Do you use toner before or after serum?
It's a great question and today, we're here to answer it, plus some other common Korean beauty questions that skincare lovers have.
Do You Use Toner Before or After Serum?
When it comes to the correct order for layering your skincare products, you've probably heard the conventional wisdom:
Double Cleanse > Toner > Essence > Serum > Moisturizer > Sleeping Mask
And there's a good reason for that.
For most skincare products, it pays to apply your products in the order of the thinnest to the thickest in texture. This is simply to aid absorption and penetration so that your skin absorbs the most vitamins and minerals from your products.
In most cases, your toner will be applied before your serum simply because it's more watery. That's certainly the case even with hydrating style toners.
However, some products are the exceptions to the rule. Let's take a look at those.
When NOT to Apply Your Toner First
Firstly, some Korean beauty serums recommend that you apply them to skin straight after cleansing. Take products like Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum. If that's the case, simply follow the brand's instructions when using the product. Another instance is in the case of Vitamin C serum.
Now, one of the reasons why people recommend putting on Vitamin C serum before your other skincare steps is because pure Vitamin C (AKA L-Ascorbic Acid) is a finnicky ingredient in terms of both stability and penetration. It can be reluctant to penetrate the skin. By putting it on first without any other products underneath it can better ensure that it absorbs into your skin. This is not an exact science obviously, but that's the reason why some brands recommend popping your Vitamin C serum on first.
If you are using a pure Vitamin C serum (as opposed to a Vitamin C derivative), you can simply apply your Vitamin C serum to clean skin after washing your face, let it dry down, then apply the rest of your skincare as normal. Vitamin C derivatives like Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate tend to be more stable and less finnicky so there's not the same need to apply them to the skin straight after cleansing.
Any questions? Drop them below!
Team Jelly Ko