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What Order to Apply Skincare (Men): Thin to Thick, Numbered So You Cannot Get It Wrong

Short version: wash first, then thinnest to thickest. Morning: wash, serum, moisturiser. Night: wash, eye cream, oil. Anything water based goes on before anything oil based. That is the whole rule.

Why order matters

Thin, watery products need to touch the skin to do anything. Put a thick cream on first and the serum sits on top of it doing nothing. Oil goes last because it seals everything underneath it. Get the order wrong and you have wasted the products and the time.

Morning, 1 2 3

  1. Wash. Removes overnight oil so the next two can get to the skin. No.1 Day Cleanser.
  2. Serum. Thin, goes on damp skin, does the hydration work. No.2 Day Serum.
  3. Moisturise. Seals it in for the day. No.3 Day Moisturiser. Then SPF if you are going to be in the sun.

Night, 4 5 6

  1. Wash. The day off. No.4 Night Cleanser.
  2. Eye cream. Light, targeted, before anything oily goes near the eyes. No.5 Eye Cream.
  3. Night oil. Last, always. It seals everything and it is absorbed before you are asleep. No.6 Night Oil.

Why we numbered them

Because "thin to thick" is a rule you have to remember at 6.45am. A number on the bottle is not. 1 2 3 in the morning, 4 5 6 at night, and you never think about order again.

The routine, in order

Morning, 1 2 3. No.1 Day Cleanser, No.2 Day Serum, No.3 Day Moisturiser. About a minute. Together as the AM Routine Set, £50.

Night, 4 5 6. No.4 Night Cleanser, No.5 Eye Cream, No.6 Night Oil. About a minute. Together as the PM Routine Set, £50.

All six as the Full Routine Set, £49.99 (was £89), which is the cheapest way to own the lot. Made in the UK, vegan, cruelty free, dermatologist tested, and the full ingredient list is on every product page.

Questions

Serum or moisturiser first? Serum. It is thinner and needs to reach the skin.

Where does shaving go? After the wash, before the serum. Wash, shave, rinse, serum, moisturise.

Where does SPF go? Last in the morning, on top of moisturiser. We do not make one; any facial SPF works.

Related: the full 6 step routine explained, how long a routine takes.