You could argue that skin-
care is more of a minefield
than ever before. As soon as
the ingredients hyaluronic
acid and retinol stop soun-
ding like a foreign language
we are thrown other long,
even-harder-to-pronounce
words. Niacinamide (ny-a-sin-a-mide)! Azelaic (az-e-lay-ic)
acid! It’s hard to keep up, and the hardest bit is under-
standing how to use them all together.
Today I’m going into teacher mode: I’ve put together
a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to layer
your skincare.
I do have one caveat, though. If you are someone who
is very happy doing nothing more than popping on
some Weleda Skin Food or Ponds Cold Cream this
won’t be for you. If you’re content and have no
concerns, don’t try to fix what’s not broken. (Although
do wear sunscreen — however minimal you want to go,
sunscreen is imperative.)
For anyone who is keen to treat a skin concern,
whether that’s fine lines, skin texture, pigmentation,
acne or acne scars, then this is a general AM and PM
regime that the professionals swear by.STEP 1 CLEANSE Choose your favourite cleanser
and pat dry. Make sure your skin doesn’t feel
dry or tight after using it. A dry skin might love
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser ( 1 £5.50), whereas an
oilier skin may prefer a gel texture like that of Verso
Facial Cleanser ( 2 £32).STEP 2 TREAT This is usually an antioxidant that treats
your concern — whether that be dark spots, pigmenta-
tion, dry skin, acne, protection against pollution or what-
ever. It will most commonly be a product, usually a
serum, containing vitamin C, azelaic acid and/or an exfo-
liating acid. You could try La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin
C10 Renovating Serum ( 3 £38) or Lancôme Rénergie
HCF Triple Serum ( 4 £95). By the way, if like me you
want to use a vitamin C product and an azelaic acid one,
you can alternate them each morning.STEP 3 HYDRATE This is the moisturiser stage. Feel free
to use what you know and love.STEP 4 PROTECT SPF is the lid of your skincare routine. It
should always be the final step before make-up. Don’t
apply any SPF products under your moisturiser as that
Cat Garciawill most likely reduce their efficacy.
Sarah Jossel
Forget cleanse, tone, moisturise. Your new mantra is: cleanse!
Treat! Hydrate! Protect! I’ll show you how ...
AMSTEP 1 CLEANSE If you’ve worn make-up and an
SPF product since the morning do your best to
spend a little extra time on cleansing — or
double cleanse if you like.STEP 2 TREAT Dermatologists across the board want you
to go down the retinoid route. This is the gold standard
for improving fine lines and skin texture as well as
speeding up skin cell turnover. They suggest using it
unless you’re pregnant or have an underlying skin issue
such as eczema. For those introducing it now, start
low and slow. Perhaps use a small amount twice a week
and see how your skin tolerates it. A good introductory
retinoid is Avène PhysioLift Night ( 5 £28).STEP 3 HYDRATE You can use your AM moisturiser unless
it contains SPF. Contrary to popular belief you don’t
need something that’s labelled “night cream” unless
you enjoy a richer texture before bed.
There is a theory about applying moisturiser before
and after your retinoid — a kind of retinol moisture
sandwich. “This one depends on how well you tolerate a
retinoid product,” says the dermatologist Dr Beibei
Du-Harpur. “[People with] sensitive or very dry skin may
do this to buffer or dilute the effects of a retinol.” It’s not
a bad idea for retinol beginners who feel nervous.AND THE EXTRAS...
EYE CREAM If you are team eye cream you can use this
after step 1, AM and PM.
FACE OIL If you adore a face oil then pop it on before PM
step 3, as, according to Du-Harpur, “facial oils and
sunscreens shouldn’t be combined because the facial
oil breaks down the sunscreen film”.
TONER This is very often your treat phase, so use it at
AM step 2.And some final housekeeping rules if you’re ever
feeling confused.
If you want to use two serums in the morning at step
2, start with the one that treats a concern and then layer
the hydrating serum on top.
Hyaluronic acid really throws people because of the
word “acid”, but it’s a hydrator, not an exfoliator. Take
note: it can be used with everything and is found in lots
of skincare products, such as your cleanser, moisturiser
and retinol.
Information overload today, but repeat after me:
cleanse! Treat! Hydrate! Protect! OK, not as catchy as I’d
hoped, but save this and refer back to it every time you
feel confused. Skincare dissertation over. ■ @sarahjosselPM54321The Sunday Times Style • 47