Getting ready in the morning has become a complicated, multi-step process. In the past we cleansed, toned and moisturised. Now we are encouraged to add serums, primers, oils, BB creams and even (if we're daft) anti-smog sprays. But there is a right and wrong way round when it comes to applying skin products, especially if you want your foundation to last the day or your expensive serum to do the job it promises.
Step 1. Cleanse and pat your skin dry.
Step 2. Tone. An optional step. Many toners do contain ingredients to treat the skin; others, however, provide all the benefits of pretty-smelling water.
Step 3. Apply serum. Light products go under heavy ones. A serum like La Prairie's new White Caviar Illuminating Pearl Infusion ($720) won't be able to penetrate a heavy cream or oil, so applying it before moisturiser is a (terrifying, considering the cost) waste of money. Therapeutic treatments - those with ingredients such as hydroquinone or kojic acid, peptides or caffeine - are also best applied to clean skin.
Step 4. Moisturise - with cream, oil, BB and CC creams or tinted moisturiser, whatever you prefer. What you use tends to depend on the weather - if it's cold, you are likely to require the additional hydration of a cream - and skin type. If you like an eye cream, don't apply your usual moisturiser around the eye area. Leave it naked and use eye cream last. If you are without eye cream, normal moisturiser will do nicely.
