Many people who buy skincare products find it difficult to know in which order to use the products. And skincare has become quite a science nowadays, so it’s not easy to know how to do it right.
Maybe you’ve just bought an expensive face cream or serum that you don’t want to waste with the wrong timing?
Here is the step-by-step order in which you should use your skincare products!
1. Facial Cleanser
Cleanser such as milk/lotion/gel/oil is used first to wash away makeup, dirt, and external impurities from the skin.
It removes excess sebum and sweat that can clog pores.
Take an appropriate amount of product, massage into the face, neck, and décolleté with circular motions, then rinse off with lukewarm water. For example, oil-based cleansers may need to be wiped off with a towel or cotton before rinsing.
2. Peeling & Scrub
1-2 times a week, depending on skin type, it’s good to do a peeling.
The peeling deeply cleanses, removes dead skin cells, and stimulates cell renewal.
If using an enzyme peel, apply it to damp skin over the face, neck, and décolleté (avoid the eye area). Then leave it on the skin according to the instructions, generally 5-20 minutes.
Enzyme peels can be used on all skin types but are especially recommended for sensitive skin and impure skin with pustules/acne.
If using a grain-based peel (mechanical peeling), apply it to damp skin. Then gently massage with circular motions over the face, neck, and décolleté. Avoid the eye area. Afterwards, rinse the peel off with lukewarm water.
Mechanical peeling can be used on most skin types, but not if the skin is sensitive or acne-prone with white pustules or cystic acne. The grains in the peel can then irritate the skin and spread acne bacteria.
3. Face Mask
1-2 times a week, depending on skin type, it’s good to apply a face mask. The face mask is applied after cleansing and any peeling.
The face mask gives the skin extra nourishment, moisture, and care. It is an intensive treatment for the skin, a great way to deliver a large amount of beneficial ingredients in a short time.
Generally, masks are left on for 10-20 minutes, but follow the instructions on the packaging. Some face masks can be left on overnight. Rinse off the mask with lukewarm water and follow up with toner.
4. Toner
Toner prepares the skin for care by tightening the pores that opened when you cleansed your face and also acts as a carrier to deliver ingredients in serums and creams deeper into the skin.
This removes residues such as chlorine, salts, and minerals found in tap water and balances the skin’s pH level.
Spray the toner over the face or sweep a moistened cotton pad over the face and leave the skin damp.
5. Facial Serum
Serum should be applied to the skin while it is still damp.
Serum provides the skin with extra nourishment, works deeply, and gives an extra boost.
Serums can penetrate deeply into the skin and deliver a very high concentration of active ingredients. This makes them excellent anti-aging products.
6. Facial Oil & Face Cream
Facial oil and face cream provide care and hydration to the face.
They protect the skin and also act as a barrier against air and environmental toxins.
A face cream or oil can be used alone or together with serum. Apply the serum first and then the face cream and/or oil. This locks in all the nourishing ingredients and protects the skin.
7. Eye Cream
Eye cream/oil/gel is moisturizing, firming, helps reduce puffiness around the eyes, and diminishes dark circles.
Apply the product just below the eyebrow and a few centimeters under the eye on the upper cheekbone.
It’s important not to apply the product too close to the eye as it can easily cause puffiness and irritation. Gently “pat” the cream into the skin with a finger.
Remember that the skin around the eyes is thin and sensitive, so it’s important to use a product specifically designed for that area.
The skin around the eyes cannot absorb a product that is too strong, so don’t overdo it, as it can have the opposite effect and irritate the eyes.
Have questions or want to share wise tips with the rest of us? Write a comment and we’ll respond!
