Gone are the days when skincare was only about cleaning, toning, and moisturising! With serums, actives, masks, and oils added to a normal day (or night), the process and order of how to apply them becomes complicated.

Does it really matter if you use serum before your toner or after an oil? Turns out the order of layering your skincare can make a huge difference to its absorption and efficacy. You might have the most expensive skincare products in the world, but if you are applying them wrong, it’s likely that you are wasting your time and money!

We’ve put together 8 rules of layering that will help you plan your skincare routine and get the most out of it. Take heed, and you’ll start reaping the real benefits from your products!

1. Skincare, sunscreen, and then makeup. EWG says that women put an average of 12 products on their skin, every single day. Make sure, you do it in the right order. Your skincare will always come before sun protection and makeup needs to be left for the very end.

2. Cleansing done right. If you don’t clean your face well, you are not allowing the products that come next to do their job. While you may feel that just washing your face with water is enough for the mornings, you may have sebum or product build-up from the night before that is clogging your pores. Stick to a gentle, quality cleanser that gives you exactly what you need – a clean sheet! For the evenings, try double-cleansing. Using an oil-based cleanser before your regular one, allows your skin to be swept clean without leaving it dry.

3. Thin to thick. When it comes to skincare, always move in the direction of light to heavy. Start with your most watery products, such as toners and slowly move onto essences and serums. Creams and moisturisers should be left until the very end.

4. Read up on pH levels. When it comes to pH levels in your skincare, remember to go from low to high while layering them. Acids typically have a pH of 3-4 and should trump your neutral products that carry pH values of 5-7. If you decide to layer your actives, also keep this in mind. For instance, Vitamin C has a lower pH so it should go first. Retinoids are not reliant on pH values, so you can layer them last.

5. Serums and layering. You may have one solid serum to use or multiple targetted ones. Start with anti-ageing serums first as these work on a deeper level and have smaller molecules to penetrate your skin. Brighteners come next as they work on both a deep and surface level. Hydration serums such as Hyaluronic Acids come last as they are made up of large molecules and work on the surface to make it moisturised and plump.

6. Go slow. We get it. There isn’t enough time to wait between your skincare, but trust us on this – giving your skin enough time to absorb the layers individually will help maximise the efficacy of your products. Try spacing it out with other chores in the house. Brush your teeth, drink your coffee or pack your lunch between layering your skincare.

7. Oils trump everything. Always remember that oils are able to penetrate creams(not the other way around). So, if you have a particularly dry spot on your face, use that favourite oil as a spot hydrator AFTER your moisturiser, without a worry! If you use Retinol, adding oil to your skincare will help give an extra burst of moisture and also stave away any resulting irritation.

8. Sunscreen, No Matter What. Whether it’s cloudy or you are stuck indoors, there’s no skipping sun protection. As the most important part of your skincare routine, ensure you layer up on your sunscreen at the end. You can also try tinted sunscreens that offer coverage, so you’ll need less makeup after.