I’m sharing what I’ve learned about the steps of a beauty routine and why it’s important to apply your skincare products in the right order. It seems overwhelming at first, but it’s really quite simple: cleanse, prep, treat, protect. Learn how to get the best deal on your skincare order at the end of this post!
Why It’s Important To Put Skincare On in the Correct Order
Many people who don’t have a skincare regimen admit they are overwhelmed by all the steps. I definitely was!
It’s the main reason I never bought a regimen myself. Analysis paralysis. Most of us know to start with cleanser, but what’s the order of toner, serum, face oil, sunscreen, moisturizers, and makeup? Should your sunscreen go on first or last?
By using a regimen vs. just random products or skipping some steps, you’ll see a more noticeable difference in your skin since the products are designed to work together. I think this was my biggest mistake prior to switching to a Beautycounter regimen. I was mixing samples in all kinds of different combinations from different brands so nothing was working synergistically.
Remember that skin is alive, so you might vary your routine slightly or there could be times when steps swap or your skin responds in a non-traditional way, but here are general recommendations for a basic routine.
How to Apply Skincare Products in the Right Order
You can follow these steps with any regimen from any brand you choose. Most collections will follow the same format of cleanse – prep – treat – protect.
You can see my whole skincare routine on this page. It seems like a lot of products when you line them all up, but it only takes me about a minute or two from start to finish, morning and night. And I know I’m covering all of my bases.
The average woman uses at least 16 beauty products in her routine! So make sure what you do choose is safe and high performing.
Step 1: Cleanse
Wash your face to remove and rinse away makeup, excess oil, dirt, and environmental toxins that accumulate during the day.
If you’re using a cleansing oil or balm, that can sometimes double as a makeup remover. Or if you prefer use a makeup remover first and then cleanse second.
If you love beauty, you might hop on the double cleanse trend and start with a balm or oil and follow with a targeted foaming, cream, or gel cleanser. Squeaky clean!
What I use: Countermatch Refresh Foaming Cleanser (day) and Lotus Glow Cleansing Balm (night)
How to use cleansing balm: Rub it on without water and wipe it off with a warm washcloth or makeup eraser.
Step 2: Prep
This is a step that many people leave out!If you’re trying to save money on your routine, you probably want to try to get by with the least amount of products. But if you’re going to spend money on serum, treatments, and moisturizer, you want those to be doing their very best job!
Toners and essences prep skin to receive the nutrients in the treat step to follow by balancing pH and preparing open pores for serum.
I have always loved the feeling of toner application. I have very dry skin that feels super tight when I first get out of the shower.
In fact, I panic if I have to wash my face and don’t have anything to put on right after (like a quick rinse at the pool).
Even though toner’s role isn’t necessarily to add moisture, I find it really quenches my skin’s thirst and helps with overall hydration. I think of all the products I use, the Countertime Essence is my very favorite step!
What I use: Countertime Mineral Boost Essence
How To Use: Pat it onto skin after cleansing and move to to serum before it dries.
Step 3: Treat
This is where things can get a bit wishy-washy because there are so many options in this step!
Most people use a serum, which is a super-concentrated dose of nutrients designed to target a specific concern like hydration, acne spot treatments, or anti aging. Products like acne treatments, salicylic acid, vitamin C serums, and retinol fit into this category.
This is where I used to get overwhelmed because my concerns were always “all of the above!” A lot of serums are multipurpose, so unless you have a specific need I wouldn’t let yourself get too overwhelmed.
If you do have more than one targeted treatment, it’s best to use one at a time instead of layering them all on at once.
To get the best bang for your buck, do not cause a traffic jam in there of competing products! Surface area is limited.
Some products can even cause others to be less effective. You want your treatment step to penetrate as deep into pores as possible, which is why you should use it after cleansing and toner and before moisturizer, which may inhibit absorption with its thickness.
The Beautycounter Countertime Serum has a blend of peptides, amino acids, Bakuchiol (a natural alternative to retinol) and Swiss Alpine Rose to increase skin firmness, reduce the appearance of fine lines, and improve the moisture barrier. I like to think this is where the magic happens!
And the Overnight Resurfacing Peel is magic in a bottle. It is composed of 15 different ingredients, including glycolic, malic, and botanically derived lactic acid. I think this product is the gold star to make skin look smooth and radiant and erase dark spots over time.
What I use: All Bright C Serum or Countertime Tripeptide Radiance Serum (AM) and Overnight Resurfacing Peel (every other PM)
How To Use: After cleansing and toning, apply 1-2 pumps to face and neck. Allow to dry slightly before added moisturizer.
Step 4: Protect
After you’ve opened pores and cleansed them, prepped them with toner, added nutrition with serum, you want to seal that barrier shut and protect your skin from all the environmental toxins you might come across.
Start with eye cream dotted around the eye area and follow with moisturizer. A natural sunscreen (zinc based) should go on last because the zinc is a physical blocker of sun’s rays.
The Beautycounter Soft Cream has Nasturtium flower extract that provides oxygenation benefits and protects your skin from drying environmental stressors.
All three have the Retinatural Complex to give results comparable to retinol without the risks of irritation or sun exposure.
What I use: Countertime Antioxidant Soft Cream (AM) and Countertime Supreme Cream (PM) plus Countertime Ultra Renewal Eye Cream
How to use: apply liberally to face.
Final Step: SPF
For my daily sunscreen, I use our Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer which has zinc-based SPF 20. It also includes black currant, peony flower root extract, and vitamin C to enhance skin brightness and hyaluronic Acid hydrates for a smooth look.
If I’m going to be in direct sun for a long time, I use the Daily Sheer Defense + Dew Skin for better coverage.
Beautycounter Regimens: How To Pick Which One Is Right For You
If you are on the market for a new regimen, and using safer skincare is important to you, the Beautycounter regimens are a great place to go for all-in-one solutions.
- Countertime = age prevention and extra hydration
- Countermatch = normal or combination skin
- Countercontrol = oily or acne prone skin
If you don’t know where to start, fill out this questionnaire and I’ll email you some recommendations!
Or you can use this flow chart to pick the one that is best for your skin type:
How To Get Free Shipping + A Free Gift
If you’ve been wanting to overhaul your products towards a clean skincare routine and are intimidated by the cost, here is my #1 tip to save money.
ADD BAND OF BEAUTY TO YOUR ORDER
It only costs $29 for an entire year of free shipping + extra perks!
Perks include:
- A free welcome gift
- 10% product credit back on all orders for a year
- Free shipping on $100+ orders
If this is your first order, get 20% off too!
Use the code CLEANFORALL20 for 20% off your first order!
What is your all-time favorite skincare product!?
Tell me in the comments!
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Melanie says
Thank you for this helpful step!! One question I always have – after doing a full nighttime routine and then doing nothing but going to sleep, is it necessary to have to cleanse again in the morning? I still feel some hydration from the night before and would prefer to skip right to the toner!
Kath Younger says
I think it’s up to you and how you feel! You can just splash with water or go to makeup. There’s no hard rule on this. I do think if you’re going to apply a bunch of products (toner, serum, day cream) you might want to cleanse first just so your pores open up and the nutrients will get in if they’re sealed with your night cream. But I also think you can just skip skincare altogether until you’re ready for a shower. I usually skip doing my AM routine until my shower, which is often around noon.
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Thanks for the guide! I love the packaging of the products too! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Maria says
Thanks for the tips! I’m always so confused about how to use different products. I really enjoy the (fewer) Beautycounter products that I own, but I can’t help but be skeptical of the need for so many. Especially when my husband literally just washes his face in the shower with plain water and goes about his day…and his skin looks totally fine!! 🙂 I feel like as women we are kind of conditioned to feel like a “regimen” is necessary. Curious for your thoughts on this!
Kath Younger says
I definitely don’t think all the products are necessary to be happy or beautiful. You could wash head to toe with Dr. Bronners or a natural soap and feel content! I do think that my skin feels the best when I use products that moisturize and cleanse in a way that leaves it feeling hydrated, so feel is important to me. And I do think a lot of women want to put their best face forward (which is fine!) and giving skin everything it needs will help that. It’s kind of like how you could survive on a diet of only oatmeal 3x a day and not be hungry or starve, but would your body be at optimal nutrition?
Tracy says
Do you use BC cleansing balm any more? (I believe you used to). Do you prefer the cleansing oil? Why?
Kath Younger says
I do prefer the cleansing oil now because it activates and rinses off with water. I have heard that the balm can actually block the other steps – kind of like if you used your moisturizer last – if you don’t rinse it off. I think if you do use the balm as a makeup remover you’d want to either leave it on and go to bed if that’s your only step OR double cleanse with a water-based cleanser if you’re going to follow with serum, overnight peel, or any other treatment step. So I save my balm for times when I’m doing a more simple routine. It’s actually great for travel!
Tracy says
Interesting. That makes so much sense. Thanks!
Sam says
My big question is how long am I supposed to wait in between products? Can I apply right after one another?
Thanks!
Kath Younger says
That is a good question! In general you don’t need to wait a set amount of time. The amount of time it takes to replace the lid, put the product back down, get the lid off the other, and squirt it out should be the 30 seconds or so you need. The exception is acidic exfoliants -like the Overnight Resurfacing Peel – that could cause the products that follow to pill. I have experienced this when I use the peel and top with night cream. I usually floss and brush after the peel and that’s enough time to wait so that it’s all dry when I’m ready for night and eye creams.
Alice Mecklenburg says
Kath, thanks so much for these tips and suggesting a better way to conceptualize a skincare routine. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard the cleanser, toner, serum,.. etc step by step, and I still struggle to get it right! Thinking about it in terms of what it does rather than what it ‘is’ makes it more logical. Also, great point about harsh exfoliating scrubs. I used these for many years to make my skin ‘smoother’ without realizing that it could actually contribute to other problems.
By the way, which set do you recommend for someone who has infrequent breakouts (approx once a month) but not particularly oily skin otherwise?
Thanks!
Kath Younger says
Hi Alice! If you have normal skin, I would recommend Countermatch. If you have normal skin and want the best anti-aging benefits, try Countertime!
Kara says
Thanks for this article – I am newer to Beauty Counter. I have been cleaning-serum-moisturizer-dew skin in the AM but just received the essence and brightening oil. I was going to add the essence before the serum, but should I use the oil only at night or swap off with the Vit C serum? Not sure if serum and oils are an either/or type thing? Thank you!
Kath Younger says
Hi Kara! The oils should go on last to lock in everything before (or you can mix WITH your moisturizer). You can use them day or night, but I prefer to just use them at night because they take a while to sink in and I usually follow with makeup right away. So I would recommend sticking to the Vit C serum in the mornings and using the brightening oil at night with or after your night cream : )
Kristy C says
This is so helpful! Can you elaborate on how you use the Overnight Resurfacing peel? Every other night I put it directly on clean skin after the cleanse and prep steps. I skip the nighttime serum on those days and go straight to moisturizer after a few minutes of drying time. But what do you recommend?
Also, I have the AHA All Bright toner, but I haven’t tried it yet. Are you a fan? It seems that it’s less of a “prep” product and more of a “treat” product, but what do you think? How/in what order should I use it with the other steps?
Kath Younger says
You are doing the Peel exactly right! Those are the steps I would recommend. And I agree about the toner being more of a treat. I have it and use it maybe twice a week after my Essence, which is more for hydration. It’s honestly not my favorite product because I’m getting AHA elsewhere, but I do use it for the brightening effects!