Where Sunscreen Goes in Your Routine: Last Skincare Step, Before Makeup
Serum, moisturizer, or sunscreen first? Dermatologists settle the order: sunscreen is the last skincare step in the morning, right before makeup.
The American Academy of Dermatology advises applying sunscreen as the last step of your morning skincare routine—after moisturizer and beneath makeup.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends a general order in which sunscreen comes last among skincare steps and before makeup, reasoning that products applied earlier (like serums and moisturizers) should reach the skin first while sunscreen sits on top to form its protective layer.
Questions we get a lot
Does sunscreen go before or after moisturizer?
The American Academy of Dermatology advises applying sunscreen after moisturizer, as the last step of your morning skincare routine. Moisturizer and any treatments go on first so they reach the skin. Sunscreen then sits on top to form its protective layer.
Does sunscreen go under or over makeup?
Under. The AAD recommends sunscreen as the last skincare step, beneath makeup. Makeup then goes on after the sunscreen has been applied. This keeps the protective layer in direct contact with your skin.
What's the correct morning skincare order?
Following AAD guidance, a typical morning order is cleanser, then any treatment products, then moisturizer, and finally sunscreen as the last skincare step—after which you can apply makeup. The key principle is that sunscreen comes last among skincare. A consistent order makes daily sun protection easier to remember.
r/SkincareAddiction: 'Do I put sunscreen on before or after my moisturizer—and does it go under makeup or over it?'