The brief reply? Serums go first, little question about it. “It is best to layer lighter merchandise like serums earlier than heavier merchandise like moisturizers,” board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D. tells mbg.
It’s because moisturizers include some occlusive components, which assist them entice moisture within the pores and skin however stop different components from penetrating. So in case you layer on a serum over your face cream, the probability of your pores and skin absorbing that product and thus reaping the entire advantages is slim.
Nonetheless, there may be one caveat right here: “If you wish to lower the efficiency of a serum—like if it accommodates doubtlessly irritating components like retinol or salicylic acid, then making use of a moisturizer first may assist make the serum much less potent and fewer irritating,” King notes.
This system is sometimes called the “retinol sandwich,” the place you layer moisturizer below and over your retinol to buffer the impact. However do you have to do that with different serum components like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin C? No, until you suppose these serums may set off a destructive response from the pores and skin (which is fairly unlikely for most individuals).
In reality, the deeper these components can penetrate, the higher. So to sum all of it up: Doubtlessly irritating serums could be buffered through the use of a moisturizer earlier than and after, however in any other case, all serums ought to be utilized first.
