Joanna Vargas uses four products every single day: a cleanser, a serum, a moisturizer, and sunscreen. She cleanses at night, applies serum morning and night, uses moisturizer twice daily, and finishes each morning with sunscreen. A short routine you actually do beats an elaborate one you skip.
Joanna uses four products every single day: a cleanser, a serum, a moisturizer, and sunscreen. She cleanses at night, applies serum morning and night, uses moisturizer twice daily, and finishes each morning with sunscreen. That’s it.
Most people own twelve products and use six of them inconsistently. A short routine you actually do every day beats an elaborate one you do on Sundays. Joanna has access to every treatment and product we make, and this is what she comes back to.
Why Most People Use Too Many Products
The average person buys a new product every time their skin changes, then layers it over everything they already own. Within six months, the bathroom counter holds ten half-empty bottles and no clear plan.
Skin doesn’t respond to variety. It responds to consistency. Four products used every single day will outperform twelve products used whenever you remember.
The other problem is order. If you apply sunscreen under your serum, or moisturizer before your cleanser dries, you’ve just spent money on products that can’t work. Sequence matters as much as the product itself.
The Four Steps, and When She Does Them
Step One: Cleanser (Night Only)
Joanna cleanses once a day, at night. She uses the Vitamin C Face Wash to remove the day’s sunscreen, pollution, and oil without stripping her skin.
In the morning, she skips the sink. Your skin produces its own protective oils overnight, and washing them off first thing leaves your barrier weaker all day. A splash of water is enough.
If your skin is oily or you wake up with visible buildup, cleanse twice. Otherwise, save it for the end of the day. We wrote more about when and why to cleanse in Cleansers That Make a Difference: How to Choose Yours.
What is the correct order to apply skincare?
Apply products from thinnest to thickest. Serum goes on clean, dry skin. Moisturizer seals it in. Sunscreen goes on last in the morning. If you reverse the order, the thicker product blocks the thinner one from absorbing.
Step Two: Serum (Morning and Night)
Serum is the step most people skip, and it’s the one Joanna never does. The Daily Serum delivers concentrated actives directly into the skin. Moisturizer hydrates the surface. Serum works deeper.
She applies it to clean, dry skin, morning and night. Three to four drops, pressed in with her palms, no rubbing. Rubbing creates friction. Pressing lets the skin absorb.
At night, she’ll rotate in Supernova Retinol Serum or Rejuvenating Antioxidant Oil Serum depending on what her skin needs. In the morning, it’s always the Daily Serum. Consistency, with room to adapt.
Do you need a serum if you already use moisturizer?
Yes. Moisturizer hydrates and protects the surface. Serum delivers actives like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, or peptides that work below the surface to address texture, tone, and firmness. They do different jobs. You need both.
Step Three: Moisturizer (Morning and Night)
After serum absorbs, Joanna applies Daily Hydrating Cream. It seals in the serum and keeps her skin balanced through the day or overnight.
At night, she’ll sometimes add Bright Eye Firming Mask around her eyes before moisturizer, especially after long days. It’s not a daily step, but it’s there when she needs it.
Moisturizer is not optional, even if your skin is oily. Skipping it tells your skin to produce more oil to compensate. A lightweight formula keeps your barrier intact without adding weight.
Should you wash your face in the morning or at night?
Night. Your skin collects sunscreen, pollution, oil, and debris all day. Cleansing at night removes it before it sits on your face for eight hours. In the morning, your skin is already clean. A splash of water is enough unless you wake up visibly oily.
Step Four: Sunscreen (Morning Only)
Sunscreen is the last step every single morning, even indoors. Joanna applies it after moisturizer, and she reapplies if she’s outside for more than two hours.
Most people apply half the amount they need, which cuts the SPF in half. A nickel-sized amount for your face, applied evenly, every morning. No exceptions.
We covered why this step matters more than most people realize in Is Sunscreen Enough to Protect Your Skin in Summer? and Serum or Sunscreen First? The Order That Actually Protects Your Skin.
Does sunscreen go on before or after moisturizer?
After. Moisturizer goes on clean skin to hydrate and seal in your serum. Sunscreen goes on last because it forms a protective film. If you apply moisturizer over sunscreen, you dilute the SPF and reduce its effectiveness.
Order Matters More Than You Think
The sequence is cleanser, serum, moisturizer, sunscreen. If you own all four products but apply them in the wrong order, you lose half the benefit.
Serum absorbs only on clean, dry skin. If you put it over moisturizer, the occlusive layer blocks it. Sunscreen works only as the final step. If you layer anything on top, you break the protective film.
This is why Joanna’s routine is four steps, not ten. Fewer products, applied correctly, in the right order, every day.
Masks and Treatments Are Boosters, Not Daily Steps
Joanna uses masks two to three times a week, not every day. Twilight Face Mask at night when her skin is dull. Forever Glow Anti-Aging Face Mask before an event. Exfoliating Face Mask when texture builds up.
Masks are boosters. They address a specific need in the moment. The four-step routine is what keeps her skin balanced every other day of the year.
Treatments at the spa work the same way. A Triple Crown Classic or Supernova Facial gives your skin a reset. The daily routine maintains it between appointments.
How long before a new routine shows results?
Four to six weeks. Your skin turns over approximately every 28 days, depending on your age. Younger skin renews faster. After 30, the process slows, which is part of what we explored in What Really Happens to Your Skin Between Age 30 and 80. If you start a new routine today, expect to see real changes by week six.
Consistency Beats Complexity
National Wellness Month usually means adding more to your life. Joanna’s approach is the opposite. Four steps, every day, in the right order.
Most people fail because they start with too much. A ten-step routine sounds impressive until you skip it three days in a row. A four-step routine you actually do will always win.
If your skin needs more, add one product at a time and give it four weeks. If it needs less, subtract until you’re left with what you actually use. The goal is not perfection. The goal is a routine you can sustain.
If you want a routine built specifically for your skin, take the Skin Code Quiz. If you’d rather talk it through in person, book an appointment and we’ll walk you through it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct order to apply skincare?
Apply products from thinnest to thickest. Serum goes on clean, dry skin. Moisturizer seals it in. Sunscreen goes on last in the morning. If you reverse the order, the thicker product blocks the thinner one from absorbing.
Should you wash your face in the morning or at night?
Night. Your skin collects sunscreen, pollution, oil, and debris all day. Cleansing at night removes it before it sits on your face for eight hours. In the morning, your skin is already clean. A splash of water is enough unless you wake up visibly oily.
Do you need a serum if you already use moisturizer?
Yes. Moisturizer hydrates and protects the surface. Serum delivers actives like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, or peptides that work below the surface to address texture, tone, and firmness. They do different jobs. You need both.
Does sunscreen go on before or after moisturizer?
After. Moisturizer goes on clean skin to hydrate and seal in your serum. Sunscreen goes on last because it forms a protective film. If you apply moisturizer over sunscreen, you dilute the SPF and reduce its effectiveness.
How long before a new routine shows results?
Four to six weeks. Your skin turns over approximately every 28 days, depending on your age. Younger skin renews faster. After 30, the process slows. If you start a new routine today, expect to see real changes by week six.