If you’re trying to figure out how to layer products in your skincare routine, there’s a simple rule (with a few exceptions) – I call it the “I before E except after C” rule of skincare layering. Follow along below for a helpful guide to perfect skincare order & layering.

The skincare routine layering rule is:

Thinnest to thickest, except for:

1. Cleansers

2. SPF

3. “Bare skin” treatments

(Bare skin treatments are products whose instructions say some variation of “use on clean, bare skin”. These are things like AHAs, BHAs, vitamin C, certain prescriptions, etc.)

As an example, let’s say you went nuts on the Stratia site and bought one of everything, and now you’re not sure what order it goes in. Let’s look at the exceptions first.

Cleanser: Velvet Cleansing Milk would go first in your skincare routine. (If you have dry skin, you can skip cleanser in the morning and just use water.)

SPF: Stratia doesn’t make a sunscreen, so just use your favorite. It goes last in your morning skincare routine.

“Bare skin” treatments: both C+C Serum and Soft Touch AHA should be used on clean, bare skin, so these go immediately after cleansing.

For the rest, you can use the rule of thinnest to thickest in terms of texture. Something light and watery like Rewind would go earlier, and something thick and rich like Night Shift goes later.

Let’s put that all together for your morning and evening skincare routines!

AM:

1. Cleanse with Velvet Cleansing Milk (or just water)
2. “Bare skin” treatment: C+C Serum
3. Aqua Factory
4. Rewind
5. Fortify
6. Interface
7. SPF

PM:

1. Cleanse with Velvet Cleansing Milk
2. “Bare skin” treatment: Soft Touch AHA
3. Aqua Factory
4. Rewind
5. Fortify
6. Lipid Gold
7. Night Shift

Of course, this is just a sample skincare routine; you don’t have to use all these products at once! But if you did, that’s the skin routine order it would go in.

This article is reviewed by Alli Reed on 6/2/2023