By now most skincare lovers know that there’s a correct method to follow when layering on your skincare in the mornings and evenings. In general, your thinnest liquids should go first such as toners, essences, and drops, followed by serums and then finally heavier moisturizers and oils. But I only recently learned that there is one crucial step to add to this method, and if you’re not following it, it can literally mean the difference between your products absorbing correctly or not. 

Waiting a few minutes in between steps, instead of just applying one right after the other, is crucial in giving each product time to do what it’s meant to do. It keeps each product from mixing with the others, and essentially becoming diluted, before it’s had time to absorb into the part of your face that needs it the most.

So just how long are you supposed to wait in between steps? Most experts agree 30 seconds to 5 minutes is good depending on the formula of the product. Most thinner formulas in the beginning of your regimen absorb quicker, while heavier treatments and moisturizers will take a little longer. A good rule of thumb is when your skin no longer feels overly moist or “tacky” from the last product you’ve applied, you’re ready for the next one. 

This can make a multi-step skincare routine feel like it’s taking even longer, especially after a particularly long day when all you want to do is be done and get into bed. To make it less daunting for me to wait and feel like I’m wasting time in between applying products, I’ve structured my routine so that I always have something else to do while I’m waiting in between steps. 

For instance, the first thing I do in my night time routine is wash and thoroughly dry my face. Then I immediately apply my first product which is either a toner or drops. Once applied, I brush my teeth while letting that absorb. By the time I’m done brushing and flossing, I’m ready for my next product which is usually a retinol serum. I apply that before leaving the bathroom for the night. Then I get into bed, but the trick to this next part is that I leave the last couple of products on my night stand, not in the bathroom. Once I’m in bed I either read or watch TV while my serum is absorbing and once I feel like I’ve given it sufficient time (usually about 10 minutes) I apply my moisturizer.  Most nights that’s the last step of my routine but if I’ve exfoliated that night or just feel extra dry I’ll wait another 10 minutes and then add a treatment oil on top of that before I turn out the lights for the night. 

Now like I said, most experts agree that 30 seconds to 5 minutes is sufficient time to wait in between each step, but since most of us are winding down for at least 20 minutes in bed before we go to sleep anyway, why not give it even more time to be sure that your most expensive serums, moisturizers and oils have enough time to do exactly what they’re promised to do. And if your wind down time is somewhere else, like the living room, maybe leave your last products in a side table drawer by the couch or just bring them with you when you leave the bathroom! In this way you won’t be waiting forever to get all of your products on before you can finally move on with the rest of your cozy night time routine!