What Order to Follow to Apply Your Skincare Products (Nontoxic Skincare)

Have you ever been confused about what order to use your skincare products in?! This is one of the most common questions I get asked, because the order of application does matter if you want optimal results! It’s important to make sure your skincare products can fully soak in and activate so you’ll get their full benefits.

In general, you want to clean your skin completely first and then apply your products in order of thickness. I like to gently massage each product into my skin for maximum absorption, and I wait for one product to soak in / dry before moving to the next. I also always allow any acids to sit for 15-30 minutes before applying any moisturizer on top so the acid has a chance to fully activate. Personally, I use an acid every other day.

You can watch my YouTube video for a complete explanation of when to use each product in your skincare regimen as well as some of my favorite nontoxic skincare products, but here I’ll give you a breakdown of my order of application and links to the products I’m currently using. You can just insert your own products in the corresponding order! If you don’t use certain products, just skip the step – not all steps are required. For example, feel free to skip the toner, acid, eye cream, facial oil, spot treatment, etc.

Morning Skincare Routine (A.M.)

1. Cleanser – Charcoal Bar
2. Toner / Essence – Countertime Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence
3. Serum (in order of thickness) – CLEARstem Cell Renew, Countertime Tripeptide Radiance Serum
4. Moisturizer (can add drop of facial oil if you want) – Countertime Antioxidant Soft Cream
5. SPF – COOLA Mineral Face Matte Moisturizer (SPF 30)

Nighttime Skincare Routine (P.M.)

1. Cleanser – Countertime Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil
2. Toner / Essence – Countertime Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence
3. Acid (let sit for at least 15 minutes before applying next product) – Beautycounter Overnight Resurfacing Peel or CLEARstem CLEARity
4. Serum (in order of thickness) – CLEARstem Cell Renew, Countertime Tripeptide Radiance Serum
5. Spot Treatment (allow to dry before applying anything on top, or even avoid applying anything on top of the area being treated) – Countercontrol SOS Acne Spot Treatment
6. Eye Cream – Countertime Ultra Renewal Eye Cream
7. Moisturizer (If your moisturizer is very thick, like the Countertime Tetrapeptide Supreme Cream, then apply the moisturizer after the facial oil. If your moisturizer is thin or regular thickness, apply it here.) – Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion
8. Facial Oil – Counter+ No. 1 Brightening Facial Oil
9. (Moisturizer, if thick formula) – Countertime Tetrapeptide Supreme Cream