What is “layered” skin care?
Skincare layers may seem like a relatively new thing, but Asian women have been doing it for years. In fact, we can thank Korean beauty in general for this practice, although it’s not limited to Korean beauty. In short, the intent of layering skincare in a specific order is to maximise the benefits of each product.
However, layering skincare isn’t as easy as it sounds, and it depends on who you ask how to do it “right” what the answer might be. Of course, it will vary greatly depending on your skin’s needs at any given time, as most of us have dynamic skin that is defined not by type but by current conditions. Layering also changes a bit from daytime to nighttime routines and the season.
Confused yet? Sounds like something out of a fictional book? Fear not, the following guidelines are based on the properties of different ingredients, as well as the collective wisdom of classic Korean beauty. Remember that there really is no one right way to layer skincare and experimentation will be your best teacher.
Also, despite what some skincare brands may say, you don’t have to use items from just one brand to successfully layer. It is perfectly fine to mix and match products in collections of a certain brand, as well as to use products from different brands.
The ideal order of layers
The cleaner should be the obvious first step, right? But now that “double cleansing” is common parlance, which cleaner comes first? Oil-based make-up removers and/or micellar waters, such as our Refreshing Moisturizing Micellar Water.
It should be noted that if you go further and do a mask, it should generally be applied after cleansing, before anything else.
After cleaning, the general rule of thumb is to go from lightest to heaviest, or least molecularly dense to most. This is because thinner and/or more aqueous products can more easily penetrate due to their smaller particle size. These products include Toners, Essences, and Serums, usually in that order.
Additional treatments follow, which may include more intensive active serums or spot treatments. Stronger products like oils, eye creams, and moisturisers come last or last. The occlusive nature of these products works to lock in the hydration and newly added antioxidants/vitamins in your skin.
The last step in your daytime skincare routine should be sunscreen. Applying anything over your sunscreen can dilute its effectiveness.
General layering tips and some caveats
A general great tip is to leave some time between each step, especially the step between serums, oils, and active treatments and more occlusive products like eye creams and moisturisers. One way to do this is to keep your favourite moisturiser on your nightstand and apply it just before you turn off the lights.
Another wise course of action is to allow your skin to adjust to any new products for at least a week before you start blending and layering with abandon. So if your skin becomes irritated, you’ll be able to isolate the culprit more easily.
Listen to your skin
If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be on your way to becoming a master of layers, but you may find that you like to mess up the order a bit. For example, some people prefer to apply oils as the last step, rather than moisturisers. Over time, he’ll learn to listen to his skin and adapt products and the order in which he layers them to his skin’s changing needs.
