Trust us when we say that nothing divides a room full of beauty experts quite like a debate over how long to leave between each step of your skincare routine.
While some experts insist that formulas can be slapped on one after the other in a matter of seconds, others stand by the viewpoint that in order to get the most out of your products, you should wait a little while before applying the next step.
I, for one, thought I knew the basic rules when it came to skincare — making sure I wash my face properly by doing a double cleanse with a muslin cloth, always taking my makeup before bed, layering products from light to heavy and so on. A great foundation to start with before adding more steps.
But recently, TikTok and Instagram have been trying to convince me that I've been missing a key ingredient: time. Apparently, I haven't been giving myself enough time in between each step of my routine to let the products sink in and do their thing.
In fact, apparently, by piling on each product moments after the last one, I might even be minimising their effect. Or so some say. But what's the truth when it comes to how long to leave between each step of your skincare routine?
To get to the bottom of this issue once and for all, we reached out to a whole bunch of skincare experts to try and make some sense of it all. Read on to see what they had to say.
Meet the experts
- Dr Kaywaan Khan, medical doctor and aesthetician at Hannah London Medispa
- Chelseé Lewis, celebrity facialist
- Dr Ana Mansouri, aesthetic doctor at Kat & Co
- Dr Ioannis Liakas, Medical Director at Vie Aesthetics
Skip to:
- How long should you leave between each step of your skincare routine?
- What are the benefits of waiting between steps?
- Hydrating serums
- Leave-on acids
- Vitamin C serum
- Retinol
- SPF
How long should you leave between each step of your skincare routine?
As dermatologist Dr Whitney Bowe explained in a video on TikTok, “there’s no exact science” but you should be waiting – at least in between some steps. “You don’t want to wait too long between cleansing and starting your skincare routine,” she wrote. “The longer you wait, the more water evaporates off the surface of your skin (trans epidermal water loss)” which can lead to dryness and disrupt your skin barrier.
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So, what are the benefits of waiting between steps?
Are there any benefits to giving your products more time to sink in between steps? Essentially, it all comes down to allowing the product enough time to absorb into the skin. Dr Kaywaan Khan, medical doctor and aesthetician at Hannah London Medispa explains: “Risks of not leaving sufficient time for each product to absorb include pilling (when flaky balls form on the face) and dilution of the products used.” This can be particularly problematic if you’re applying makeup after your skincare routine, minimising your chance of a flawless base.
You're probably doing it wrong.
While it’s true that most experts agree with these comments, the issues come to down to how important of a lesson it really is. You see, while some experts insist you should leave anywhere between 30 seconds and 15 minutes between layers, others argue it’s far more important to just get the product on.
“If you don’t have the time, it won’t harm the skin by applying products directly after each other. However, I do always recommend massaging the face to allow products to fully absorb,” says Chelseé Lewis, celebrity facialist.
However, after weighing up all of the feedback, it seems almost impossible to give straightforward answer. The truth is, the importance of waiting for full absorption varies depending on the skincare product you’re using and the product you intend to apply straight afterwards.
To settle the matter once and for all, this is how long you should really be leaving between your skincare steps if you’re serious about maximising results.
Hydrating serums (straight after cleansing, but wait a few seconds afterwards)
Every single expert we spoke to agreed on this one. You should waste no time between cleansing and applying your hyaluronic acid serum. Dr Ana Mansouri, aesthetic doctor at Kat & Co explains: “Hyaluronic acid-based serums benefit from application on slightly damp skin straight after cleansing/toning as they draw in moisture like a sponge.”
However, not allowing a few seconds for the serum to absorb afterwards could jeopardise the rest of your routine. “Pilling is when products are layered on top of one another and build up so much that little balls of product are formed on your face,” explains Dr Ioannis Liakas, Medical Director at Vie Aesthetics. “This means the product is not being absorbed into the skin. It’s not only a waste of good product, but it also means the benefits of your skincare routine aren’t being delivered.”
Leave-on acids (follow instructions or wait 20 minutes)
When it comes to leave-on acid products, experts are clear that how long you should wait is totally dependent on the formulation, so always follow instructions on the bottle.
However, if your chosen acid product doesn’t explicitly state how long it should be left for, Dr Mansouri says it’s better to be safe than sorry. “I recommend waiting 20-30 minutes to ensure the skin is dry and to minimise inadvertent interactions,” she says.
Vitamin C serum (leave to absorb for 1-2 minutes)
Every expert we spoke to agreed that vitamin C should ideally be left from a little while before going in with the next step, but the recommended times varied dramatically. The average time suggested was somewhere between 1-2 minutes.
The issue with vitamin C is that it is a very unstable ingredient, meaning products are usually very carefully formulated to keep it as potent as possible.
Dr Khan explains: “With vitamin C, you want to get the most out of the product by not diluting it. A couple of minutes should be an adequate time for the product to dry down before you go in with your next step.”
Retinol (leave to absorb for 10-20 minutes)
Retinol is also an ingredient that should be left to absorb sufficiently into the skin before following up with another product. “It is important to leave a 10-20 minute wait time before applying the next product. Retinols are powerful antioxidants and it is important to allow it to fully absorb if you want to avoid your skin becoming sensitive,” says Dr Liakas.
There is a caveat to this rule, however, so always check instructions. Dr Mansouri says: “In some instances, it can be beneficial to apply a moisturiser before or immediately after a retinol as a means to purposefully limit irritation and buffer absorption in patients who otherwise struggle to adjust to common reactions.”
SPF (15-20 minutes before going outside or applying makeup)
OK, this one is actually important. While all experts agree it’s always far better to rush your SPF process than not do it at all, to get the protection promised on the bottle you should ideally allow time for it to settle.
“As a rule of thumb, after 15 minutes the sunscreen will have formed an effective layer of protection,” says Dr Liakas. It’s also advised that your SPF is fully absorbed before you apply makeup so as not to risk disturbing it (or even removing some of it).
So, there you have it. Everything to know about how to leave between each step of your skincare routine and why.
