Skincare Layering 101

March 14, 2022 | BY Stephanie Allen Klasse

Did you know…To maximize the benefits of our consistent skin care routine requires using the right products in the correct order? We want our products to properly penetrate and absorb, so our ingredients can get to work!

Rules of Layering

Have you heard the saying, “apply skin care thinnest to thickest”? This is a good start, but skincare routines and products have evolved past this basic recommendation. When we start looking at the ideal order of our routine, we should consider things like the product's water vs oil content, pH level, active ingredients, and how they work on our skin and with the other products.

The basic order to apply:

Cleansers and Exfoliants to Active Serums and Moisturizers
Water loving humectants to oil-loving emollients/oils
Lower pH to higher pH
Thinnest to Thickest in texture

Guide to Skincare Layering Phase 1 Cleanse

Phase 1: Cleanse, Refine, and Balance

Makeup Removal: Doing a pre-cleanse with Argan Oil, or makeup remover helps to dissolve makeup, pollution, dirt, and oil to allow your cleanser to work on a deeper level.

Cleanser: Cleanse for 60 seconds with warm water.

Scrub or Mask: Exfoliation helps your other products penetrate deeper. Make sure not to exfoliate more than 2 or 3 times a week.

Toner: Tone to balance the skin and remove any lingering impurities. Apply Toner when you’re ready for the products that are going to stay on the skin.

Esthetician Tip: When it comes to the Enzyme Mask, you can decide if you want to use it before or after your toner. Oily or combination skin types may prefer to use toner afterwards, where more dry skin types may want to skip toning with the mask all together.

Guide to Skincare Layering Phase 2 Treat

Phase 2: Treat, Target, and Boost

Layering skincare gets the most confusing when it comes to serums. If you’re using multiple serums, boosters, and skin treatments in one routine, just follow the ABCs!

A: Start with your most Active ingredient on your skin for maximum results. These are ingredients like Vitamin C, Retinol, and exfoliating acids, like Glycolic Acid.

• Day: Vitamin C Serum or Actives Brighten and Even Serum or Actives Brightening Sheet Mask

• Night: Retinol Serum or Actives Firm and Lift Serum or the Actives Anti Wrinkle Sheet Mask

B: Next apply your Booster and barrier supportive skin care. These help enhance the benefits of your most active serums, and help deliver additional benefits like barrier support and extra hydration!

• Hyaluronic Acid Serum or Hydrate and Smooth Serum: hyaluronic acid is a powerful hydration booster, and it also can make your skincare penetrate more deeply. In order to avoid possible irritation, it is best applied on damp skin after your most active ingredients.

• Niacinamide Booster is a barrier supportive booster that is ideal on top of your other serums.

C: Finally, add any Spot Correctors or Skin Conditioning Serums with more oil loving ingredients in them!

• Spot Corrector Pen works to target specific problem areas and should be applied prior to moisturizers.

Esthetician Tip: Our night routine can alternate between retinol and exfoliation, with some nights simply dedicated to hydration and barrier support. It is not recommended to exfoliate on nights when retinol is used!

Guide to Skincare Layering Phase 3 Eye Care

Phase 3: Eye Care

The skin on the eye is thin and delicate so this area usually gets its own products dedicated to these unique needs. It works well to add eye care after your serums and before your moisturizer for maximum absorption.

• Add our Youth Glow Eye Gel and any other eye serums first, then top with an eye cream.

Guide to Skincare Layering Phase 4 Moisturize

Phase 4: Moisturize

Everyone needs a moisturizer! These typically have a mix of humectants and emollients (hydrating and moisturizing ingredients), and sometimes a bonus of active ingredients. Once a more oil-rich product, like moisturizer, is applied it makes it harder for your more water-loving ingredients to absorb, so it comes near the end of your routine. This is also an important step in locking in your other skincare, nourishing your skin, and helping drive your other products in more deeply.

Your day and night moisturizer can be the same, or you can use something different based on the needs of your skin and the other active ingredients in your routine.

• Day: I recommend leaning into your antioxidant routine with the Vitamin C Moisturizer.

• Night: You can opt for the Retinol Night Cream or the iconic Actives Glyco-Peptide Anti Wrinkle Moisturizer.

Esthetician Tip: Skin care doesn't stop at the jawline. Don’t forget your neck care and apply your Actives Tighten & Lift Neck Cream to your neck and chest area to give this delicate skin the same loving care as your face.

Guide to Skincare Layering Phase 5 Protect

Phase 5: Protect

Our skin is our largest organ and we need to protect her. This comes in the form of oils and SPF. Once oils are applied you are really reinforcing your skin’s barrier and barrier function. You’re locking in the water and helping keep out environmental stressors. This will also serve as a final push to drive your skincare in deeper.

• Day: Finish with a light layer of any oils you use (optional) and then your SPF. SPF is always the final step in your routine. Wait for your other skin care to absorb before adding your layer of sun protection.

• Night: Don’t forget to press a little Argan Oil or Rosehip Oil on your lips and eye area if you’d like, and add any excess to your hands, nails or even your hair.

Esthetician Tip: Remember that skin care is subjective. There is not one right way to layer for everyone, but there are best practices that will maximize absorption, minimize possible reactions or issues, and achieve ultimate results.

VIP EXCLUSIVE! Rewatch Stephanie's Live about skincare layering and learn from the expert.

Comments (21)

Danielle Mentzer _ Feb 20, 2023

Can you apply makeup once you use any of these products. Just wondering due to morning care.

Erin_ Jan 04, 2023

New to your products and purchased the 3 pack of serums and Actives Glyco-Peptide Anti Wrinkle Moisturizer. Just wondering if I can use this moisturizer and the retinol serum at the same time before bed?

Thanks!

Erin
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goPure Beauty replied:
Hello Erin,

Thanks for your inquiry! The Actives Glyco-Peptide Anti Wrinkle Moisturizer pairs well with the Firm and Lift serum for your night routine! 👍

Rosemary Espinoza_ Mar 19, 2022

Hi, I was wondering is it ok to use the regular serums during the day and actives at night?
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goPure Beauty replied:
Hi Rosemary, we recommend you use either the Actives Serums or Regular Serums but not both of the trio of serums at the same time. If you have the regular trio, please finish those up before using the Actives Serums.

Please refer to the attached infographics with instructions on how to use the products for your reference.

You may also check out the instructions here – https://gopurebeauty.com/blogs/news/complete-gopure-skin-care-system-instructions-day-night-time-routine

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any further questions or concerns.

René Joiner_ Mar 17, 2022

I’ve been using the serums and plan on purchasing other products once I finish with the line I am currently using. I’ve watched Stephanie a few times…love her!! Lots of great information on all sides with GoPure! One question: when using the hyaluronic acid serum, it suggests doing so on a damp face. If I’m using the Vitamin C serum first, how do I wet my face to apply the hyaluronic acid serum without washing away the Vitamin C?
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goPure Beauty replied:
Hello René! The Hyaluronic Acid Serum should be applied to moist/damp skin. We would suggest when you apply the Vitamin C Serum allow 30 up to 60 seconds for your skin to fully absorb the serum but it shouldn’t dry before applying the Hyaluronic Acid Serum so your face is still a bit damp from the Vitamin C Serum. If you aren’t using a Vitamin C Serum before the Hyaluronic Acid Serum, you may just spritz or damp your face with a bit of water before applying Hyaluronic Acid Serum.

Tracy Barno_ Mar 16, 2022

I just received my oils, in my box was a postcard with instructions how to use. On that it had me using my oils before my moisturizer so now I’m confused. Please clarify
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goPure Beauty replied:
Hello Tracy,
We are very sorry for the confusion this has caused you. We are now updating our instruction cards to reflect applying the oil after the moisturizer.
Remember, these are just our suggestions – If you’ve found another order of steps your skin loves there’s no need to change!