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by Team Henné <3 / 10.23.22

Should I Put On Face Oil Before Moisturizer?

A great face oil can do wonders for your skin but if you’re not using it correctly, you’re likely missing out on most of the benefits it has to offer.

One of the most common mistakes people make when using face oils is applying them at the wrong time during their skincare regimen. If you use a water-based moisturizer, then the face oil should always go on after your moisturizer.

However, if you’re using a heavier facial moisturizer (such as a heavy oil based face balm), and if your face oil is lighter than the face balm, then you could apply the face oil beforehand. An easy way to think about it: Oil can penetrate water, but water cannot penetrate oil.

What about when you throw retinol into the mix though (this only applies to evening routines)? If you use a retinol or retinoid in the evening, you should first apply your moisturizer (if it’s water-based), follow with retinol, wait a few minutes and then finish with a layer of face oil.


Woman holding Illumine bottle

Want more skincare layering tips? We’ve got a lengthier blog post in the works that covers skincare layering for both AM and PM, so stay tuned! In the meantime, we hope these tips above will help you reap all the goodness from your beautiful face oil(s).

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