While we’d all love our skin to behave itself 100% of the time, we’re often battling a few concerns at once. Whether that’s dehydration, breakouts, dullness or even fine lines, having an arsenal of face serums in your skincare routine allows you to meet the many needs of your complexion. But before you begin layering serums in your skincare routine, it’s important to understand which ingredients work well together, which ones don’t, how many serums to use, and when to apply them. Read on to discover how to layer serums to maximise their benefits and achieve your skin goals.
What is serum layering?
It’s common practice to use one face serum in the morning and one at night, but have you ever wondered, ‘can I layer face serums in the same skincare routine?’
The short answer is yes – you can. This is calling serum layering, but it’s not as straightforward as you might think. Layering serums is all about applying multiple serums, one after another, to target specific skin concerns.
Serums use ingredients to address specific skin concerns such as hydration, brightening, anti-ageing, or blemishes in different ways, so you’ll need to brush up on which serums will work for your unique skin type and how to layer them.
The benefit of layering serums
We’ve answered the question, ‘can you layer serums?’, but what kind of benefits can you expect when you do? The major advantage of layering serums in your morning and nightly skincare rituals is that it allows you to manage multiple skin concerns at once. This becomes particularly useful when using a serum that contains potent ingredients (such as retinol or salicylic acid) because you can follow up with a serum that contains comforting ingredients that support the skin moisture barrier (such as hyaluronic acid and niacinamide).
Skin can be quite demanding, but learning how to layer serums will help brighten, smooth and hydrate your complexion with a more holistic approach.
FACE SERUMS RANGE
STAR INGREDIENTS
Serums that pair well together
Some face serum ingredients pair particularly well, while others may be too much for the skin when used in tandem. When building your serum routine, it’s important to know which ingredients will not only support your skin’s unique needs – but work together synergistically.
From how to layer vitamin c and niacinamide, to which ingredient works best with retinol, we’ve curated some of the most effective skincare duos to manage multiple skin concerns.
Vitamin C and niacinamide
If your primary skin concern is dullness, then it’s time to introduce you to our favourite brightening couple: vitamin C and niacinamide.
Together, these ingredients work to boost radiance and unify skin tone. If you’re wondering how to layer vitamin c and niacinamide serums, we suggest abiding by the thinnest to thickest consistency rule. So, apply Revitalift Clinical 12% Pure Vitamin C Brightening Face Serum to clean, dry skin, then follow with your niacinamide serum.
Discover our Pure Vitamin C Brightening Serum. Visible Results Validated By Dermatologists.
Retinol and hyaluronic acid
Retinol is renowned for targeting blemishes and visible signs of ageing – but it can seriously dry out the skin in the process. Enter: hyaluronic acid, the perfect moisture-locking ingredient to help take the edge off.
These two heavy hitters are well-known in the skincare world, so you’re probably asking, ‘can I layer vitamin c and hyaluronic acid?’ Well, when it comes to managing visible signs of ageing, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C get a big tick from us.
Vitamin C addresses discolouration and oxidative stress (a big culprit for ageing concerns), while hyaluronic acid plumps the skin surface and diminishes the appearance of fine lines. To layer this dynamic duo of ingredients, apply vitamin C in the morning to cleansed skin. Once absorbed, layer with hyaluronic acid afterwards to be ready to take on the day.
BHAs/AHAs and niacinamide
Layering serums with chemical exfoliants and niacinamide may be the key to unlocking brighter, clearer skin. Beta hydroxy acid (BHAs) and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) work to unclog pores and encourage skin cell turnover. Meanwhile, niacinamide reduces discolouration and supports the skin moisture barrier.
When it comes to hydrating and supporting the function of the skin moisture barrier, it doesn’t get better than layering niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.
Discover our Pure Hyaluronic Acid Plumping Serum. Visible Results Validated By Dermatologists.
Combinations to avoid when layering serums
We’ve discussed some of the most harmonious pairings when it comes to layering serums, but there are a few ingredient combinations that might be best avoided – particularly if your skin is on the dry or sensitive side. We’ll explore three of these combinations below.
BHAs/AHAs + retinol: Layering any sort of hydroxy acid with retinol is likely going to compromise your skin moisture barrier: triggering redness, tightness, peeling and tingling sensations. While AHAs, BHAs and retinol are all beloved for their blemish-fighting prowess, we recommend sticking to just one!
Vitamin C + retinol: Individually, vitamin C and retinol are powerful anti-ageing and brightening ingredients; but together, they can be too harsh for dry and sensitive skin types. However, this pair may be an effective combination for more tolerant skin types when used gradually and on alternate days. Explore our guide on how to use retinol and vitamin C to find out if this pairing might work for you.
Vitamin C + BHAs/AHAs: When playing with actives, it’s best to avoid mixing too many together. Layering serums that include vitamin C, AHAs or BHAs can lead to redness, tightness and a disrupted skin moisture barrier. Instead of layering, try alternating between morning and night: vitamin C only in the morning, and your AHA or BHA only at night.
How to layer serums in your skincare routine: a step-by-step guide
The order in which to layer serums depends on the key ingredient in each product, as well as the products sandwiched at the start and end of your complete skincare routine (we’re looking at you, cleanser and SPF). A good general rule is to start with the thinnest consistency serums and build your way to thicker formulas.
Below are our tips not just for layering face serums, but for building out your full routine:
First up, cleanse. This gives you a clean, blank canvas to work with.
Any exfoliation should happen next. Using an exfoliator on cleansed skin means targeted ingredients penetrate more deeply. Alternatively, wash your face with a combined cleanser and exfoliator like Bright Reveal Niacinamide + Salicylic Acid Dark Spot Cleanser to prepare it for the serums to follow.
Next, apply water-based serums. Make sure you apply them in the order of thinnest to thickest when layering serums. As we mentioned above, for example, vitamin C would come before hyaluronic acid.
Seal in the work of your serums with a nourishing moisturiser. If you’re using a face oil, we suggest you apply it in the evening, after your night cream.
For your morning skincare routine, ensure you always finish with broad-spectrum sunscreen to shield your skin throughout the day.
