Short answer: Start with clean skin, then build your skincare in order: an appropriate toner or mist, any serum, an eye product, moisturizer and sunscreen, each according to its directions. Let each layer settle before makeup goes on. Makeup with an SPF number does not replace sunscreen, so apply sunscreen as its own step, generously and evenly as its label directs. The other end of the day matters as much: eye makeup off first with a dedicated remover, then a gentle, thorough facial cleanse, so you go to bed with clean, makeup-free skin.
Makeup sits on whatever is underneath it, so the base is worth getting right.
Start with clean skin
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 suits skin that wants one, such as oilier skin. General dermatology guidance is to wash morning and night, and individual needs vary.
An appropriate toner or mist follows as its own step. What it contributes depends on its formulation. If you use a facial mist, check its directions for timing: some mists are used only as part of this step, while others can also go over finished makeup. What Does Toner Do? explains the step.
Serum and eye care
Any serum you use goes on next, one product at a time, in the amount its directions give.
Then comes an appropriate eye product. The skin around the eyes is delicate, so apply the product gently according to its directions, avoiding unnecessary pulling or dragging. Let any eye product settle before concealer goes over it.
Moisturize, then let it settle
Apply moisturizer after the preceding steps, following its directions, with clean fingertips and light strokes. Makeup tends to cling to dry patches and flaky edges, so comfortable, moisturized skin gives you a smoother surface to work on.
Then wait for it to settle. There is no fixed time: the layer is ready when it no longer feels wet or slippery under your fingertip.
Sunscreen is its own step
A broad-spectrum sunscreen goes on after moisturizer and before makeup. Apply it generously and evenly as its label directs. If your moisturizer is labeled with an SPF, it is a sunscreen as well, and its label directions apply.
Makeup with SPF is a different case. The SPF number on a foundation or powder comes from laboratory testing at a set amount of product, and most people wear far less foundation or powder than that. Makeup with SPF does not replace sunscreen, so rely on the sunscreen underneath rather than counting on the makeup. Does Makeup With SPF Count as Sunscreen? goes into the detail.
If you will be outdoors, follow your sunscreen’s label directions for reapplication, and add a hat, clothing and shade as well. Do You Need Sunscreen Every Day? covers why daily sunscreen matters.
Keeping it light
Keeping skincare light under makeup works when “light” means the appropriate amount of each product, not leaving out moisturizer or sunscreen.
Too much product underneath can make makeup slide or look patchy, so use the amount the directions give and spread it evenly. Primers are optional; a well-settled moisturizer and sunscreen are the base either way.
The other end of the day
Preparing your skin for makeup includes taking it off again, because makeup, sunscreen and the day’s oil do not belong on your skin overnight.
Eyes first. Eye makeup generally warrants a dedicated eye makeup remover before you cleanse the rest of your face. Follow the remover’s directions, let it soften the makeup, then lift it away gently. Removal should never turn into scrubbing.
Then cleanse your face. A thorough, gentle cleanse with lukewarm water, light pressure and an appropriate cleanser takes off what is left. A soft professional facial sponge gives a thorough cleanse, and fingertips are acceptable too.
Reapplied makeup means cleansing again. If you took makeup off earlier and put it back on for an evening out, cleanse again before bed.
Choosing between a sponge, gauze or washcloth explains which tool suits which job, and How to Take Your Makeup Off Properly goes through the whole method.
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 central rule is going to bed with a thoroughly clean, makeup-free face. Whatever your routine, don’t go to sleep wearing makeup. For eye makeup, Victoria uses small sterile, non-impregnated gauze squares with Eye-Onizer Gentle Makeup Remover, then discards them. These are plain gauze squares, not commercially pre-moistened makeup wipes. Facial cleansing follows, and for that and for 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.
For the morning, examples from the Esenté range include the Hydra Day Crème and Hydro Mist, an antioxidant spray that can be used before makeup, after makeup to help set it and throughout the day as desired. For the evening, there is the Eye-Onizer Gentle Makeup Remover. The Hydra Day Crème is not intended for the eye area, and it comes in a jar, so take it out with a clean spatula. These are examples among other Esenté formulations that may suit 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. Follow the directions for each product you use, and if you have a question about your own routine, send it through the Ask Victoria page.
Frequently asked questions
Clean skin, an appropriate toner or mist, any serum, an eye product, moisturizer, then a broad-spectrum sunscreen applied as its label directs. Let each layer settle before the next, and use the amount each product’s directions give.
Before. Sunscreen goes on after moisturizer and before makeup, as its own step. If you will be outdoors, follow the label’s directions for reapplication.
It does not replace sunscreen. The SPF number comes from testing at a set amount of product, more foundation or powder than most people wear. Wear sunscreen underneath, applied as its label directs.
Yes, if its directions allow it. Follow the directions for the one you use. Hydro Mist, for example, can be used after cleansing before makeup, and also after makeup to help set it.
Use a dedicated eye makeup remover before cleansing the rest of your face, and lift the makeup away gently rather than scrubbing. Victoria uses small sterile, non-impregnated gauze squares with Eye-Onizer Gentle Makeup Remover, discarding each square after use, before facial cleansing.
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.
