How should midlife skincare be layered throughout the day?
Layering skincare in midlife can feel a little confusing, but once you know the order, it becomes easy and even kind of relaxing. Here at Alloy, we usually follow a simple thin to thick approach, and that works really well with both classic midlife staples like vitamin C and retinoids, and also with our M4 estriol products.
For daytime, it helps to start with the lightest textures. Cleanse first, then apply your thinnest treatment. Most vitamin C formulas are lightweight serums, so those usually go on right after cleansing. If you use a DNA repair serum, that would go next since it is often similarly thin. After that, you can bring in your M4 products. The M4 Eye Cream Rx is designed to be used on clean skin, so put that on before anything heavier around your eyes. Then follow with the M4 Face Serum Rx or the M4 Face Cream Rx depending on how much hydration you want. Finish with a moisturizer if you need it and always end with sunscreen.
Evening is when you’d bring in tretinoin if you use it. Apply it on clean skin and give it a moment to settle, then layer your M4 Face Cream Rx over the top. You can use the Eye Cream at night too. Some people reverse the order by putting the M4 on first, but most of our dermatology partners suggest tretinoin first, M4 second, because tretinoin creams tend to be a little thicker.
If you want to hear a dermatologist walk through the daytime and nighttime flow, the Layering and Daily Routine chapter of our conversation with Dr. Ellen Gendler is a great listen. You can watch that here:Layering and Daily Routine
And if you want to explore the full M4 line and see what might fit your routine, you can take a peek at our products anytime at:Alloy Skincare
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