Everyone has done the research, gone to the shops, and tried to pick out a skincare routine that best suits them. Did you also know that the method and order in which you layer your skincare also has an impact on the skincare's effectiveness?

Have you ever tried layering skincare, only to find that it ends up balling up in flakes all over your skin?
Today, I will share with you the best methods for layering your skincare, so that the products absorb easily into your skin, and actually work, instead of just sitting on top of your skin.

Set Up a Good Base
Skincare will not absorb into skin that is dirty and clogged. Always cleanse your face before applying skincare! To aid the absorption and effectiveness of products, make sure to exfoliate your skin at least once a week. A double-cleanse routine - where you cleanse the skin first with a cleansing oil, and then with a regular cleanser - really helps to keep the skin clean and ready to absorb your skincare.

Density: From Light to Heavy
The best way to layer your products is in order of density, from the lightest products to the heaviest. That means after cleanser, you follow up with your toner, then serums, then moisturiser. If you have more than one serum, that's fine! Just apply the lightest serum first, followed by the heavier ones.

Treatment Rule
The treatment rule says that treatment products always go first! After toner, the first thing you should apply is your eye treatment. Eye treatments do not absorb unless they are the very first product to hit your face, so it would be best to keep that in mind when you are creating your skincare regime. After eye treatments, apply anti-ageing or anti-acne serums first, before any other skincare.

Give it Time
When you apply a product, give it a couple of minutes to absorb into your skin before you apply your next product. Otherwise, the product just sits on top of your skin and makes it difficult for the following products to absorb. This is also how the balled up flakes form.
Tip: Lightly drumming the pads of your fingers against your skin also aids absorption of the product into your skin. Make like you're playing the piano on your face, and tap away.

Beware the Active Ingredients
Most skin specialists agree that if you are using active ingredients, it is best to stick to just one, or at most two products that contain active ingredients. Otherwise, you risk irritating your skin and making it raw and red, and prone to sun damage.

Staying Loyal Helps
Unless you're good with skincare ingredients and how they work on your skin, your best bet is to stick with a single brand as much as possible. Some ingredients and skincare textures can cancel each other out, rendering your skincare (and the moolah you spent on it!) useless. Brands tend to formulate their ingredients so that they all work well together and don't impede on one another, which is why sticking to a single brand is always recommended. I love using Simplicité products, because they are formulated to work with one another, and the brand is so customer-friendly that I can always ask them how and in what order I should layer my products, when I'm not sure.

This is not to say that mixing brands is completely wrong - if you take your skincare to a dermatologist, they can help you figure out what works best together and what would be most effective for your skin.

I hope this article has helped rid you of your skincare layering fears and concerns. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comment box below, or just email me! x