As a beauty writer, I'm often asked skincare-related queries, and while I don't have the answers to everything, here's one question that I can definitely help you with: How long should you wait between applying products in your daily skincare routine? If you love all things beauty as much as we do, this question may have crossed your mind too. You've probably asked Google as well, but if you haven't yet found the answer, here goes... Read on to find out everything you need to know about skincare layering. Even skincare minimalists will have more than one product in their everyday routine. Simply cleansing and moisturising isn't enough; you also need to tone, apply a serum, a spot corrector, and then of course there's sunscreen. With so many product layers, it is safe to assume that your skin might need some time to absorb and breathe in between the application of these beauty must-haves. But the big question still exists – how much time is enough? To ensure each product in your skincare routine is working effectively, right from toner to serum and oil to sunscreen, you definitely need to wait in between. Allow your skin to absorb all the benefits each product in your beauty arsenal claims to offer. Experts suggest waiting for the product to dry completely before reaching out for the next one, whether it takes only a few seconds or one full minute. While your skin is very good at absorbing multiple products at once, when it comes to your moisturiser, serum and sunscreen wait for a full minute in between to let your skin absorb them properly. This is because when your sunscreen gets mixed with other products, it can get diluted and become less effective, thereby exposing your skin to the harmful rays of the sun. Experts suggest applying sunscreen as the very last step in your skincare routine, after all the other products have penetrated completely. Again, after applying sunscreen wait for a couple of minutes before moving on to your makeup. The bottom line is that anything between 30 to 60 seconds is enough for your skincare products to absorb. However, the quality of the products also affect absorption rate. It is wise to use good quality gentle products and layer them in the correct order to get the best results.
