How to layer skincare products

A VERY frequently asked question

I love answering customer questions, and I’ve gotten to answer a lot of them over the past 14+ years; this is among the ones I get most frequently. Although I posted a guide to layering on the Ayla blog, things can get buried there, so I thought I’d resurrect it during this “I’m-on-vacation-but-not-really-because-are-entrepreneurs-ever-actually-on-vacation?” time. I hope you find it helpful!

Q: I’ve got a lot of new products that I’m really excited about…but how do I use them? Do I put on my serum, and then my oil? Or the other way around?

I love this question, since I want you to get the most out of your products, too! Here’s the order I generally suggest.

1. Prep your skin

Start by washing your face and spritzing on a toner or mist, if you use one. If you're wondering if you need one, I find these choices to be particularly helpful in these specific situations —
a. If your skin tends to be both breakout-prone and sensitive, give MyHavtorn's Essence a go. If you're "I'm more of an occasional-breakouts person, and I love that 'P50' stuff," check out Vintner's Daughter Active Treatment Essence.
b. If you’re in a place with hard water that irritates your skin, or your skin is generally fussy, you must try the Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique Balancing HypoTonic.
c. If you're dehydrated, a super-hydrating mist like TWELVE Ultra Revitalising Elixir, de Mamiel Multi-Active Hydramist, or Luzern Firming Facial Mist is the must for you. If you’re dry or dehydrated, please don’t skip this step! A mist will make a huge difference.

2. Spot-treat

If you use a spot treatment like Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique Intensive Repair Serum on your breakouts, apply it now and allow it to dry.

3. Apply a serum

Generally speaking, active products like serums will be able to penetrate more deeply if there isn’t a rich cream or oil in their way. (Two exceptions: Macrene Actives High Performance Face Cream, which is designed to be applied before serums, and Marie Veronique Multi-Retinol Night Emulsion, which is designed to be applied after oils.)

Your serum might be:

• An antioxidant serum for daytime (like Ayla’s best seller, the Sea Serum!)

• A retinol or AHA serum for nighttime (like the similarly uber-effective Sea Retinal)

If you’re using more than one serum, I generally suggest applying your products based on weight and activity: the lightest-textured, most active ones first. For instance, a combination I often suggest is one of Luzern’s exfoliating AHA Peel Pads, followed by their Serum ReHydrate. Or you could try Luzern's Serum V15, followed by TWELVE Ideal Moisture Level Serum.

Note 1: These two examples also illustrate another important layering tip: due to the pH of formulas containing these ingredients, apply alpha hydroxy acids and ascorbic acid to your skin before any other serum or cream.

Note 2: Retinoids also require special treatment; generally speaking, I suggest applying retinoids (retinol, retinal) to skin before your moisturizer for maximized efficacy. But if your skin is sensitive, applying retinoids after a simple hydrating serum or a moisturizer is a good way to buffer them. If you want more retinoid-specific info, you can find it here.

But don’t go too serum-crazy, especially if your skin tends to be sensitive; dermatologists I admire, like Dr. Elizabeth K. Hale, recommend a more minimal approach so that you’re less likely to end up with irritated skin.

Note 3 / hot tip: A couple of weeks ago, I was either sleep deprived or not paying attention, or both, and unintentionally repeated my mist (Luzern’s Firming Facial Mist) and my serum (Sea Serum) before patting on my moisturizer. At the office, Karina — who rarely asks these types of questions — asked, “What did you put on your skin? What makes the light bounce off of it like that?” It made me realize that, if I ever want that glass-skin, glazed-donut, whatever-we’re-calling-it-these-days effect, repeating the mist and the Sea Serum is the ticket.

4. Moisturize

Apply your moisturizing lotion, cream, or oil over your water-based serum (or just-misted, damp skin) to help them absorb more easily. This is especially important when you're using oils: as I mentioned here, since your skin is composed of water and oils, it absorbs a blend of the two better than a straight oil applied to dry skin, which can tend to feel like it's just sitting on top. A few notes here:

- Lotions and creams have a blend of water-based and oil-based ingredients already mixed together for you, which makes things easy. Luzern's Force de Vie Creme Luxe has been one of our best sellers at Ayla since day one; I’m also a big fan of M Picaut's lush Skin Perfect Moisturizer.

- Oils can be a nice choice if your climate is variable, since you can apply them with a lighter or heavier hand as needed; Dara's Oil is obviously my favorite due to its versatility, and I also love MyHavtorn's Facial Oil for its beautiful performance on rosacea-prone skin

- You can use them together, too. During cooler months, patting an oil on top of a rich cream, like TWELVE's Nutritive Repair Emulsion, can turn dry skin to dewy. Another option: layering de Mamiel's Skin Recovery Concentrate over your oil or your cream. It's a balm that melts into your skin, feeling deceptively light while providing serious, buttery nourishment.

5. Eyes

If you feel your eyes could use a little extra care (yes, they could), give something like my Eye Serum, TWELVE's Rapid Eye Treatment, or Luzern’s Nuit Eye Balm a go. I often suggest applying the eye product either after your serum step, after your moisturizing step, or whenever you remember.

6. Sunscreen (daytime only)

Apply your sunscreen last, always: it’s designed to form a protective shield over your face. Then, if you wear it, move on to makeup.

And a final word on timing: Products from some brands, like Marie Veronique, work best when layers are applied quickly. But with others, waiting will prevent your layered products from pilling, especially if you wear foundation. (If you'd like all the secrets, my buddy Pedro from TWELVE Beauty has some excellent tips on avoiding skincare product pilling in this post.)

And as always, if you're working a new product into your regimen, I suggest taking a couple of days to see which approach works best for you — and if you have any questions, get in touch with the marvelous people at Ayla.

I hope this post was helpful! If it was, please like it, subscribe, or share it with your friends — I appreciate all the support.