How to layer your serums all year long

Layering is less about the number of steps and more about the order. Thin before thick, water before oil, and nothing applied so quickly that it has no chance to absorb.

The order that actually matters

Most layering mistakes are not about incompatible ingredients. They are about applying a rich cream first and then wondering why the serum underneath did nothing. Texture decides sequence more often than chemistry does.

• Water-based serums onto damp skin.

• Treatment steps next, one at a time.

• Moisturiser last, sealing everything below it.

How long to wait

You do not need to time each step to the minute. Wait until the previous layer no longer feels wet on the surface. On most skin that is under a minute, and in dry air it is even less.

If your routine needs a stopwatch, it needs fewer steps instead.

The same order works in July and January. Only the weight of the final layer changes.