If there’s one question that comes up again and again in skincare circles, it’s this: what’s the correct order to apply skincare products?

It’s a fair question — and an important one. Layering products in the right way helps you get the full benefit of each formula, keeps your skin barrier happy, and avoids that dreaded pilling or greasiness.

We’re firm believers in intuitive skincare, but when it comes to layering, there’s a simple structure that works for most skin types — especially when you’re working with oils, mists, and moisturisers like we do at Neighbourhood Botanicals.

Here’s how we recommend doing it.

Every ritual starts with a proper cleanse. In the morning, this could be just a rinse with water and a cleansing cloth, a light exfoliation with a konjac sponge, or our concentrated AHA foaming gel cleanser if needed. In the evening, we’re loyal to oil-based cleansers like our Face Off Oil-to-Milk Cleanser, which effortlessly melts away SPF, makeup, and the day’s grime without stripping your skin.

After cleansing, use a hydrating mist or tonic. This preps your skin, soothes any tightness, and allows humectants to draw in water. We’ve got two beautiful formulas coming soon that fit perfectly here — one is a refreshing mist that balances and cools, the other a concentrated tonic-serum packed with fermented hydrators and sea minerals for deep moisture.
If you use a vitamin C serum or retinol this is where it goes in your routine too.

Next comes your moisturiser, if you use one. Mild Mannered, our humectant-rich facial lotion, is designed for this step. It’s lightweight but deeply hydrating, full of glycerin, aloe, and ceramides to pull water into the skin and soften it without heaviness.

Lastly, seal it all in with a facial oil.
Oils don’t hydrate in the traditional sense, but they lock in moisture and deliver lipids and nutrients your skin needs to thrive. We’ve created facial oils for every skin mood — The Daily Glow is ideal for daytime and gua sha massage, Dream Dream Dream is perfect for deep overnight repair, and Another Year Wiser brings rich, comforting nourishment to dry or mature skin. Use Simmer Down Serum if your skin is feeling irritated and in need of calming down. Also great for calming redness from rosacea, which is why our founder formulated it in the first place.

Once your skin is well-nourished, the last step before makeup is always sunscreen — mineral, chemical or hybrid... whatever kind you’ll actually apply every day. There’s no point in a sunscreen you hate wearing. Find one that suits your skin and apply it liberally every morning as your final skincare step.

Makeup, if you wear it, always comes after sunscreen.

The takeaway?
Cleanse. Lightest to heaviest skincare. SPF.

You don’t need a complicated routine to see results. Just a few well-made products, layered thoughtfully, can transform your skin — and turn your daily skincare into a ritual worth savouring.