Skin is the reflection of your health and following a regular skincare routine keeps your skin hydrated and nourished. Before reaching out for your skincare products, you might be confused, “whether to apply a moisturizer first or a sunscreen? Which is the right order?” As both moisturizer and sunscreen are essentials for a healthy skin, following the right sequence maximizes the benefits.
Do you apply sunscreen or a moisturizer first? This blog post explains everything about the right order for maximum protection. So keep reading.
Why Order Matters In Your Skincare Routine?
Our ancestors believed that skincare is poetry, where every line and every stroke matters. The first layer influences all the other layers after it.
While moisturizer gives nourishment and hydration to your skin by locking in essential moisture. It offers healthy and soft skin. Sunscreen is your skin's best defense, that shields your skin from UV rays and prevents premature aging, dark spots, and pigmentation. Together they provide you an even skin tone.
Do you first layer your sunscreen or a moisturizer? If this question hits your mind, remember this; your sunscreen should be the last step in your morning skincare ritual.
What Is A Moisturizer? Why It Is Essential In Skincare Routine?
Moisturizers are the oil-based or water-based skincare products (either in the form of cream, lotions, balms, or ointments). They contain emollients and are formulated to retain the moisture content of your skin. They also create a protective barrier against environmental aggressors.
Benefits Of Moisturizers:
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Lock In Hydration:
Moisturizer retains your skin’s moisture level. It promotes hydration and provides you a plumpy skin by boosting its strength.
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Reinforce The Skin Barrier:
The skin barrier is the shield that combat external agents. By strengthening this barrier, moisturizer lessens irritation and skin damage.
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Relieves Dryness:
Dryness causes patchy and dull looking skin that leads to irritation. The best moisturizer restores skin’s essential moisture and gives it a smoother and softer touch by removing flakiness.
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Maintains Elasticity:
Applying moisturizer daily twice helps your skin regain its elasticity and natural glow. It prevents the early signs of aging and offers you a shiny and younger looking skin.
Note this: pick a moisturizer that matches your skin type and is weather-resistant. Explore Ramaeri’s huge range of moisturizers that are made to suit specific skin types and address various skin concerns.
What Are Sunscreens? Why Do You Need It In Your Skincare?
Sunscreens are the formulas designed to secure your skin from harsh effects of the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. You can apply sunscreen daily to protect your skin; no matter what the weather or season is.
Advantages Of Sunscreen:
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Blocks Harmful Rays:
Sunscreen by developing a preventive coat protects your skin from tanning, sunburn, pigmentation, redness, and other damages caused by the sun.
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Maintains Youthful Skin:
Sunscreen is the best way to have a younger looking skin. It unlocks your natural glow by reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
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Maintains Your Skin Health:
Continuous exposure to the sun can affect DNA of your skin's cells. Daily using sunscreen lowers this risk by preventing the harmful UV radiation seeping into the skin.
Opt for a sunscreen ideal for your skin. Look out for the options available for vary skin types and specific skin concerns.
Once you learn their skin benefits, it is the time to know whether a sunscreen or a moisturizer has to come first in your skincare ritual.
Moisturizer Or Sunscreen: What To Apply First?
Sunscreen serves as a preventive shield between your skin and the sun, and hence complete your morning skincare routine with sunscreen. Using a moisturizer above sunscreen dilutes it and lowers its strength. Sometimes, your skin type and the sunscreen you are using may alter the order.
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Mineral (Physical) Sunscreen:
Mineral sunscreen fits perfectly on the skin's surface so that it forms an invisible barrier that prevents the sun’s rays from reaching the skin. Since the skin doesn't absorb it completely, it has to be used after the moisturizer. If you are applying it before the moisturizer, note that some of the SPF will be lost. This makes your skin easily liable to sun burns and other skin issues. Mineral sunscreen may leave a whitish form on your skin, that's why, mix it with a solution that blends easily. Prefer SPF 50, which is lightweight, spreads evenly, dries easily, and forms a matte finish.
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Chemical Sunscreen:
They are quite different from mineral sunscreens. They have chemical filters that can be easily absorbed into the skin and transform harmful UV rays into harmless heat. It has to be applied to clean and dry skin. It takes up to 15 to 20 minutes to set and can be used before moisturizing. If you prefer applying it after a moisturizer, then make sure that your skin absorbs it completely.
How To Layer Moisturizer And Sunscreen Properly?
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For Chemical-based Sunscreen:
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Cleanser:
Make your face free from daily buildups like dirt, debris, and other impurities by using a mild cleanser.
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Toner (optional):
Use a cotton dipped in toner and dab it on your face to remove any remaining impurities. Toner maintains the skin's natural pH level and thus, gives you an even skin tone.
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Serum:
Apply a face serum suitable for your skin tone and skin concerns. Apply Vitamin C serum in the morning that fights with free radicals.
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Chemical Sunscreen:
Let your skin absorb the former products before the chemical sunscreen. Then apply it over your face and neck. Wait for 15 to 20 minutes for your SPF to soak in completely before going for a moisturizer.
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Moisturizer:
Use a moisturizer with SPF 50. This gentle formula is suitable for day-to-day application. It blends easily into your skin without leaving a white finish. It can be used under makeup.
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For Mineral-based Sunscreen:
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Cleanser:
Wash your face using a gentle cleanser to remove any impurities and prepare it for other products.
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Toner (optional):
Apply the toner suiting your skin type to maintain hydration, pH level, and let it prepare for further steps of skincare.
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Serum:
Continue toning by a face serum suitable for your skin’s specific types, goals, and concerns.
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Moisturizer:
Use a preferable moisturizer to keep your skin moisturized. It removes the oiliness of your skin.
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Mineral Sunscreen:
Let your moisturizer get fully set in, then apply mineral sunscreen to secure your skin from harmful effects of UV rays. You can even use a tinted sunscreen and give the effect of makeup and skincare both and provide an even complexion.
Final Thoughts:
Even before the beginning of the modern skincare routine, our grandmothers were dependent on Mother Earth. As our grandmothers told us, skincare was not just a daily routine, it was a nourishing ritual. Every morning, their faces glowed up with positive practices, like the use of homemade oils and creams. Their secret lies in the ingredients that are natural and readily available at home. This laid the basis for today's skincare routine.
Understanding which one to apply first, a moisturizer or a sunscreen, is far beyond the technique. It is the practice taught by our elders to maintain a healthy skin and intensive self-care.
Give Your Thoughts.