By now we can all understand the best skincare routines for us and which order of skincare products to follow with – and if you’re stuck go check out our Building Your Best Skincare Routine blog. So what about layering your skincare?

First up let’s talk about what layering your skincare actually means, it’s the process of using two or more products within the same category one after each other. For example, using two or more serums and double cleansing in the evening with two different cleansers are another type of layering your skincare.

Not only is layering your skincare ideal for focusing on different skin concerns, but if you’ve been using the same skincare routine for a long period of time and not seeing the results you’re expecting, perhaps it’s time to look at when and how you’re applying and layering your skincare. Can you imagine finding out that you’ve been using an expensive serum wrong and not gaining the skincare benefits from it?

How to layer serums

This is where you’ll find the most common layering of skincare products happens, simply because you can target different concerns with different products. It’s hard to find one serum which does it all, which is why using two or more is a great way to tackle different skin concerns.

It is more common in skincare routines to use more than one serum and how many serums you layer is completely up to you and your skin. The best rule of thumb when you layer serums is to use the thinnest texture first, allowing the active ingredients to work their way to the lower levels of your skin more easily. Think about it, if you have something with a thicker texture and then apply a thinner texture on top, how is it going to reach where it needs to?

Another rule to layering your skincare and specifically serums is to avoid layering when using a retinol. This super ingredient will likely find its way into your skin no matter what other products you have applied before. Also layering a retinol serum with an AHA or BHA will likely cause your skin to react as these skincare ingredients don’t layer well together.

A great morning skincare routine may include a vitamin C serum for brightness and clarity, followed by a serum with an active ingredient like hyaluronic acid to add much-needed hydration to your skin. Leave a few moments between each serum to allow effective absorption. Likewise your evening skincare routine can follow suit with two different types of serums or just a retinol based formula.

Keep in mind when layering your skincare products that if you veer towards the sensitive side, adding more than one serum may upset or irritate. Try introducing layering skincare to your evening routine first, when your skin won’t have as many aggressors like harsh UV light, pollution etc. and slowly across a few days a week in the beginning. Most importantly listen to what your skin is telling you, stop if you experience any irritation and settle your skin again.

So that’s layering your skincare, a great way to target different skin concerns and easily incorporated into your routine once you know how to layer skincare products together.