There is one rule, and if you learn it you never have to look up a list again.
Thinnest to thickest. That is the whole thing. Water-like products first, oils and creams last, sunscreen after everything in the morning.
The reason is straightforward: a thick occlusive layer applied early forms a barrier that thin watery products cannot get through. Apply your cream first and your serum is doing nothing but sitting on top of it.
The morning order
- Rinse or gentle cleanse. Lukewarm water is enough for most people. Cleanser only if you are oily or used a heavy night cream.
- Hydrating toner or essence, on damp skin. Something like the Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner or the Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water.
- Treatment serum. Vitamin C, niacinamide or tranexamic acid. One, not three.
- Eye cream, if you use one.
- Moisturiser.
- Sunscreen. Always last, always every day, including in a Canadian winter and including indoors near a window.
The evening order
- Oil or balm cleanse, on dry skin, if you wore sunscreen or makeup. See our guide to whether double cleansing is necessary.
- Water-based cleanse, briefly and gently.
- Exfoliant, if tonight is an exfoliating night. Two or three nights a week at most, and never on the same night as a retinoid when you are starting out.
- Hydrating toner or essence, on damp skin.
- Treatment serum or ampoule. Retinoid goes here.
- Eye cream.
- Moisturiser or night cream.
- Face oil or occlusive, only if your skin is very dry. This one is optional and most people do not need it.
The rules that actually matter
Most of the ordering anxiety online is misplaced. These four are the ones with real consequences:
- Sunscreen goes last in the morning. Applying moisturiser over it dilutes and disrupts the film, which reduces the protection you are counting on.
- Apply to damp skin. Humectants like hyaluronic acid need water available to pull in. On bone-dry skin in a dry room, they can pull moisture out of your skin instead. This single change makes an ordinary routine work noticeably better.
- Retinoid before moisturiser, not after, unless you are deliberately buffering to reduce irritation, in which case moisturiser first is a legitimate technique.
- Wait thirty seconds between layers, not the ten minutes some people recommend. Enough for the previous layer to absorb, not so long that skin dries out.
How many steps do you actually need?
Four, if you are being honest.
Cleanser, hydrating layer, moisturiser, sunscreen. Add one treatment serum for your main concern and you have a complete routine that will outperform most ten-step routines, because you will actually do it every day.
The ten-step routine is a menu, not an instruction. Nobody in Korea does all ten every night either.
What can you not layer together?
Fewer things than the internet suggests, but a few worth knowing:
- Retinoid plus a strong acid on the same night, when you are new to either. Alternate nights instead.
- Benzoyl peroxide and a retinoid at the same time, which can degrade some retinoid forms. Morning and night, or alternate days.
- Three actives at once, in any combination. This is how barriers get damaged.
Vitamin C and niacinamide together are fine, despite what you may have read. That claim comes from a study using raw ingredients at high heat, not from finished formulations.
Common questions
Does toner go before or after serum?
Before. A hydrating toner is the thinnest product in the routine and it preps the skin for what follows.
How long should I wait between skincare steps?
About thirty seconds, or until the previous layer no longer feels wet. Longer is not better.
Do I need to use products from the same brand?
No. Brands design ranges to work together, which makes it convenient, but there is no chemical requirement.
Where does sunscreen go if I wear makeup?
After all skincare, before makeup. Give it a couple of minutes to set first.
Should the morning and evening routines be the same?
No. Mornings are for protection, so lighter products plus sunscreen. Evenings are for repair, so treatments and richer creams.