Layering Your Skincare Properly - How To

Just like baking or painting, throwing a load of ingredients together without doing so without thinking about strategy probably won’t get you the outcome you want. Skin care is the very same. If you are layering your skincare properly, you’ll be sure your skin is drinking up maximum benefits for glowing results.

The many options you have might seem overwhelming, but it’s actually quite simple. We’re here to break it down for you:

RULE OF THUMB: THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS TO LAYERING YOUR SKIN CARE PROPERLY MEANS GOING FROM THINNEST TO THICKEST CONSISTENCY.

Why do we do this? Skincare formulas with the smallest molecules, like those in toners and water-based serums, need to go first since they penetrate your skin easier. That way, you prevent larger-molecule skin care from “blocking” other layers of skin care from penetrating your skin. Keeping this in mind, we recommend your skincare routine goes in this order:

• CLEANSER
  We all know cleaning the skin comes first, but it’s worth noting if you are a fan of double-cleansing popularised by K-beauty rituals (cleansing and rinsing twice), the rule is switched: start with your thick (oil) cleanser, then finish with your thinner cleanser, which typically comes in cream, gel or foam form.

The main task of your cleanser is to remove surface impurities, dirt, and other build ups. Dead skin cells and excess oil can also build up on the surface of your skin over time, which can lead to acne and other skin issues if left uncleansed.

Foam cleansers are probably the lightest options and will foam into a nice lather on the skin. They are the number one choice for combination skin and are effective at cleansing away excess surface oils that can lead to acne and other inflammation.

Gel cleansers are heavier than foams, but not as thick as cream cleansers. They are made to penetrate deeper into your skin, to cleanse away impurities in the pores. Gel cleansers sometimes have microbeads to produce a gentle exfoliation action, and are a good choice for acne-prone skin.

Creams are the thickest option and can bring advanced moisturising along with cleansing properties. They are great for dry skin, as well as more sensitive skin and are made to target excess oils that build up on the surface of your face, as well as your pores.

Example for Sensitive Skin: Wash away impurities without disrupting the delicate skin barrier with the MAX Facial Cleanser and its blend of plant extracts, polypeptide complex, and naturally soothing oat kernel extract to help reduce redness and inflammation.

If your skin is extra irritated or red, use our ORMEDIC Balancing Facial Cleanser. It has rich and soothing aloe vera extract, the organic blend of botanicals, and the addition of moisturising glycerin.

• EXFOLIATOR AND/OR MASK
  Whether you choose to exfoliate weekly or a few times per week, polishing your face is the next logical step in layering your skincare properly. After cleansing and/or exfoliating is the best time to apply your favorite mask.

Exfoliation helps to remove dead skin cells that have collected on your skin. Normally, your skin will shed and replenish its cells every 30-40 days but regular exfoliation can help speed up this process.

Example for Sensitive Skin: Exfoliate with ILUMA Intense Brightening Exfoliating Powder and follow up with the ORMEDIC Balancing Gel Masque if you’re experiencing redness, either the VITAL C Hydrating Enzyme Masque or the AGELESS Total Resurfacing Masque for brightening the skin.

•  TONERS AND MISTS
  Toners, mists, pre-moistened pads, essences or other watery liquid skincare formulas are usually the first product when layering your skincare properly doesn’t get rinsed off. Apply while your skin is still damp from rinsing so it can absorb the ingredients more efficiently.

The main benefit of a toner and mist is to help balance your skin’s pH. An imbalance in pH can cause your natural oil production to get out of sync which, in turn, can create more oily skin or dry skin. Toner can help remove excess oil, but won’t overly dry your skin since it also includes more hydrating peptides.

• SPOT TREATMENT
  If you keep a spot treatment on hand to help with those occasional blemishes, dab it on right after toning. Massage it in and let it sit for a moment before moving on to the next steps in the layering process. You’ll most likely have a spot treatment in cream, gel, or serum formulations. Our CLEAR CELL Clarifying Acne Spot Treatment contains 2% Salicylic Acid for targeting pesky breakouts.

In addition to cream, gel, and serum spot treatments, you can consider using masks for quick touch-ups in the morning or evening. Spot treatments are great for reducing the appearance of a range of different skin blemishes such as sun spots, age spots, dark spots, hyperpigmentation, and general uneven skin tone.

If your skin is suffering from a PH imbalance or lack of nourishment, our I MASK Purifying Probiotic Mask can help restore hydration, reduce dullness, and help fortify your skin’s natural antioxidants. The inclusion of green clay and charcoal helps remove impurities and detoxify your skin, while also leaving it feeling smooth and clean.

•  SERUM
  Serums really do the heavy lifting when it comes to correcting specific skin concerns as they contain the highest concentration of active ingredients that target anti-aging or acne, hyperpigmentation, sensitivity or dryness issues. They also usually contain potent antioxidants to fight free radical damage, one of the most important ways to help slow down the skin's aging process

Serums are highly customisable, which is awesome. You can interchange them to tailor to your needs. For example, if you’re breaking out one week, you can use a serum that targets breakouts, then switch over to a brightening serum like our IMAGE MD Restoring Power-C Serum if you’ve spent too much time in the sun or your complexion needs a boot!

On top of that, you can supercharge your serum by mixing others into them—as long as the ingredients are compatible. (Generally speaking, you want to avoid mixing two active ingredients together, such as retinol, vitamin C, hydroxy acids, as the combination might cause irritation). One of the best ways to boost any serum is by adding hyaluronic acid, a substance that can hold 1,000 times its own weight in water, for a refreshing dose of hydration.

Example for Sensitive Skin: Serum – Mix ORMEDIC Balancing Antioxidant Serum with two drops of our VITAL C Hydrating ACE Serum or our AGELESS Total Pure Haluronic Filler.

• EYE CREAM
  Most people think eye creams are the final step in layering your skincare properly, but remember the rule of consistency. Since eye creams are generally thinner in texture than moisturiser, they actually go on before. You want to minimise the risk of layering moisturiser under your eyes, allowing it to obstruct penetration from your eye cream.

In addition to a cream, you can opt for an IMAGE MD Restoring Eye Mask instead. It targets the areas around tired eyes to help reduce the signs of fatigue while refreshing and soothing the layers of skins with a cooling hydro-gel formula.

•  MOISTURISER (NIGHT AND/OR DAY)
  Your moisturiser plays a very important role as it locks in everything you just diligently applied. It can help prevent moisture from evaporating from your skin, keeping it balanced and nourished throughout the day.

Moisturisers can come as a soothing lotion, emulsified cream, or emollient infused balm. While some of the previous steps penetrated deep into the skin, moisturisers are much heavier and will normally sit on top of the skin to lock in everything in if you're layering your skincare properly.

Having the right moisture boost, like our VITAL C Hydrating Enzyme Masque can be a great way to restore hydration to the top layers of skin. In addition to restoring hydration, the enzyme masque protects from external damage while locking in nutrients and moisture.

Example for Sensitive Skin: In the evening, apply ORMEDIC Balancing Bio-Peptide Crème. If you’re feeling more dehydrated or dry, use it in the morning as well for a double burst of peptides and balanced hydration.

•  OIL (NIGHT AND/OR DAY)
  For an instant glow or extra moisture for dry areas, oils go on last since they can penetrate all other formulas, but not vice versa.

Example for Sensitive Skin: For a daytime luminosity, pat  VITAL C Hydrating Facial Oil onto the cheekbones. In the evening, apply a bit more on dry spots, such as forehead, nose and cheeks.

•  SUNSCREEN (DAY ONLY)
  Sunscreen is always the final step of skincare layering during the day. Again try not to allow an oil or moisturizer to block the active ingredients from doing their job. Remember, Image Skincare PREVENTION+ line of facial sunscreens also double as moisturisers, so unless you’re especially dry or dehydrated, you may want to skip an additional moisturiser or oil for the daytime.

Example for Sensitive Skin: In the mornings, protect from UV rays with any of our PREVENTION+ moisturisers. Choose PREVENTION+ Pure Mineral Hydrating Moisturiser for normal skin, PREVENTION+ Sheer Matte Moisturiser if you tend to get oily. PREVENTION+ Pure Mineral Tinted Moisturiser to even out skin tone and PREVENTION+ Ultra Defense Moisturiser SPF 50 if you tend to get discolouration or are outdoors for long periods of time.

In addition to the Prevention+ line of moisturisers, we also stand behind our Image Skincare  PREVENTION+ Daily Perfecting Primer. It helps blend and smooth uneven textures and oversized pores, and can blur the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

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