Properly layering your skincare products is key to ensuring that they live up to their maximum potential. As Biossance Sales and Education Manager Hadeer Kherata explains, “When products are not layered correctly, skin tends to be dry, uneven, and can end up feeling greasy or sticky. Do it right and your skin will feel plump, hydrated, and supple.”
As important as this fundamental skincare knowledge is, we know it can be confusing. Below we’re sharing a complete AM and PM skincare layering guide, plus tips from Kherata on how to master the essential act of layering.
MORNING SKINCARE LAYERING GUIDE
Optional First Step: CLEANSE
Whether you cleanse your face in the morning depends on your skin type and personal preference. Technically, your face isn’t really dirty because you’ve been sleeping all night. But some people - especially those with oily or combination skin - may prefer an invigorating morning cleanse if they’re feeling oily, or simply craving that refreshing feeling of freshly cleansed skin.
We recommend that all skin types use our Squalane + Amino Aloe Gentle Cleanser as a morning face wash. It works into a satisfying lather, digging deep to rid pores of excess sebum while calming the skin using organic aloe vera juice.
Step 1: TONER
As a general rule, “you should always apply products from thinnest to thickest,” Kherata explains. That means liquids first and oils last (with the exception of sunscreen, which should always be applied last). When applied in this order, the products are able to absorb more effectively into the deeper layers of the epidermis. Thicker, heavier products are made of larger molecules and will not penetrate as deeply into the skin, so they should be layered on top to lock the thinner products in.
If you have oily or combination skin, we recommend our Squalane + BHA Pore Minimizing Toner. This alcohol-free toner uses white willowbark extract, a natural beta-hydroxy acid, to gently exfoliate and resurface the skin without stripping it. Meanwhile, sugarcane-derived squalane provides added hydration, helping to strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier. In clinical trials, 100% of participants reported visible improvement in the look of pore size after just two weeks of use.
If you’re on the dry or sensitive side, jump into your morning skincare routine with our Squalane + Hyaluronic Acid Facial Mist. This fast-absorbing hyaluronic acid spray is the ideal morning pick-me-up and lays a solid foundation for radiant, hydrated skin. You can also spritz it throughout the day for refreshing hydration.
“Our eyes are very sensitive, so it’s important to apply your eye treatments first and then follow through with your face serum to avoid irritation,” Kherata says.
While both of our eye products can be applied morning and night, we particularly love using the Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel in the AM because the peptide-rich formula helps to instantly provide a well-rested look. The weightless gel helps to depuff sleepy eyes and reduces the appearance of dark circles.
When your eyes need a little extra love in the morning, you can also layer both of our eye products. Apply our eye gel first, then top with our Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream for additional hydration and lift.
It’s not necessary to use more than one Biossance serum at a time, as all contain powerful active ingredients that work best alone. Instead, we recommend alternating between our Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum and our Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum.
Suitable for all skin types, our Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum gives skin an immediate boost of brightening while improving the look of dark spots and hyperpigmentation with our revolutionary blend of vitamin C and white shiitake mushroom.
Work our Squalane + Peptid Rapid Plumping Serum into yur morning rotation for instant plumping and hydration, plus improvement in skin firmness and elasticity.
Follow your targeted treatment by choosing a moisturizer based on your skin type and concerns.
If you’re oily, we recommend our Squalane + Probiotic Probiotic Gel Moisturizer. This weightless gel moisturizer quickly absorbs into the skin, providing a smooth, balanced complexion that’s perfectly prepped for any makeup you wish to apply. The probiotic-packed formula soothes, reduces redness, and even minimizes the effects of daytime stressors, making it ideal for morning use.
If you’d prefer a creamier product, our Squalane + Omega Repair Cream is right up your alley. The omega fatty acids inside this luxe, whipped moisturizing cream restore and support the skin’s natural moisture barrier, boosting radiance without adding shine.
Both of our moisturizers have also earned the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance™, which recognizes product innovations that provide benefits, and improve the quality of life for people with eczema and sensitive skin.
One of the most common questions about layering is when to apply facial oils. The answer: Oils should always be applied last in your layering routine unless you’re topping everything off with sunscreen. “Oils lock everything in–they seal in all the skincare,” Kherata says.
Our best-selling Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil gets the skin off to a glowing start in the morning with its hydrating, firming, and radiance-boosting benefits. You can also try mixing a drop of this oil with your foundation to boost glow and give makeup a dewy finish.
Shop Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil
Step 6: SUNSCREEN
“Sunscreen is essential. Even if it’s raining outside, never leave your house without SPF,” Kherata says. This crucial AM product can only do its best work when applied as the final top layer in your skincare routine (but before makeup application). Our SPF 30 PA +++ Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Sunscreen melts into all skin tones, creating an invisible shield against harmful UVA/UVB rays without leaving any trace of a white cast. It’s also reef-safe, keeping both you and marine life protected.
NIGHTTIME SKINCARE LAYERING GUIDE
Step 1: DOUBLE CLEANSE
Start your nighttime skincare routine with a hydrating double-cleanse. Double cleansing is like sweeping the floor before you mop. The goal is to get rid of the makeup and debris that’s sitting on top of your skin so you can effectively clean what’s underneath.
Learn more about double cleansing.
We recommend starting with our Squalane + Antioxidant Cleansing Oil to dissolve makeup and impurities.This luxurious oil cleanser swiftly and efficiently takes the day off, removing daily dirt and debris and dissolving all traces of makeup. Squalane keeps the skin moisturized, while antioxidants defend against daily stressors.
Follow it with Squalane + Amino Aloe Gentle Cleanser to clean out pores and soothe the skin after daytime exposure to UV rays and environmental pollutants.
Step 2: TONER
Your AM essential translates seamlessly into your nighttime routine. Just remember: toner is meant to balance the skin’s pH and prepare it to receive skincare. It doesn’t actually clean the skin and is not a substitute for a second cleanse.
Step 3: EYE TREATMENT
Our Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream is all about delivering deep hydration, making it the perfect evening eye treatment for every skin type. It expertly plumps the undereye area, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and helps to reveal a lifted look come morning.
Shop Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream
While it’s not necessary to layer Biossance treatments, alternating between our Squalane + Retinol Night Serum and our Squalane + Lactic Acid Resurfacing Night Serum. These two products are a healthy aging dream team, as each works differently to increase cell turnover and visibly reduce signs of aging.
Our innovative retinol night serum uses two powerful retinoids, retinol and retinal, which we encapsulate for time-released delivery over the course of 8 hours. This minimizes irritation, improving skin on a cellular level without the redness and flaking commonly associated with retinoid use.
Use a pea-sized amount after toning, then follow with moisturizer. And start use gradually - just once or twice a week - before working up to alternate nights with our Squalane + Lactic Acid Overnight Resurfacing Serum.
Our best-selling lactic acid treatment is like an overnight magic trick for your skin. This formula gently exfoliates while you sleep, transforming the skin from dull to luminous in a single night. Apply it during your PM routine and wake up to noticeably smoother skin.
Step 5: MOISTURIZER
The whipped texture of our Squalane + Omega Repair Cream helps to make it the perfect nourishing, restorative overnight treatment for every skin type. The lipid and ceramide-rich formula provides deep hydration that plumps, smooths, and sets you up for a healthy-looking, well-moisturized complexion in the AM and all throughout the next day.
Shop Squalane + Omega Repair Cream
Step 6: OIL
Our award-winning Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil is the ultimate grand finale to your evening skincare routine. It locks in all the nourishment from the products layered underneath while providing brightening, firming, and hydrating benefits of its own.
“All these steps may sound a lot, but in reality, they don’t take much time,” Kherata says. “The beauty of Biossance is that there is squalane in every product.” Because it’s an ingredient that is naturally found in the body, “our skin recognizes it and it absorbs it right away, leaving you with no wait time between steps.”
Beth Wischnia
Author
My industry experience includes years as a beauty editor and leading content for a wide range of skincare and makeup brands. Those experiences led me to Biossance—I was introduced to the brand on an editor press trip in 2017 and instantly fell in love. I toured the labs, created my own 100% Squalane with essential oils, and noticed a dramatic difference in my skin by introducing clean products (especially the Vitamin C Rose Oil) to my regimen. I’m excited to be on this journey with Biossance and be at the forefront of clean beauty innovation.