• Dry and sun-damaged skin: glycolic acid
• Oily and acne-prone skin: salicylic acid
• Sensitive skin: lactic acid or PHAs

However, let us say that your skin could benefit from more than one type of acid. Maybe you have oily but sun-damaged skin that needs both glycolic and salicylic acids or it’s dry and sensitive and a combo of AHAs/PHAs suits it better than a high concentration of glycolic acid. Whatever your skin needs, just remember, that when it comes to exfoliation, less is more.

Eye Cream

Since the eye area doesn't have oil glands to help keep it moisturized, you'll want to give it some hydration right away—as soon as you're done cleansing and exfoliating. (Since it's not going on top of the areas where you applied acid, you don't need to wait.) Feel free to use either your regular moisturizer, if you tolerate it around your eyes, or specialized eye cream or eye serum.

 If you haven’t found the best product for summer to take care of your eyes, then consider Nonie of Beverly Hill’s AHA Eye Cream. It will work wonders for your eyes and is suitable for ALL skin types. The lavish, creamy texture will help banish fine lines and wrinkles, tighten and brighten your skin, and, best of all, reduce dark circles. AHA eye cream contains all-natural and organic ingredients that will nourish your skin. 

Moisturizer

Next comes moisturizer if you need it. Not everyone does! If you have an oiler complexion, you may be able to get away with serum, oil, and sunscreen alone (or even just sunscreen). Otherwise, look for creams with a blend of humectants and stable emollients, that are low in silicones and fragrance.  

We recommend AHA Protein Moisturizer. It has soy as one of its main ingredients helping in the removal and buildup of dead skin cells while encouraging cell turnover. As a result, you get a soft, smooth, and healthy complexion. For best results, use it in the morning and evening every day.

Facial Oil

If you want to use a facial oil, it should be your last moisturizing step. That's because oils have occlusive properties that lock in the hydrating benefits of your other products and prevent the moisture from escaping. (So, anything you put on top won't get through.) Oil can also act as a barrier to protect your skin from the elements. 

To avoid oxidative damage, just make sure you choose a stable oil with primarily saturated or monounsaturated fatty acids.

SPF

Sunscreen is the most important skincare product of all and needs to be worn every day, year-round.  Looking for an SPF with all-natural ingredients? Here at Nonie’s, we got that too. Our AHA 15 SPF Sunblock Moisturizer is nourishing and not sticky like others in the market.  Our formulation contains ingredients like Coconut Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Orange & Lemon Oils, Coconut Emulsifier, Orchid Oil, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. All of these ingredients are organic, vegan, and cruelty-free.

Nonie of Beverly Hills is Your One Stop Shop for All the Best Natural Skincare Products that you NEED for you Daily Routines!

Now you know The Correct Order to Apply Your Skincare Products, remember sequence is everything and so are the right products for your skin type.

Still not sure which AHA products you need?  Let us here at Nonie of Beverly Hills help. It has been proven that AHA skincare can diminish acne, dark/age spots, dehydrated skin, and uneven skin tone and textures, all of which can boost your skin complexion. We are the number one go-to for all your AHA skincare needs. 

Check out our website to find the best AHA skincare products. We have everything you need to get all your skin needs covered.