The Layering Game

If dermatologists have taught us anything, it's that the order in which you apply your skin-care products makes a difference. "My rule of thumb is apply your products from thinnest to thickest," New York dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman told us. Admittedly, that's a little tricky when the skin care is also in your makeup. "Even if you can have topical Vitamin C in its most active form, L-Ascorbic, if it’s applied with a thick foundation, is it really active? Or is it just sitting on top of your skin mixed in with all the makeup muck?" Short answer: probably not.

Therefore, just like skin-care products of varied consistencies, don't expect actives in the third, fourth, or even 10th layer of product to have any chance of getting through to your skin. "If you already applied a thick cream or SPF, anything on top isn't going to be able to penetrate the skin," Dr. Engelman explained. As a rule of thumb, she says that the only things an active ingredient in makeup could reasonably penetrate are a hydrating mist, toner, or light serum. Translation: Your cream blush could do some good if you're wearing it alone, but apply it over SPF, primer, and foundation and there's little to no chance. (Of course, Dr. Engelman stresses that skipping SPF is only suitable for nighttime.)

Clever Marketing Or Skin Saviors?

Even if you give your product the best shot of working by applying it directly to your skin, however, it may simply not be effective. It's a point that Dr. Ron Moy, Los Angeles dermatologist, cosmetic surgeon, and vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation stressed — sans sugarcoating. "Most products don’t actually have any active ingredients that really work, scientifically," he told us. "We get seduced by marketing and packaging, but there isn’t a lot of science."