So I have all this skin care... Now what?

We've all been there. The lady at the makeup counter talks you into buying all this skin care - products for pores, anti-aging, redness, acne - then once you get home and take it out the bag, all the well-meant instructions are long forgotten, somewhere between that cute dress and trying to remember where the car is parked.

The most simple and general rule that I can provide is this: Apply skin care products on clean skin, from thinnest to thickest, followed by moisturizer.


(Quick Tip! Once you figure out the order, label the bottles. I keep a Sharpie in my bathroom for just that.)




To get a little more detailed, let's talk about the products.

Serums, specifically those that are moisturizing, should go on first. They will deliver an immediate moisture impact. Most of these will not take more product than your thumb nail to cover your entire face and neck. (Yes, neck! Always bring products down to your neck when applying skincare!)

Exfoliators, generally those that are glycolic acids, etc, should be done at night. Products like that tend to slough the dead skin cells off, and this could cause your makeup to roll up -- not attractive. These products should always be dry to the touch on your skin before applying the next layer of skincare.

Anti-Aging would go next. This includes products that target wrinkles, redness and discoloration.

After that, moisturizer and eye cream. Moisturizer and eye cream are interchangable in the sense of when to put them on.

Moisturizer should be carried onto the neck. Anything that is brought onto the neck should be done in a downward motion (just think about not giving yourself a double chin!).

Moisturizer and eye creams should stop at the cheek bone. DO NOT CARRY THESE PRODUCTS UP TO THE LOWER LASH LINE! When carried up there, eye-liner, mascara -- all that sits on top of those products and will tend to ride around during the day. This is what causes sharp lines that were applied in the morning to look like yesterday's smudged lines by lunch. Your skin will allow the moisturizers/eye creams to move upward, without causing your perfectly applied makeup to look like you had a hard night.