The quick reply? Serums go first, little question about it. “It is best to layer lighter merchandise like serums earlier than heavier merchandise like moisturizers,” board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D. tells mbg. 

It’s because moisturizers comprise some occlusive elements, which assist them entice moisture within the pores and skin however forestall different elements from penetrating. So in case you layer on a serum over your face cream, the probability of your pores and skin absorbing that product and thus reaping all the advantages is slim. 

Nonetheless, there’s one caveat right here: “If you wish to lower the efficiency of a serum—like if it incorporates doubtlessly irritating elements like retinol or salicylic acid, then making use of a moisturizer first might assist make the serum much less potent and fewer irritating,” King notes. 

This method is also known as the “retinol sandwich,” the place you layer moisturizer below and over your retinol to buffer the impact. However do you have to do that with different serum elements like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and vitamin C? No, until you assume these serums may set off a detrimental response from the pores and skin (which is fairly unlikely for most individuals).

In actual fact, the deeper these elements can penetrate, the higher. So to sum all of it up: Doubtlessly irritating serums may be buffered by utilizing a moisturizer earlier than and after, however in any other case, all serums needs to be utilized first.