Skincare Routine Order: What Goes First, Morning and Night

Using good products in the wrong order can mean they do less for you. The good news is that one simple rule covers almost every routine: go from thinnest to thickest. Water-light textures go first, rich creams and oils go last, and sunscreen finishes the morning.

Morning routine order

1. Cleanse. A gentle wash, or just water if your skin is dry.
2. Serum. Mornings suit an antioxidant serum such as vitamin C. Our Brightfix Vitamin C Serum uses orange and lemon extracts; a few drops are enough.
3. Eye cream, if you use one.
4. Moisturiser. Light gel for oily skin, cream for dry skin.
5. Sunscreen. Always last in the morning, every day, even indoors near windows.

Night routine order

1. Remove makeup and sunscreen, then cleanse.
2. Treatment serum or gel. Night is the time for repair-focused products.
3. Eye cream.
4. Moisturiser or night cream.
5. Overnight mask, a few nights a week, instead of or on top of moisturiser. The HydraRenew Collagen Overnight Mask goes on as the last step and rinses off in the morning.

Weekly extras

• Face masks (clay, detox or sheet) go after cleansing and before serum, once or twice a week.
• Exfoliation once or twice a week at night, never on the same night as another strong active.
• Face massage or face yoga works well after serum, when your fingers glide easily.

Common mistakes

• Skipping sunscreen. It protects everything else you do.
• Layering too many actives. More is not better. Introduce one new product at a time.
• Not waiting between layers. Give each layer a minute to absorb.
• Applying oil before serum. Oils go last at night, or are mixed into moisturiser.

Adjusting the order for your skin type

• Oily skin: keep it short. Cleanser, a light serum, a gel moisturiser and a matte sunscreen in the morning. At night, skip heavy creams and use a thin layer of overnight mask only when skin feels tight.
• Dry skin: apply serum and moisturiser on slightly damp skin to lock in water, and use an overnight mask more often, especially in winter.
• Combination skin: use the same order everywhere, but apply richer layers only on dry areas such as the cheeks.
• Sensitive skin: fewer steps, fragrance-light products, and one new product at a time with a patch test first.

How long to wait between layers

About a minute between water-light layers is enough. Let sunscreen settle for a few minutes before makeup. If products start to pill or roll off, you are either using too much or not waiting long enough.

Not sure which steps you need?

A routine only works if it suits your skin and you can keep it up. The Theraglam Glow Scan reads three photos and a short quiz and gives you a personal morning and night skincare routine, plus ingredients that can help you, a face massage and face yoga routine and a 28-day tracker.

Start my Glow Scan: 3 photos, a short quiz, and your personal plan by email within about 2 hours. Rs 599, one time.

Glow Scan and this article give skincare and lifestyle guidance, not medical advice. For a skin or health condition, please see a doctor or dermatologist.