Skin care routine order: what sources say
The AAD publishes one sequence: wash your face, apply medicine or other products right after, then moisturizer and/or sunscreen, then makeup. DermNet and the FDA add timing notes for retinoids and sunscreen. No source here sets a full order for every ingredient, and Poliage does not prescribe a routine.
Search results are full of fixed routines. This page sticks to what dermatology bodies and regulators actually publish, and it leaves out anything they do not.
The one sequence a source gives
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has a page on whether products go on in a certain order. It says the sequence affects how well products work. Its steps are:
- Wash your face with a gentle face wash and pat dry.
- Apply medicine or other care products on the skin right after washing.
- Apply moisturizer and/or sunscreen.
- Apply makeup, if desired.
So in the AAD sequence, moisturizer and/or sunscreen is the last skin care step before makeup. The AAD page does not split this into a morning list and an evening list.
Fewer products
The AAD also says using too many products may irritate the skin. It singles out using more than one product aimed at signs of aging. It says to see a board-certified dermatologist with questions about caring for your skin.
Timing notes from other sources
- DermNet says topical retinoids are applied to the face once daily at bedtime. It also says a sunscreen and moisturizer combination during the day protects against sun sensitivity and dryness.
- The FDA says to apply sunscreen 15 minutes before sun exposure. The AAD gives the same lead time, saying it takes about 15 minutes for the skin to absorb sunscreen.
- The FDA and the AAD both say to reapply sunscreen every two hours, and after swimming or sweating.
- DermNet’s page on hydroquinone says to wait 10 minutes before applying sunscreen or cosmetics over it.
What the sources here do not say
None of the pages above gives an order for serums, oils, acids or masks. None says which ingredients go in the morning and which at night, or how long to wait between two products, apart from the notes above. Poliage leaves those questions out rather than guess.
For ingredients that sources say not to combine or to use only with a doctor’s say, see the guide on pairs and situations that regulators and DermNet flag.
What Poliage does
Poliage does not prescribe a routine. A product page says Contains and then an ingredient with its function, and marks it if it is on your own avoid list. That tells you what is listed. The order you use products in is for you, your dermatologist or your pharmacist. Poliage gives product information, not medical advice.
Where this comes from
The sequence comes from the American Academy of Dermatology page on product order. Sunscreen timing comes from the FDA consumer page on sunscreen and the AAD page on how to apply it. Retinoid and hydroquinone notes come from DermNet NZ. All were read on 2026-10-22.