So skincare can be very confusing, especially when it comes to layering products. Well, I'm here to help you.

In this blog, I will take you step by step through each layer and in which order is best. By the end of this blog, you should feel more confident with your home skincare routine and understand where your products fit nicely into this easy plan.

Before I start, I would like to discuss two important topics.

Firstly, Dermalogica double cleansing. Double cleansing is essential for healthy, clean skin.

I recommend using two different cleansers, a Precleanser followed by a prescribed cleanser. Use one straight after the other to double clean your skin. This is much more beneficial than just cleansing once.

Secondly, never forget your neck and décolletage* area during all your skincare routine, from cleansing to moisturising. This area commonly gets overlooked and neglected, but has perfume and products applied to it, plus the thin skin on your neck area and the exposed cleavage area age faster and is likely to have hyperpigmentation, so please look after it and protect it.

* The décolletage is your upper chest area, cleavage, and across your shoulders.

My Step By Step Layering Skincare Guide

Step 1 - Precleanse or Micellar Prebiotic Precleanse

Precleanse is a water-soluble oil-based cleanser. This cleanser dissolves and removes makeup, sunscreens and environmental pollutants from your skin's surface and prepping your skin by unblocking the pores for your prescribed cleanser to work deeper into your skin and pores for a more efficiently cleaned skin. You can perform cleansing over a basin of water or in the shower.

Micellar Prebiotic Precleanse is a nourishing micellar milky precleanse that lifts away dirt, oil, and make-up while helping balance skin’s microbiome with prebiotics.Gentle lightweight first-step cleanser with oatmilk melts into the skin - attracting and dissolving impurities with cleansing micellar Murumuru Butter, then rinsing them away to prepare skin for the second step of cleansing.

TIP - Do not forget to massage all your cleansers and exfoliating products into the creases of your nose, chin, neck and décolletage. Also, use sponges and warm water to remove your cleansers, exfoliants and masks to ensure all product residue is removed to prevent product buildup.

Step 2 - Prescribed Cleanser

Your personalised cleanser is there to further remove environmental pollutants from your skin's surface and into the pores. Plus, treat your skin concerns; for example, if you suffer from sore, sensitive skin, then Ultracalming Cleanser will soothe, calm, strengthen your natural barrier and reduce redness while cleansing without drying your skin.

Another example if you suffer from excess oil, shine, blackheads, and blocked pores, then Active Clay Cleanser will purify and deep cleanse, removing excess oil and leaving your skin super clean, fresh and matte.

TIP - To power up your cleansing routine, I recommend using the BT-Sonic cleansing brush to foam up your cleanser and work into those pores.

Step 3 - Exfoliate

Exfoliation is essential for many reasons. It helps unblock plugged pores where dead skin cells have settled, and chemical exfoliants can even go in and around the walls of your pores, removing dead cells before they become a problem.

As we get older, our skin cell turnover starts to slow, meaning we hang onto dull cells for longer, so regularly exfoliating will encourage a more regular cell renewal cycle and more radiant and less uneven skin tone. Exfoliation prepares our skin for better product absorption.

There are two types of exfoliating ingredients

• Chemical - non-abrasive treating the skin in a cream or liquid format works into the skin's pores.
• Physical - typically using fine granules to buff the surface of the skin.

Many of Dermalogica's exfoliating products contain both physical and chemical exfoliating ingredients as they are both beneficial.

If you are looking for a gentle daily exfoliant I recommend Daily Milkfoliant and if you are looking for a three-times-a-week exfoliant for ageing concerned skin then I recommend Multivitamin Thermafoliant.

TIP - Exfoliants can be used weekly or daily depending on the product and skin type so please ask for advice.

Step 4 - Masque

Nourish and treat your skin with one of Dermalogica's masques. Customising your masques and using masks on specific facial zones works well.

For example, if you were suffering from breakouts on your chin and jawline, you could use Sebum Clearing Masque in that area and use Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque on the rest of your skin, including neck and décolletage, for calming, soothing and reducing signs of ageing.

TIP - Masques usually are used one to four times a week, depending on the product and skin type, so please ask for advice.

Step 5 - Toner

Hydrate and condition your skin with a refreshing, hydrating and soothing toner. Toners prep your skin by leaving it slightly damp, ready for your serums and moisturisers to be absorbed more efficiently. It helps products spread further, meaning your favourite moisturiser lasts longer.

TIP - One of my favourite toners is Hyaluronic Ceramide Mist, which gives my skin a burst of hydration.

Step 6 - Targeting Concerns

This is when serums come into play to really target specific skin conditions from spots to pigmentation.

These products are concentrated to deliver fast results to problem areas. One of my top-selling serums is the Biolumin-C Serum, a concentrated vitamin c high-performance serum enhancing your skin's natural defence system to brighten and firm.

Check out Dermalogica’s Neck Fit Serum which tightens and firms the neck and décolletage area. It is amazing.

TIP - Serums can be used once or twice daily, depending on the product and skin type, so please ask for advice.

Step 7 - Eye and Lip Treatments

Nourish and protect the delicate eye area. Eye creams are designed to be lighter and gentler while still delivering results from de-puffing and firming like Awaken Peptide Eye Gel to brightening dark circles and strengthening like Biolumin-C eye serum.

Check out Dermalogica's Renewal Lip Complex. It softens your lips without suffocating the skin's surface, unlike Vasaline and other products that stop the skin from producing it's natural oils.

TIP - Eye creams can be used once or twice daily, depending on the product and skin type, so please ask for advice.

Step 8 - Moisturisers

Moisturise, nourish and protect your skin with one of Dermalogica's brilliant moisturisers.

Morning moisturisers must contain an SPF sun protection; if not, sun protection must be applied afterwards. SPF should be used all year round to help prevent premature ageing and protect from sun damage and cancers.

Evening moisturisers are designed to nourish and treat our skin overnight. For more information regarding night moisturisers and treatments, please see step 10.

TIP - One of my best selling moisturisers is Dynamic Skin Recovery. This moisturiser has a highly protective SPF50, so you can feel confident that your skin is protected against premature skin ageing, sun damage and environmental stress.

If your favourite moisturiser doesn't contain sun protection like Skin Smoothing Cream, I recommend you follow with Perfect Skin Primer SPF30 or good quality makeup with an SPF. I recommend Jane Iredale mineral clean makeup brand.

Step 9 - Makeup

Only use makeup you feel confident will not block your pores or cause you to break out.

You need a brand that is clean, and free of parabens, talc, phthalates, synthetic fragrance and GMO. Throughout my career, I have witnessed many skin conditions and concerns worsened by bad choices of make up brands.

TIP - I highly recommend Jane Iredale's makeup brand for sheer dream tints, loose powders and blushes.

Plus, do not forget to wash your makeup brushes and sponges every six weeks to keep them fresh from bacteria.

Step 10 - Nighttime

Nighttime is a great time to treat your skin while you sleep. Again this is where serums and target products are introduced into your layering plan.

This includes age-fighting retinol products like Overnight Retinol Repair. Retinol should only be applied in the evening after sundown as retinol is sun sensitive.

Another fantastic evening product to consider is Sound Sleep Cocoon which is a gel-like consistency with motion-activated French Lavender essential oil, so as you apply the gel, you get the benefit from the sleepy scent of lavender.

TIP - I recommend sleeping on a 100% silk pillowcase to help your skin and hair. Silk is a natural material that is skin-friendly, antibacterial, less friction, breathable, providing ultimate comfort, keeping your skin hydrated and protecting your hair from damage.

Ask A Question

I hope you have found this blog useful and now have a better understanding of layering products and getting more from your home skincare routine.

Leave me a comment below if you have any questions about your skincare routine.

Love Nicola x