Serum Before or After Moisturiser? A Simple Guide to Skincare Order
For a straightforward routine using a lightweight serum, apply the serum after cleansing and before moisturiser. In the morning, sunscreen comes after your skincare and before makeup.
That gives you a useful starting order:
Cleanse → serum, if needed → moisturiser → sunscreen in the morning.
Product and prescription directions take priority, but you do not need a complicated layering chart for a simple serum-and-cream routine.
Why does serum usually come first?
Lightweight serums are designed to spread easily over the skin and can provide a focused step for hydration or another concern. A cream completes the moisturising part of the routine.
The names on the bottles are not the whole story, though. A facial oil behaves differently from a water-based serum, and a prescription treatment may come with specific instructions. Follow the directions for what you actually use.
Do you need to wait between layers?
There is no single waiting time that applies to every cosmetic serum and moisturiser. Let a layer settle enough that you can apply the next comfortably, unless its directions specify otherwise.
If your products pill—forming little rolls or flakes—review the amount you apply, how much you rub, and whether all the layers are necessary. Try simplifying one optional step at a time so you can identify what helps.
Do not reduce your sunscreen amount to make other products sit better.
Should serum go on damp or dry skin?
Follow the product directions. Advice about damp skin does not apply to every serum, particularly treatments that may irritate.
You also do not need a serum every time you moisturise. A product earns its place by meeting a need, not by filling a position in a sequence.
Put the order into practice
For a Melissa morning routine, apply Sea Buckthorn Serum before Mulberry Day Cream, then finish with sunscreen. The serum provides additional hydration; the cream is your moisturising step.
If you prefer a shorter morning, use the cream without the serum. Both approaches can make sense depending on your skin and what the rest of your routine provides.
Explore Serum Alchemy with Sea Buckthorn
Explore Day Cream Alchemy with Mulberry
Read next
· How to Build a Simple Skincare Routine Without Buying Ten Products
· Dry Skin vs Dehydrated Skin: How Are They Different?
· Sea Buckthorn Extract vs Oil: What’s the Difference in Skincare?