Is it better to have a skin routine in the morning or evening?

Author: Clementina Kreiger  |  Last update: Monday, September 22, 2025

After the whole day, having a nighttime skincare routine is essential for maintaining healthy and beautiful skin. As the morning routine should focus on preparing the skin for the day, a night routine should focus on nourishing the skin with hydrating and restorative products. This should always start with cleansing.

Is it better to do skincare in the morning or evening?

At its simplest, your morning skincare routine should include a gentle cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. At night, you can cleanse and moisturize. From there, you can add toners, serums, treatments, retinol, and oils that serve your skin type.

What is the best time for a skin care routine?

The best time to apply skincare is typically after cleansing your face, both in the morning and before bedtime. In the morning, your skin is clean from overnight, and applying products helps protect it from environmental stressors throughout the day.

What is the 4 2 4 rule in skincare?

The 4-2-4 rule is a detailed cleansing routine that involves a four-minute oil massage, a two-minute cleanse with a water-based cleanser and a four-minute rinse with warm and cold water. Read ahead to know about the Japanese double cleanse routine, and what experts have to say about it.

Is it better to tone in the morning or evening?

How often should you use toner? You can use toner in both your morning and evening skincare routines, depending on your skin's needs and ability to accept toner's benefits. It is ideal to incorporate toner into your skincare routine immediately following double cleansing.

What is the Perfect Nighttime Skin Care Routine? - Dr. Anthony Youn

Can I skip toner in the morning?

Toners are applied after cleansing, in the morning and at night. They help balance the skin's pH and remove excess dirt, oil, makeup, and other impurities. All skin types can benefit from including a gentle, hydrating toner in their daily routine.

Is it better to use serum in the morning or at night?

The serum stage of your AM or PM skincare regime is the ideal moment to add an additional layer of hydration. In the morning, this can give your skin a naturally plumped, fresh appearance, while at night hydrating ingredients can work to target dry skin while you sleep.

Can you layer too much skincare?

Chances are, if your skin is becoming oilier, drier, sensitive, red, flaky, or even painful, you might be overdoing it. The products you use may include extremely effective active ingredients, but mixing and matching them incorrectly can cause negative results like irritation and inflammation.

What is the rule of 7 skincare?

In a nutshell, it involves applying up to seven layers of toner in between your cleanser and moisturiser - yes 7 layers! In Korea, toners are commonly referred to as 'skins', so the 7 skin method actually means 7 toner method. It might sound a bit strange to add a product to your skin upto 7 times.

How do Japanese wash their face?

I did some further research and came across the concept of the 4-2-4 method; it's a system where you start with an oil and you massage your skin for four minutes, then you layer your skin with a cream cleanser on top and you massage for two minutes to emulsify the oil, and then you rinse for four minutes—which for some ...

How to get glass skin?

Here are a few clear skin tips to help you on your journey toward healthy-looking glass skin.
  1. Double cleanse. ...
  2. Use an exfoliator. ...
  3. Apply a hydrating serum. ...
  4. Reach for a sheet mask. ...
  5. Layer on a lightweight moisturizer. ...
  6. Always finish with sunscreen.

What is a good nightly skincare routine?

“A solid nightly skincare routine should focus on cleansing, treating, and hydrating to help your skin repair itself overnight.” That's just the basics, though—if you're ready to step it up, you can add a hydrating toner, incorporate exfoliating pads, or turn on an LED face mask.

Is micellar water a toner?

Micellar water lifts light makeup, oil, and impurities from skin with the swipe of a cotton pad. A versatile multi-tasker, it can be used as a cleanser, light makeup remover and toner. It combines gentle cleansing care with skin-balancing and hydrating benefits.

Can I skip my morning skincare routine?

Washing your face in the morning is not bad for your skin. In fact, it's an essential part of any well-rounded skincare routine. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends washing your face in the morning, before bed, and after sweating—regardless of your skin type.

What is double cleansing?

“Double cleansing means cleansing your face twice, first with an oil-based product and then followed by a water-based cleanser,” explains Dr. Wu. The first step of using an oil-based cleanser is helpful when it comes to removing waterproof makeup and sunscreen.

What is in the micellar water?

Micellar Water is essentially just water containing lots of these micelle clusters. They're pretty happy to hang around in the water, but when they meet other oils, just as they do when they're on a Reusable Pad being wiped over your face, they draw them up like a magnet.

What is the 80 20 rule skin care?

Skincare regimens are vital to your skin health. In office treatments make up 20% of skin health but the other 80% makes up for how you care for your skin at home. Finding and creating a regimen that works with your skin is a process that takes time, but we are here to help! Check out our 7 pro tips for skin success!

What is the best morning face routine?

What You Need to Build Your Morning Skincare Routine
  • Step 1: Wash Your Face. Let's start with the fundamental step: washing your face. ...
  • Step 2: Tone The Skin. ...
  • Step 3: Apply a Face Serum or a Complex Serum. ...
  • Step 4: Apply a Face Moisturizer with SPF Protection. ...
  • Step 5: Apply Eye Cream.

What is the Korean toner method?

Have you heard of the 7 Skin Method? It's a Korean skincare technique that involves layering toner on your skin up to seven times to achieve a hydrated and glowing complexion. If you're looking for a way to improve your skin's texture and appearance, the 7 Skin Method might be just what you need!

Can too much skin care be bad?

“When you're starting to get dry skin patches, acne breakouts, flaking, dry skin patches on the face, or other irritation, there's a good chance you're using too many products,” she says. Too much skin care can be bad news for any skin type.

What does a toner do?

It can remove dirt, bacteria, makeup, pollution and other impurities that your cleanser may have left behind. Using a toner can give your skin an extra-deep clean. It protects the skin. Toning after cleansing can seal up the skin's pores, better protecting your complexion against environmental stressors.

Is layering 3 serums too much?

A general rule of thumb is to layer 2-3 serums. This ensures skin doesn't become overwhelmed and gives each formula the space to absorb properly. However – as mentioned above, all skin is unique. Some skin concerns could benefit from up to 5 serums, if heightened moisture, protection and firming for example is needed.

Can I leave serum overnight without moisturizer?

Well, it depends. If you don't have dry skin and aren't in a dry environment or climate, it's easily possible to use just serum without moisturizer. However, using both may harness the most benefits for your skin. When you use a serum, it delivers active ingredients deep into the skin.

What is the best face moisturizer?

Some of the best brands include:
  • CeraVe: Known for their gentle, dermatologist recommended moisturizers.
  • La Roche-Posay: Offers a wide range of affordable skincare products, including non-comedogenic moisturizers.
  • Kiehl's: Known for their effective, high end skincare products.

Should I use toner every day?

For most skin types, toners can be used once or twice daily. Exfoliating acid toners, however, should typically be used at night and not combined with other exfoliating products to avoid irritation.

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