DOES THE ORDER IN WHICH YOU APPLY SKINCARE REALLY MATTER?
As it turns out, yes.
You might be using all the latest and greatest formulas, but if you're not using them correctly, you're defeating the purpose.
Revamp your routine
When it comes to layering lotions, serums, and treatments, "the general rule, just as with your clothes, is to go from lighter to heavier," says Mona Gohara, M.D., an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. Thinner products like toners and serums can't penetrate through thicker products like moisturizers and oils, which help seal in what you've already done and keep skin healthy.
1. Cleanser
Step one, day and night, should always be cleansing. In the morning, "use a gentle cleanser to get rid of the oil your face has accumulated overnight," explains Karan Lal, D.O., F.A.A.D., a double board-certified dermatologist in Scottsdale, AZ. Non-foaming or oil-based cleansers are great products to use at any time.
2. Toner
Toner might not be necessary for your routine, but using the right one can help target specific concerns like dullness and dryness and can serve as a way to prepare your skin to absorb the rest of your products. Toners often are thin and have a watery texture, meaning you'll want to apply one right after cleansing, before thicker or heavier products like serums or creams.
3. Treatment or medication
This story is from the June 2024 edition of Prevention US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2024 edition of Prevention US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Hormone Specialist
Here's what an endocrinologist wants you to know about diabetes, weight, and more.
are you swiping right?
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO DATE AFTER 50 AND HOW TO ACTUALLY MEET SOMEONE GREAT
NATURAL FIXES Migraine Management
Try these holistic remedies for frequent headaches.
5 MYTHS ABOUT PET HEALTH
Many of us fret more about our furry family members' well-being than about our own. That's all the more reason to clear up fuzzy thinking.
EAT for better skin
YOU CAN HAVE A PERFECTLY CURATED SKINCARE LINEUP and still feel as if you're missing a piece of the healthy-skin puzzle.
Beauty TOOLS and TECH
If you don't like the look and feel of peach fuzz on your face, dermaplaning may be a solution.
Craft your perfect SKINCARE ROUTINE
Applying products in the wrong sequence can diminish efficacy and therefore results, because of either the texture or the ingredients.
Let's Talk About WRINKLES
I've kept that video handy these last 12 years because it is hilarious, but also as a reminder: Caring more than fleetingly about my wrinkles (and gray hair and menobod) feels out of sync with my values.
Common SKIN CONCERNS, solved
Eczema is an umbrella term for a group of conditions that cause dry, itchy skin
The Skin You LIVE IN
Along with your hair, nails, and sweat glands, your skin is part of your integumentary system, the protective outer layer of the body.