Skincare Routine Order: What to Apply First, Morning and Night

The right skincare routine order is cleanser first, then any treatment or serum, then moisturizer, and in the morning sunscreen as the last skincare step, with makeup on top. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends applying medication or treatment right after cleansing and putting sunscreen on after other skincare products and beneath makeup. For everything in between, go from the thinnest, most watery product to the thickest.

Below you'll find the full morning and evening order in two tables, where serums, vitamin C, retinoids and acids fit, how long to wait between layers, and the layering mistakes that quietly undo a good routine.

What order should you apply skincare in the morning?

In the morning, cleanse, treat, moisturize and protect, in that order. The AAD's own sequence is short: wash your face, apply medication or treatment, apply moisturizer and/or sunscreen, then makeup. Most extra products slot into one of those four steps.

You don't need all seven steps. A cleanser, a moisturizer and a sunscreen are enough for most people, and our simple skincare routine guide explains how to build from that base.

What order should you apply skincare at night?

At night the order is the same minus the sunscreen: cleanse, treat, then moisturize. Evening is when most people use their strongest active, because retinoids make skin more sensitive to the sun and dermatologists advise using them only at night.

Does serum go before or after moisturizer?

Serum goes before moisturizer. Serums are thin and built to deliver an active ingredient, while moisturizers are thicker and designed to keep water in the skin, so a serum applied on top of a cream has to work its way through an extra layer.

There is one useful exception. Retinoids can be drying, and a dermatologist quoted by the AAD suggests applying a moisturizer immediately after washing and then applying the retinoid 20 to 30 minutes later if it feels too harsh. This cushions the skin at the cost of a little potency, which is often a fair trade in the first weeks.

When do you apply sunscreen in your routine?

Sunscreen is the last skincare step of the morning: after moisturizer and before makeup. The AAD says to always put sunscreen on after other skincare products and beneath your makeup, and to apply it about 15 minutes before you go outside.

• Why wait 15 minutes: the AAD explains that it takes approximately 15 minutes for your skin to absorb the sunscreen and protect you.
• How much: use at least 1 teaspoon for your face, roughly enough to cover the length of your index and middle fingers. Our guide on how much sunscreen to use goes into the details.
• Reapplying: when you're outdoors, reapply every two hours, and right after swimming or sweating.
• Combining steps: a moisturizer that also contains broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher can replace steps 5 and 6 on busy mornings, as long as you apply enough of it.

Where do vitamin C, retinol and exfoliating acids fit?

Vitamin C goes on in the morning right after cleansing, retinoids go on at night after cleansing, and exfoliating acids go in the treatment slot on nights you don't use a retinoid. Each sits directly on clean skin, under moisturizer.

Vitamin C (morning)

A dermatologist quoted by the AAD tells patients to apply it after washing your face in the morning, before you put on your sunscreen. Putting it first also makes chemical sense for the pure form, L-ascorbic acid: a lab study on pig skin found it must be formulated at a pH below 3.5 to enter the skin, with absorption peaking at a 20% concentration. That acidity is one more reason to apply it on bare, clean skin.

Retinoids (night)

Start with the least intense formula you can find, every other night, and build up slowly. Retinoids should not be used during pregnancy, and people with a lot of redness or very dry skin are often poor candidates, according to the same AAD page.

Salicylic, glycolic and lactic acid

These acids can help reduce oiliness, but they may be too harsh for your skin, so use them less often or stop if your skin becomes irritated. Keep them on separate nights from a retinoid while you learn how your skin reacts. For which pairings to avoid in the same routine, see skincare ingredients not to mix.

How long should you wait between skincare layers?

For most products, wait only until the previous layer no longer feels wet, usually a minute or so; there's no standard waiting time. Two waits do have a clear source. Sunscreen needs about 15 minutes before sun exposure, and one AAD-cited dermatologist recommends that you wait 20 to 30 minutes after washing before applying a retinoid. Rushing a layer mostly causes pilling, where products roll into little flakes, which is a sign to use less or give each step more time.

Does skincare layering change for oily or dry skin?

The order stays the same, but the textures change. The AAD describes moisturizers on a scale from lightest to heaviest: a gel is lighter than a lotion, a cream is thicker and more hydrating, and an ointment is the most effective for dry skin.

• Oily skin: choose a gel or an oil-free, noncomedogenic moisturizer, or a moisturizer with SPF to cut a step. Our oily skin routine has a full plan.
• Dry skin: choose a cream or ointment and apply it while skin is still damp. The AAD notes that thicker creams spread more easily on damp skin and trap water so it can't evaporate. See our dry skin routine.
• Combination skin: one AAD dermatologist suggests treating your face as though it's two faces: moisturize the dry spots and skip the oily areas.

What are the most common skincare layering mistakes?

1. Stacking too many actives. The AAD warns that using too many products may irritate the skin, especially more than one anti-aging product, which can make the signs of aging more noticeable.
2. Putting moisturizer over sunscreen. Anything rubbed on after sunscreen can thin the layer you're relying on.
3. Spot-treating only. For acne, a dermatologist quoted by the AAD recommends a thin layer of acne medication over the whole acne-prone area, including skin with no visible spots, to prevent the next breakout.
4. Switching products too fast. The same AAD page suggests using one acne product for 6 to 8 weeks before adding another.
5. Ignoring irritation. A routine has to be adjustable. A dermatologist quoted by the AAD says that if a product irritates your skin, you'll want to stop using it right away, and that you may need a richer moisturizer in winter, when the air tends to be dry. Burning or stinging after a new layer means that layer should go.
6. Scrubbing. Scrubbing your face while you wash irritates the skin, which can make it look worse. Use your fingertips and a light touch.

How can a selfie skin scan help?

Knowing the order is one thing; knowing whether the routine is working is harder, because skin changes slowly. Pori builds a personalized morning and evening routine from a selfie scan, and its ingredient scanner (part of Pro) flags each ingredient in a product as beneficial, use with caution or avoid for your skin type. Rescanning every few weeks gives you a Hydration & Moisture and Pores & Texture score to compare, so you can tell whether a new serum earned its place in the lineup.

An app reads appearance from a photo. It isn't a diagnosis, so see a dermatologist for rashes, painful acne or any spot that's changing.