JeanneDArcAlter
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r/SkincareAddiction
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r/SkincareAddictionroutine_order
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Routine Order
How should you order your routine? It's not an exact science, but we'll give you some general guidelines in this wiki!Keep It Simple
In general we recommend following this order:- Cleansers >> Actives >> Everything Else >> Sunscreen
If you're unsure or just want someone to double check your routine order, check out the Daily Help Thread stickied to the top of the sub.
Cleansers
Cleansers come before everything else - they remove dirt, sweat, sebum, and leftover product, keeping the skin clean and preparing it for subsequent products.- Cleansers >> Actives >> Everything Else >> Sunscreen
Cleanser Wiki
Actives
What are actives? In this context, 'actives' is a pretty loosely defined term. We usually use it to refer to specific ingredients that affect the skin, often with some risk of irritation. For instance, BHAs, benzoyl peroxide, retinol, things like that. But it's not clearly delineated, so don't take it too seriously.Where do they come in a routine? Because these are targeted treatments, you want to give them the best environment possible to work - that usually means applying them to clean, dry skin.
Some actives are pH dependent, meaning they work best at a specific (relatively low) pH range. pH dependent products will generally come early on in your routine, and when layering multiple pH dependent products (like BHAs and AHAs) many people like to aim for lowest to highest pH. (Although other factors like consistency also play an important role!)
Whether or not your active is pH dependent, you still want to give them some time to sink in before applying other products.
- Cleansers >> Actives >> Everything Else >> Sunscreen
While many routine guides focus on pH, there are a few factors that play a role in routine order. There's no 'right' answer that will apply to every product, but some factors to consider include:
- the directions
- consistency of the product
- how well it works in your routine
- pH dependence
- your skin sensitivity
Despite the huge variation in product type, consistency, and ideal application method, here are some general guidelines that you may find useful:
Vitamin C
There are many different types of vitamin C, which can impact where you'd use them in your routine! Common derivatives include L-AA (ascorbic acid, most common), MAP (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate), and SAP (sodium ascorbyl phosphate.)L-AA usually comes in water based serums that work best at a pH <3.5. Since they tend to have a thin consistency and are pH dependent, you should try to use them early on in your routine, ideally right after cleansing.
However, there are also anhydrous (water-free) L-AA products that are very thick. Anhydrous formulas improve stability, although there isn't much research available on how well they penetrate the skin. Since these products tend to be thick, it makes sense to use them later on in your routine - either right before or right after moisturizer.
Other vitamin C derivatives like MAP or SAP work at relatively higher pH ranges. You may want to use these early on in your routine, or you could lump them in with the 'Everything Else' category - whatever works best for you!
Vitamin C Wiki
BHAs
Since BHAs are usually formulated at a low pH, are oil soluble, and tend to come in a thin toner or serum consistency, you’d likely want to use them early on in your routine. But feel free to use them later if yours has a thicker format, like a lotion or cream!BHA Wiki
AHAs
AHAs work best at a pH <4 and tend to come in a toner or serum consistency, so they usually come early on in your routine.If you are trying to figure out how to order a BHA and an AHA product, BHAs usually come before, AHAs after. This is because BHAs generally have a lower pH and are oil soluble, but if you have a thinner AHA and a thicker BHA, feel free to switch things around!
AHA Wiki
Benzoyl peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide should come early on in your routine unless you're buffering it to reduce irritation. You may even want to use your benzoyl peroxide as a mask - apply to dry skin, wait 2-5 minutes, then wash off.Benzoyl Peroxide Wiki
Retinoids
Retinoids like retinol, adapalene (Differin), and tretinoin (Retin-A) should come early in your routine, applied to dry skin. However, you may want to use them later on in your routine if you want to buffer them to reduce irritation.Retinoids Wiki
Azelaic acid
While azelaic acid is pH dependent, it requires a higher pH range than other pH dependent actives like AHAs and L-AA. So it’s not as important to try to use it early on in your routine, especially since most azelaic acid products are quite thick! These would come later on in your routine, either right before or right after moisturizer. But feel free to use azelaic acid early in your routine if it's a thin serum or toner!Azelaic Acid Wiki
Everything Else
Everything else covers, well, everything else! These are the products that don't contain targeted treatment ingredients, and this will likely make up the bulk of your routine. Hydrating toners, serums, ampoules, essences, lotions, creams, whatevers - it all goes here.- Cleansers >> Actives >> Everything Else >> Sunscreen
Toners
Toners are thin, liquidy products with a consistency similar to water. While we've lumped them together with Everything Else, you can certainly apply them before your Actives if you want! Toners have a thin enough consistency that they shouldn't buffer or reduce the efficacy of any actives, and they generally don't have a high enough pH to impact pH dependent actives.There are many different types of toners, including:
- Hydrating toners - can help address dry or dehydrated skin, or used as a lightweight moisturizing product for oily skin!
- Astringent toners - can help address oily skin
- pH Adjusting toners - are slightly acidic, can help balance the pH of your skin
- Toners with actives - like AHAs or BHAs in a toner format
Serums
With the consistency of slightly thickened jello, serums come after toners and before moisturizers. Common serum types include niacinamide or vitamin C (SAP, MAP.) If you use sheet masks, you would likely use them in this step.Serums & Toners HG Thread (2017)
Moisturizers
Gels, lotions, creams - whatever moisturizer type you're using, it comes close to last in your routine.Moisturizer Wiki
Balms
This covers very thick products like petroleum jelly, Aquaphor, and sleeping packs - check out product recs in the moisturizer wiki!These have a lot of occlusive properties and act like skincare saran-wrap - moisture doesn't escape, but subsequent products don't absorb. As such they should be applied after pretty much all of your products, except for...
Sunscreen
This is really the only hard rule for routine order: Sunscreen comes last in your skincare routine.- Cleansers >> Actives >> Everything Else >> Sunscreen
If applicable, any makeup products (primer, foundation, etc.) would come after sunscreen - but all skincare products come before.
Sunscreen Wiki
The Ordinary
Well, it feels a bit weird covering one brand specifically! But given the popularity and confusion surrounding TO, we thought it'd be best to link a quick guide on using their products.Please check out The Ordinary regimen guide & routine ordering tips for an overview on how to incorporate TO products, along with further resources!
