How to layer skincare?

[amandataytay]

Hey there!! I need help figuring out how to layer my nighttime skin routine! Here is what I have in it and curious on how I’m layering. Curious if I need to be switching the hyaluronic acid and Good Genes:

•face wash 

•prescription retinol

•Good Genes

•hyaluronic acid  

•moisturizer 

[WinglessOne]

Hi @amandataytay ! A few questions for you: 

1. Are you brand new to AHA exfoliants (like Sunday Riley Good Genes)? 
2. Is the Rx retinoid new to you, or have you been using it for at least a month now? 
3. How frequently do you currently use the retinoid? 
4. Do you have a broad spectrum sunscreen for daytime use? 
   

If you’re a retinoid and/or AHA exfoliant newbie, then I recommend this PM routine: 

1. Face wash 
2. Hyaluronic acid (applied to damp skin) 
3. Moisturizer (applied while skin’s still damp) 
4. Rx retinoid 

Your retinoid will still work when applied over moisturizer. The moisturizer can buffer some of the retinoid’s side effects, and this method ensures you’ve locked hydration into your skin before applying the retinoid. 

Save Good Genes for your AM routine. In fact, if you're new to AHA and retinoids, don't use Good Genes at all until you've used the retinoid for a few weeks. That'll let your skin get used to the retinoid. Then you can start using the AHA 1 or 2 mornings a week. You can keep using AHA in the AM and retinoid in the PM; nothing wrong with that. But if you want to try layering them at night, wait til your skin's used to both products and then patch test them layered on, say, a small area of your lower jaw. Note that some people’s skin simply can’t tolerate AHA and a retinoid layered together, while others can layer them with no issues. 

Oh, and never use the AHA more than 3 times a week—and never twice on the same day. Otherwise you'll over-exfoliate your skin, break your skin's moisture barrier, and open your skin to all kinds of badness. Even if Sunday Riley claims you can use Good Genes daily (eh, I don't know if they do), don't do that.