The order you apply skincare matters more than most people think. Put a rich cream on before a watery serum and the serum barely gets through. Put sunscreen on before moisturiser and you thin out its protection. Here is the order that works, and where each product goes.
The basic rule: thinnest to thickest
After cleansing, apply products from the most watery to the richest. Lighter products absorb first, and heavier creams and oils seal them in. The Cleveland Clinic describes the same thin to thick principle, with sunscreen as the final morning step.
The one exception is sunscreen. It goes on last in the morning, even if it is thinner than your moisturiser, so nothing disturbs the protective film it forms.
Your morning order
- Cleanse, or just rinse with water if your skin is dry.
- Serum, if you use one, such as vitamin C.
- Eye cream, patted around the eyes.
- Moisturiser, on face and neck.
- Sunscreen, broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher.
The Peptide Crème to renew, hydrate, strengthen and protect. The Eye Crème for fine lines and tired looking eyes. Or both together in the Black Diamond Duo.
Your night order
- Cleanse to remove sunscreen and makeup.
- Serum or treatment, if you use one.
- Eye cream.
- Moisturiser.
No sunscreen at night, and no need for anything more.
Where retinol goes
The classic advice is retinol on clean, dry skin, then moisturiser. That works well for skin that copes with it.
If your skin is dry or sensitive, which is common in perimenopause and menopause, apply your moisturiser first, let it sink in for a few minutes, then apply your retinol over the top. The moisturiser acts as a buffer while your skin adjusts. Our founder, Sabina, uses her Peptide Crème this way under her prescribed tretinoin. If your retinoid is prescribed, follow your doctor's directions, and keep prescription retinoids away from the eye area.
Our guide to starting retinol gently covers the rest.
Eye cream before moisturiser
Apply eye cream before your face cream, so it reaches the thin skin around your eyes directly. Use your ring finger to pat a small amount along the orbital bone, from the inner corner outwards, without pulling the skin. Then smooth your moisturiser over the rest of your face and neck, avoiding the eyes.
How long to wait between layers
You do not need a stopwatch. Give each layer about a minute, or until it no longer feels wet, before the next one. Wait a little longer, a few minutes, before applying sunscreen so it spreads evenly.
Fewer layers is often better
Every extra layer is another chance of irritation, and more products on menopausal skin often means more problems, not fewer. If you are layering three serums, try one. Our back to basics guide shows how little you actually need.
Where Truff’elle fits
A two product routine covers it: The Eye Crème first, around the eyes and the fine lines at the mouth, then The Peptide Crème over face and neck, morning and night, with sunscreen in the morning. The Black Diamond Duo puts both together.
