Short answer: The morning routine is built around protection, while the evening routine begins with thoroughly cleansed skin and focuses on nourishment and renewal. In the morning: a warm-water rinse or a cleanse, an appropriate toner or mist, any serum, an eye product, moisturizer, then broad-spectrum sunscreen applied as its label directs. At night: eye makeup off first with a dedicated remover, a thorough and gentle facial cleanse, a toner or mist, any serum or retinol product, an eye product, then a night crème or moisturizer. Each product’s own directions come first. This outline gives you an order, not a schedule.
Each routine has its own job, and the order follows from it.
Why the two routines differ
By day, your skin is out in daylight and often under makeup, and the morning routine prepares it for that. At night, removal comes first: sunscreen, makeup, the day’s oil and airborne dirt all need to come off before bed. There is no sun to plan for, so a richer crème can go on without having to sit under anything.
The morning routine
Rinse or cleanse. After a thorough evening cleanse, Esenté’s professional approach for most skin is a warm-water rinse in the morning rather than a second full cleanse, where that suits the skin. A cleanser in the morning suits skin that wants one, for example oilier skin. General dermatology guidance is to wash morning and night, and individual needs vary.
Toner or mist. A step of its own after cleansing. What it contributes depends on its formulation, and which one suits you depends on your skin. What Does Toner Do? explains the step.
Serum, if you use one. Follow the directions for the one you use. Some serums are directed for both morning and night.
Eye care. An appropriate eye product, applied with a light touch according to its directions.
Moisturizer. Applied after the preceding steps, following its directions.
Sunscreen. A broad-spectrum sunscreen goes on after moisturizer as its own step. Apply it generously and evenly, and reapply as the label directs. The SPF number is not a measure of minutes, so reapplication follows the label rather than the number. How Much Sunscreen to Use, and When to Reapply covers amounts.
The evening routine
Eye makeup off first. Eye makeup generally warrants a dedicated eye makeup remover before you cleanse the rest of your face. Remove it gently, never by scrubbing. If you took makeup off earlier and put it back on for an evening out, cleanse again before bed. How to Take Your Makeup Off Properly goes through the method.
Cleanse. This cleanse takes off sunscreen, makeup and the day’s oil and dirt. Use lukewarm water, light pressure and an appropriate cleanser, with a soft facial sponge or your fingertips. Gauze squares belong to eye makeup removal, not the whole face.
Toner or mist. The same distinct step as in the morning.
Serum or retinol. Retinol is generally used at night. Follow the directions for your individual product, and daily broad-spectrum sunscreen is recommended as part of the routine. Combining exfoliating acids or other potentially irritating products with non-prescription retinol can increase irritation for some people, so check the directions for each product before using them together. If you use a prescription retinoid, follow the guidance of the healthcare professional who prescribed it, including any guidance on acids or other potentially irritating products.
Eye care. An appropriate eye product again, according to its directions.
Night crème or moisturizer. Usually the last step, following its directions. Your skincare goes onto a completely clean face, with no makeup left behind.
The order, and what decides it
Products generally go on from the thinnest texture to the thickest. When a product’s directions say something different, the directions win. Sunscreen has a set place: after moisturizer in the morning, reapplied during the day as its label directs. Skincare Order and Product Storage sets out the full sequence.
Order, not frequency
Frequency belongs to each product’s directions and to how your skin responds. There is no universal exfoliation schedule, for example: how often suits you depends on your age, skin condition, the method and how your skin is responding. Some people use the same moisturizer morning and night, while others prefer a lighter crème by day, and either can suit, depending on your skin, preferences and budget. Day Cream vs Night Cream helps you decide.
Victoria’s approach
Victoria Nash, founder of Esenté Skincare, has been a licensed aesthetician since 2003. She also owns and operates Younger You Clinique and is an experienced skincare educator. She draws on her professional experience at Younger You Clinique when evaluating skincare products and their performance. Her emphasis falls on the evening: going to bed with a completely clean, makeup-free face. Eye makeup comes off first, and Victoria uses small sterile, non-impregnated gauze squares with a dedicated eye makeup remover for that step, then discards them. For facial cleansing and general makeup removal she prefers professional facial sponges, used gently with the appropriate cleanser. Fingertips are acceptable, but she prefers sponges for more thorough cleansing. Whatever your routine, don’t go to sleep wearing makeup.
Examples from the Esenté range include the Eye-Onizer Gentle Makeup Remover, which Victoria uses with those gauze squares, the Hydra Day Crème for the morning, the Hydra-Plus Night Crème for the evening and the Night Renewal Set. Neither Hydra crème is intended for the eye area. These are examples among other Esenté formulations, chosen for your skin, preferences and budget. Esenté works with boutique manufacturers to develop and select formulations that meet the brand’s ingredient, performance and quality criteria. For daytime sun protection, the Derma-Defense SPF 30 and the Derma Defense Z-Cote SPF30 are both labeled Broad Spectrum SPF 30; follow the label directions for application and reapplication. If you want help sorting your own products into morning and night, ask on the Ask Victoria page.
Frequently asked questions
A warm-water rinse or a cleanse, an appropriate toner or mist, any serum, an eye product, moisturizer, then broad-spectrum sunscreen applied as its label directs. Products generally go on thinnest to thickest, and each product’s directions take precedence over any general order.
General dermatology guidance is morning and night. After a thorough evening cleanse, Esenté’s approach for most skin is a warm-water rinse in the morning, with a cleanser for skin that wants one, such as oilier skin. Individual needs vary.
Retinol is generally used at night. Follow the directions for your individual product, and wear daily broad-spectrum sunscreen as part of your routine.
Many eye products are directed for both. Use an appropriate eye product according to its directions. Facial moisturizers are not always intended for the eye area, so check before carrying one up to the eyes.
No. Sunscreen belongs to the daytime, applied in the morning and reapplied as its label directs. At night it comes off along with makeup and the day’s oil.
About the author. Victoria Nash, founder of Esenté Skincare, has been a licensed aesthetician since 2003. She also owns and operates Younger You Clinique and is an experienced skincare educator.
Reviewed by Victoria Nash, licensed aesthetician, founder of Esenté Skincare and owner of Younger You Clinique. This article is educational and is not medical advice. Ask your dermatologist or licensed skincare professional about products appropriate for your own skin and medical history.
