What order should I apply my skincare? Build your routine
Select what you have. The builder puts it in the right order for morning and evening, drops anything that does not belong at that time of day, and warns you about combinations that clash.
Which of these do you use?
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Now find out if the routine is doing anything
Order is the easy part. Knowing whether the routine is improving your skin takes measurement. Gloss scores hydration, clarity, texture and radiance from a daily selfie so you can see which change actually moved the needle.
Cosmetic tracking only, not medical advice. Your scan photo is analyzed and discarded, never stored.
The rule that decides the order
Thinnest to thickest. Water-based products go on before oil-based ones, because oil blocks water from getting through but water does not block oil. Treatments with an active ingredient go on clean skin so they reach it undiluted. Sunscreen goes last in the morning because it needs to form an even film on the surface.
The standard morning order
- Cleanser (or a rinse with water if your skin is dry)
- Toner or essence, if you use one
- Vitamin C or another antioxidant serum
- Other serums, thinnest first (hyaluronic acid, niacinamide)
- Eye cream
- Moisturizer
- Sunscreen, two finger lengths
The standard evening order
- Oil or balm cleanser if you wore SPF or makeup
- Water-based cleanser
- Exfoliating acid on the nights you use it
- Hydrating serums
- Retinoid on the nights you use it, on dry skin
- Eye cream
- Moisturizer
- Face oil or sleeping mask, if you use one
How long to wait between steps
About a minute. Enough for the previous layer to stop feeling wet. The one exception is retinoids on sensitive skin, where waiting 20 minutes after cleansing (or applying moisturizer first, then retinoid on top) reduces irritation. Sunscreen needs no wait time to "activate" but does need to be applied on a dry face so it spreads evenly.
Do you actually need all of these?
No. Cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen do most of the work. Add one active for your main concern. Every extra step is a place for irritation to come from and one more thing to forget. A three-step routine done every day beats a nine-step routine done twice a week.
Common questions
What order should I apply skincare?
Cleanser, toner, serums from thinnest to thickest, eye cream, moisturizer, then sunscreen in the morning or face oil at night. Treatments like acids and retinoids go on clean skin before the hydrating layers.
Does moisturizer go before or after serum?
After. Serums are thin and water-based, so they need to reach the skin first. Moisturizer seals them in.
Does sunscreen go before or after moisturizer?
After moisturizer, as the last step before makeup. Wait a minute for moisturizer to set so the sunscreen spreads evenly.
Can I use vitamin C and retinol together?
Not in the same application. Vitamin C in the morning under sunscreen, retinol at night. Using both is fine as long as they are on different ends of the day.
When do I apply eye cream?
Before moisturizer. If you apply moisturizer first it forms a film that keeps the eye cream from absorbing.
Gloss and the tools on this site are for cosmetic and general information only. They do not diagnose or treat any condition. If something on your skin is new, changing, painful or worrying, see a dermatologist or doctor.
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