How to Layer Skincare for Better Results: The Skin-Soak Method Explained

Your skin isn’t just a canvas — it’s an active, layered system with its own rhythm and rules. Every product you apply has a job to do — but whether it can do it depends on the condition of your skin and the order in which you apply it.

At GLO Skin Body, we believe skincare should feel good and make sense. That’s why we’re here to demystify one of the most important (and often overlooked) elements of skin success: how to layer your skincare for real results.

This isn’t about buying more. It’s about using what you already have, better — by understanding how your skin absorbs products and how texture impacts penetration.

Welcome to your guide to the Skin-Soak Method — a simple, science-backed system to layer like a pro.

Think of your skin like a sponge. After cleansing, it’s at its thirstiest — ready to drink in light, water-based formulas. As you move through your routine, you’ll want to go from thinnest to thickest textures. Why? 

• Lighter products absorb faster and prepare skin for the next layer.

• Heavier products create a seal to lock in hydration and actives.

• Getting the order wrong can waste ingredients and limit results.

The Skin-Soak Method breaks your routine into three biologically-relevant phases:

Immediately after cleansing, your skin behaves like a dry sponge. It’s primed to absorb hydration — especially water-based products like mists, toners and essences.

What's happening here:

The outer layer of your skin (stratum corneum) becomes more permeable post-cleanse. This makes it the ideal time to flood the skin with humectants that bind water and plump cells.

How to Layer:

• Mist or pat on hydrating essence within 30 seconds of cleansing

• Apply while skin is still damp — moisture attracts moisture

Hero Ingredients:

• Glycerin – humectant that draws water into skin

• Hyaluronic acid – holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water

• Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5) – soothes and hydrates

Once the skin is well-hydrated, the lipid matrix becomes more flexible. This is the ideal moment for your treatment serums — where small, active molecules can reach deeper layers.

What's happening here:

Skin is now soft and flexible, allowing ingredients like vitamin C, peptides and antioxidants to penetrate where they’re most needed.

How to Layer:

• Use 1–2 pumps of serum

• Gently pat (don’t rub) to minimise trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL)

• Let it settle before moving to moisturiser

Hero Ingredients:

• Vitamin C (10–20%) – brightens and firms

• Niacinamide (5%) – strengthens barrier, reduces pigmentation

• Peptides – stimulate collagen, improve texture

• Green tea extract – antioxidant and anti-inflammatory

• Lactic or glycolic acid – exfoliate and refine texture (night use only)

This final step is your skin’s security guard — locking in all the goodness underneath and shielding your barrier from the environment.

What's happening here:

As water begins to evaporate from the skin, occlusive or emollient ingredients help slow this process, keeping your barrier intact and balanced.

How to Layer:

• Apply a cream or moisturiser that’s rich enough to seal your routine

• In the AM, follow with SPF to complete your daytime barrier

Hero Ingredients: 

• Ceramides (NP, AP, EOP) – lipids that reinforce the skin barrier

• Silicone crosspolymers – breathable occlusives that prevent TEWL

• Zinc oxide or titanium dioxide – mineral SPF that protects without irritation

• Shea butter, jojoba oil – nourish without clogging pores

Yes. If you’re using actives like retinol, peptides or vitamin C, a dedicated eye cream can help minimise sensitivity in this delicate area.

Try:

• Dermalogica Awaken Peptide Eye Gel – smooths puffiness and firms the under-eye area

Apply your eye cream after serum, before moisturiser for best results.

Every skin is different. If your skin runs oily, you might prefer a gel moisturiser over a thick cream. If you’re feeling tight or dry, layering a mist and a hydrating serum could make all the difference.

The Skin-Soak Method is a blueprint — not a one-size-fits-all formula. Use it as a starting point, and tweak based on your skin’s needs.

Want personalised help choosing the right textures or ingredients? Our Skin Experts are just one message away.

Understanding how your skin receives products is the key to making your routine work harder — without doing more. When you layer thoughtfully:

• You reduce waste by helping actives penetrate properly

• You avoid barrier stress by sealing at the right time

• You get better, clearer, calmer results — long term

So next time you’re reaching for your serum or moisturiser, pause. Think of your skin not as a surface — but as a living, breathing organ that thrives with the right support, in the right order.

Here’s to stronger, healthier, more radiant skin — one layer at a time.