In the grand scheme of things in life, building a skin-care routine shouldn't be all that complicated. But with a growing number (i.e. hundreds of thousands) of product options on the market, including cleansers, serums, moisturizers, and more, figuring out when — and how — to use your skin-care routine can get confusing. That said, instead of just slapping on five creams — then washing your face because, seriously, that stuff is heavy — follow the lead of the pros. (And don't be surprised if your products suddenly seem to work all the better for it.) Ahead, dermatologists share their tips for basic skin-care layering.
1. Start light. Serums — the thinnest products — go first, because a) that just makes sense and b) "they deliver active ingredients into the skin most efficiently," says Ranella Hirsch, a board-certified dermatologist in Boston.
