Skincare
Routine
Order
CHEAT SHEET
© TheSkincareEdit.com | PAGE 1
Editor’s Note
I created this resource to help you apply your skincare products in the
most effective order. More and more of us are experimenting with active
ingredients and new types of products—so it’s crucial to understand how
they’ll work best and which combinations to avoid. With this cheat sheet,
you’ll be able to adjust your skincare steps (if necessary), understand
wait times and pH, and get the most out of the skincare products in your
routine.
Michelle
P.S. Keep in mind that most of these steps are optional. How simple or
complex you make your routine is completely up to you!
© TheSkincareEdit.com | PAGE 2
Skincare Routine Order
Morning Skincare Routine
Product Options Need to Know
• Foaming cleanser • Use cleanser if you need
Step 1: • Cleansing gel to remove excess oil or
Cleanser • Cream cleanser product residue
• Cleansing milk • Some skin does fine
• Micellar water washing with water
• Water alone
• Silicone cleansing brush • Silicone cleansing
Step 2: (with cleanser) brushes can be used
Physical Exfoliant • Non-abrasive scrub daily
• Limit scrubs to a few
times a week
• Astringent toner • Astringent toners work
Step 3: • Hydrating toner best before acids, since
Toner • Brightening toner they are slightly acidic
• Balancing toner • Other toners tend to be
incompatible with acids
and may cause redness
and flushing
• Glycolic acid • Acids have a low pH,
Step 4: • Lactic acid so wait about 30 minutes
Chemical Exfoliant • Salicylic acid before applying higher
• Betaine salicylate pH products on top
© TheSkincareEdit.com | PAGE 3
Skincare Routine Order
Morning Skincare Routine — Continued
Product Options Need to Know
• Eye serum • Apply eye cream as
Step 5: • Eye cream soon as you’re done
Eye Cream • Moisturizer (if tolerated) cleansing and exfoliating
(no waiting required)
• L-ascorbic acid (active • Some types of vitamin
Step 6: vitamin C) C have a low pH, so wait
Treatment Serum • Vitamin C derivatives about 30 minutes before
• Niacinamide applying higher pH prod-
• Peptides ucts on top
• Alpha arbutin
• Serum • Don’t use a hydrating
Step 7: • Essence serum or essence on
Hydrating Serum top of treatment serums
or Essence that are high in silicones,
oils or oily solvents (they
won’t penetrate)
• If the treatment serum is
anhydrous (water-free),
you can apply it on top
of your hydrating serum
or essence instead
© TheSkincareEdit.com | PAGE 4
Skincare Routine Order
Morning Skincare Routine — Continued
Product Options Need to Know
• Gel • Oilier skin may be able
Step 8: • Lotion to skip moisturizer and
Moisturizer • Cream use just serum, oil and
sunscreen (or sunscreen
alone)
• Squalane • Avoid oxidative damage
Step 9: • Jojoba oil by choosing stable oils
Face Oil • Coconut oil with primarily saturated
• Marula oil or monounsaturated
• Buriti oil fatty acids
• Shea butter
• Moringa oil
• Camellia oil
• Zinc oxide • Daily sunscreen is
Step 10: • Titanium dioxide essential year-round
Physical Sunscreen • Encapsulated octinoxate • Physical sunscreens are
• Tinosorb M best because they sit
• Tinosorb S on the skin surface and
won’t cause hormonal
disruption
• Give your sunscreen a
few minutes to dry down
before applying makeup
© TheSkincareEdit.com | PAGE 5
Skincare Routine Order
Morning Skincare Routine — Continued
Product Options Need to Know
• Primer • Use makeup if you feel
Step 11: • Foundation, BB cream, the need to cover any
Makeup CC cream or tinted redness, darkness, blem-
moisturizer ishes or discolourations
• Concealer
• Powder
© TheSkincareEdit.com | PAGE 6
Skincare Routine Order
Nighttime Skincare Routine
Product Options Need to Know
• Micellar water • Use a makeup-removing
Step 1: • Cleansing oil cleanser as the first step
Makeup Remover • Cleansing balm in your double cleanse
• Cream cleanser
• Cleansing milk
• Foaming cleanser • Finish your double
Step 2: • Cleansing gel cleanse by washing your
Cleanser • Cream cleanser skin with any non-drying,
• Cleansing milk sulfate-free cleanser that
rinses away clean
• Silicone cleansing brush • Silicone cleansing
Step 3: (with cleanser) brushes can be used
Physical Exfoliant • Non-abrasive scrub daily
• Soft cloth (use wet to • Limit scrubs and cloths
remove creamy or oily to a few times a week
cleanser)
• Astringent toner • Astringent toners work
Step 4: • Hydrating toner best before acids, since
Toner • Brightening toner they are slightly acidic
• Balancing toner • Other toners tend to be
incompatible with acids
and may cause redness
and flushing
© TheSkincareEdit.com | PAGE 7
Skincare Routine Order
Nighttime Skincare Routine — Continued
Product Options Need to Know
• Glycolic acid • Acids have a low pH,
Step 5: • Lactic acid so wait about 30 minutes
Chemical Exfoliant • Salicylic acid before applying higher
• Betaine salicylate pH products on top
• Eye cream • Apply eye cream as
Step 6: • Moisturizer (if tolerated) soon as you’re done
Eye Cream cleansing and exfoliating
(no waiting required)
• Sulfur • When using an acne
Step 7: • Zinc oxide spot treatment or patch,
Acne Spot • Salicylic acid avoid layering any treat-
Treatment or Patch • Hydrocolloid patch ment serums or retinoids
on top of that area
• L-ascorbic acid (active • Some types of vitamin
Step 8: vitamin C) C have a low pH, so wait
Treatment Serum • Vitamin C derivatives about 30 minutes before
• Niacinamide applying higher pH prod-
• Peptides ucts on top
• Alpha arbutin
© TheSkincareEdit.com | PAGE 8
Skincare Routine Order
Nighttime Skincare Routine — Continued
Product Options Need to Know
• Retinol • For best results, give
Step 9: • Retinyl propionate your retinoid 15 to 30
Retinoid • Retinaldehyde minutes to sink in before
• Retinyl retinoate applying any hydrators
• Hydroxypinacolone on top
retinoate • But if your retinoid is
• Adapalene too drying or irritating,
mix it with moisturizer or
layer moisturizer on top
right away (no waiting
required)
• Serum • Don’t use a hydrating
Step 10: • Essence serum or essence on top
Hydrating Serum of treatment serums or
or Essence retinoids that are high
in silicones, oils or oily
solvents (they won’t pen-
etrate)
• If the treatment serum
or retinoid is anhydrous
(water-free), you can
apply it on top of your
hydrating serum or
essence instead
© TheSkincareEdit.com | PAGE 9
Skincare Routine Order
Nighttime Skincare Routine — Continued
Product Options Need to Know
• Gel • Apply a richer formula at
Step 11: • Lotion night, if tolerated
Moisturizer • Cream
• Squalane • Avoid oxidative damage
Step 12: • Jojoba oil by choosing stable oils
Face Oil • Coconut oil with primarily saturated
• Marula oil or monounsaturated
• Buriti oil fatty acids
• Shea butter
• Moringa oil
• Camellia oil
• Lanolin • Use these ingredients to
Step 13: • Shea butter repair chapped lips and
Lip Balm • Squalane dryness overnight
© TheSkincareEdit.com | PAGE 10
