---
title: "Skincare Routine Order Builder: AM & PM Steps | Dew Lilac"
description: "Pick the skincare products you use and get your morning and evening order, with pairing conflicts flagged and every rule linked to its source."
url: https://dewlilac.beauty/
---

# Skincare routine order builder

Tick the products you use. Dew Lilac puts them in layering order for morning and evening, splits actives that shouldn't share a night, and flags pairings to check.

General information from the AAD, Cleveland Clinic and peer-reviewed studies, not medical advice. Prescription directions always come first.

## Your routine

Your picks are saved in this browser only.

Made with Dew Lilac (dewlilac.beauty). General information, not medical advice.

## How the order is worked out

**Thinnest to thickest.** Cleveland Clinic's rule of thumb is to layer from the lightest, most watery product to the heaviest: cleanser, toner or essence, serums, eye cream, then moisturiser. Thin layers go on first so a cream doesn't block them. Face oil sits just before moisturiser in Cleveland Clinic's order; some people prefer it last at night.

**Sunscreen last in the morning.** The AAD says to put sunscreen on after your other skincare and under makeup, about 15 minutes before you go out, and to reapply about every two hours outdoors.

**Retinoids at night.** Retinol, adapalene and tretinoin make skin more sensitive to the sun, so the AAD advises using them in the evening. Tick *Put my retinoid after moisturiser* to apply moisturiser first, one of the ways a dermatologist may suggest to reduce irritation.

**Clashing actives.** Each pair of actives is checked against the [pairing checker's](https://dewlilac.beauty/ingredient-pairing-checker/) matrix. When two evening products are better used on different nights (retinol and a glycolic acid toner, say), you get Evening A and Evening B to alternate. Morning clashes are listed for you to move. Pairs involving a prescription retinoid are marked *ask a clinician*.

**Example.** The default picks (cleanser, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid serum, retinol, an AHA, moisturiser and sunscreen) give one morning routine and two evenings: retinol on one, the AHA on the other, both followed by serum and moisturiser.

Choose *Both*, *Morning* or *Evening* beside each product. Print it for the bathroom mirror, or copy it as text.

## Sources

Every rule and pairing note above links here. Pairing evidence varies: some notes rest on clinical studies, others on lab chemistry, and each says which.

1. Cleveland Clinic. *How to order your skin care routine* (2025). [health.clevelandclinic.org](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/proper-skin-care-product-order)
2. AAD. *Dermatologist-recommended skin care for your 20s*. [aad.org](https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/care/skin-care-in-your-20s)
3. AAD. *Sunscreen FAQs*. [aad.org](https://www.aad.org/media/stats-sunscreen)
4. AAD. *Retinoid or retinol?* [aad.org](https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/anti-aging/retinoid-retinol)
5. AAD. *How to safely exfoliate at home*. [aad.org](https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/routine/safely-exfoliate-at-home)
6. AAD. *Acne: Diagnosis and treatment*. [aad.org](https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/derm-treat/treat)
7. AAD. *10 skin care habits that can worsen acne*. [aad.org](https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/skin-care/habits-stop)
8. Reynolds RV, Yeung H, Cheng CE, et al. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. *J Am Acad Dermatol* 2024;90(5):1006.e1–1006.e30. [doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2023.12.017)
9. US Food and Drug Administration. *Alpha hydroxy acids* (includes the Cosmetic Ingredient Review conclusion on glycolic and lactic acid). [fda.gov](https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/alpha-hydroxy-acids)
10. Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. Safety assessment of salicylic acid and related salicylates. *Int J Toxicol* 2003;22 Suppl 3:1–108. [pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14617432/)
11. Martin B, Meunier C, Montels D, Watts O. Chemical stability of adapalene and tretinoin when combined with benzoyl peroxide in presence and in absence of visible light and ultraviolet radiation. *Br J Dermatol* 1998;139 Suppl 52:8–11 (a study by the adapalene manufacturer's laboratory). [doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2133.1998.1390s2008.x)
12. Buettner GR, Jurkiewicz BA. Catalytic metals, ascorbate and free radicals: combinations to avoid. *Radiat Res* 1996;145(5):532–541. [pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8619018/)
13. Pinnell SR, Yang H, Omar M, et al. Topical L-ascorbic acid: percutaneous absorption studies. *Dermatol Surg* 2001;27(2):137–142. [doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1524-4725.2001.00264.x)
14. Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The roles of vitamin C in skin health. *Nutrients* 2017;9(8):866. [doi.org](https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9080866)
15. Boo YC. Mechanistic basis and clinical evidence for the applications of nicotinamide (niacinamide) to control skin aging and pigmentation. *Antioxidants* 2021;10(8):1315. [doi.org](https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10081315)
16. Ahmad I, Mobeen MF, Sheraz MA, et al. Photochemical interaction of ascorbic acid and nicotinamide in aqueous solution: a kinetic study. *J Photochem Photobiol B* 2018;182:115–121. [doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2018.04.011)
17. Fu JJ, Hillebrand GG, Raleigh P, et al. A randomized, controlled comparative study of the wrinkle reduction benefits of a cosmetic niacinamide/peptide/retinyl propionate product regimen vs. a prescription 0.02% tretinoin product regimen. *Br J Dermatol* 2010;162(3):647–654 (funded by a cosmetics manufacturer). [doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2009.09436.x)
18. Pickart L, Margolina A. Regenerative and protective actions of the GHK-Cu peptide in the light of the new gene data. *Int J Mol Sci* 2018;19(7):1987. [doi.org](https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19071987)

## More skincare tools

- [Ingredient pairing checker](https://dewlilac.beauty/ingredient-pairing-checker/): Retinoids, acids, vitamin C, niacinamide and more: which pairs are fine, which to alternate and why, with sources.
- [INCI list reader](https://dewlilac.beauty/inci-list-reader/): Paste an ingredient list to see what each ingredient does, with fragrance allergens and common sensitisers marked.
- [Patch test tracker](https://dewlilac.beauty/patch-test-tracker/): Test a new product the AAD way, log each check-in and get calendar reminders. Stored on your device.

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## Questions

**What is the right order to apply skincare?**

From the thinnest product to the thickest: cleanser, toner or essence, serums and treatments, eye cream, then moisturiser. In the morning, sunscreen goes on last, after your other skincare and before makeup. If a product comes with its own directions, or a prescriber has told you otherwise, follow those.

**Do I need to wait between layers?**

None of the sources we use gives a fixed waiting time between skincare layers, so the builder doesn't invent one. Letting a layer sink in or dry before the next is a sensible habit. The one timing that is sourced: the AAD advises applying sunscreen about 15 minutes before going outdoors.

**Why does my evening split into Evening A and Evening B?**

Two of your evening actives are better on different nights, usually a retinoid and an exfoliating acid, which the AAD says can worsen dryness when combined. Alternate between the two evenings; everything that doesn't clash, like cleanser, serum and moisturiser, appears in both.

**Can vitamin C and niacinamide go in the same routine?**

Yes. The worry comes from old lab chemistry on the pure substances, not from skin studies. Clinical trials have used formulas containing both, and niacinamide does not cause flushing. The pairing checker shows the details and sources.

**I'm pregnant. Does the order change?**

The order doesn't, but what you use might. The AAD says retinoids should not be used during pregnancy, so talk to a doctor, midwife or pharmacist before using retinol, adapalene or tretinoin if you are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding. Tick the pregnancy option and the builder flags any retinoid you picked.

**Where is my routine saved?**

Only in this browser's local storage on your device. Nothing you pick is sent anywhere. Start again clears it.