The Power of Pairing your Skincare Products
By Carina Franck | September 2025.
Ever wondered why products have a specific texture with specific ingredients and a very specific order in which you should apply them?
Skincare isn’t just about what individual ingredients do; it’s about how they work together in a formulation, and how different products interact when layered. That’s where the real action happens.
To grasp the reason why you should apply products in their recommended order, let’s look at the three important defense layers of your skin:
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The Biological Layer: On the surface of your skin lives your microbiome, made up of normal flora such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. When this balance is disrupted, it can lead to irritation, dehydration, and various skin conditions.
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The Chemical Barrier (Acid Mantle): This is a thin “hydrolipid” film composed of sebum, sweat, corneocyte debris, ceramides, fatty acids, urea, amino acids, and natural moisturizing factors (NMF). It maintains the skin’s slightly acidic pH (4.5–5.75), which supports a healthy microbiome and inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria and pathogens.
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The Physical Barrier (Lipid Barrier): This lipid matrix protects the skin by preventing transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and blocking the entry of external irritants. It is made up of ceramides, waxes, and other lipid molecules.
Why is this important?
Because these top layers are where ingredients interact with your skin. Understanding them helps explain how different textures and formulations penetrate and ultimately how effectively your products work.
Factors that Determine Optimal Product Penetration
Formulation Composition:
Skincare comes in many forms such as solutions, gels, humectants, emollients, and more. Applying these in the correct order ensures maximum absorption and optimal product performance.
pH Level:
The acidity of a product plays a key role in epidermal penetration. Ingredients formulated at the right pH work in harmony with the skin’s natural acid mantle. Applying a high-pH product over a low-pH one can neutralize its efficacy, reducing results.
Dermal Preparation:
Proper skin preparation is essential. Clean, exfoliated, and well-prepared skin allows for significantly better absorption. (Let your clients experience different preparation products to see the difference.)
Molecular Size:
Smaller molecules move through the skin more efficiently than larger ones. Oil-soluble ingredients, such as retinoids and glycolic acid, penetrate the lipid-rich barrier more effectively. Water, as a solvent, also carries molecules between cell spaces. Well-hydrated skin provides more space between cells, further enhancing penetration.
Application Techniques:
How you apply matters. Gently massaging a product boosts microcirculation, while applying to damp skin enhances absorption and ensures better delivery of active compounds.
Let’s unpack the different types of formulation compositions according to their order of penetration. We always emphasize the importance of skin preparation to enhance product absorption. The most important factor to remember is that all ingredients perform better when applied to clean, well-exfoliated, and damp skin. Which product textures and ingredients should you apply (after cleansing) first for optimal penetration and effect?
1. Liquid Formulations:
Such as CF Ceutical Dermal Solutions contain concentrated active ingredients in fluid form, combined with plant-based humectants that attract water into the skin and act like a magnet. These molecules bind water to skin cells while also transferring nutrients.
Typical hydro-responsive ingredients found in liquid formulations include: Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Panthenol (B5), Resurrection plant extract, Aloe vera, AHAs, Allantoin, Urea, Seaweed & Algae, Saccharide isomerate, Beta-Glucan, and Propanediol. Humectant-based ingredients are also used in gel consistencies, lotions, balms, moisturisers, and creams.
2. Emollient-Based Formulations:
These are water and lipid combinations (lightweight to medium weight). An emollient is a substance that softens and soothes the skin by creating a protective layer that traps moisture and restores the skin’s barrier
Typically, water-based plant extracts and fatty acids derived from plant oils — including Ceramides, Rosehip oil, Abyssinian oil, and Centella asiatica — are added to emollient-based formulations. In our product range, these can be found in correctors, serums, lotions, balms, moisturisers, and creams.
3. Phyto-Occlusive Formulations:
These are typically waterless formulations that act as therapeutic barrier protectors. They form an occlusive shield to prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and support the skin during the healing process by restoring its barrier function.
This type of formulation is used in two of our popular products: Phyto Salve and Lipid Plus Recovery. Both are crafted with natural plant oils and waxes that have been proven to heal, protect, and restore the skin. Key ingredients include Kalahari watermelon seed oil, Jojoba oil, Olive oil, Cogon grass extract, Grapeseed oil, Avocado oil, Melissa oil, Rose geranium oil, Tea tree oil, Calendula, and Shea butter.
When layering different products within our treatment regime, it is vital to apply them in the correct sequence. Our products were thoughtfully formulated to ensure optimal penetration and maximum benefits of their ingredients. You can therefore use each product with confidence, knowing that the ingredients have been carefully compounded, the pH is balanced, and the consistency is perfectly formulated for effective results.
By following the below application sequence based on your personal prescription, your skin will get all the benefits through product penetration.
1.Apply your Liquid formulations first.
Did you know that liquid formulation penetrates 95% better on a clean, well exfoliated, dampened skin. The 5-minute soak rule always apply when you apply liquid or water-based formulations. This allows the formulation to soak up into the skin. Dermal Solutions such as Niacinamide B3 DM or MelanoBright Dermal Solution are typical examples as these penetrate on a cellular level via intercellular & transcellular pathways – dermal fusion
2.Gel-based formulations:
The active ingredient in a gel first dissolve within the gel matrix (through heat or chemical interaction). It then diffuses out of the gel, penetrating and infusing into the skin’s surface.
3.Next up will be the application of your Balms or Lotions.
This is a lightweight cream providing hydration without being too heavy and suitable for all skin conditions. A perfect example is our Phyto Comfort Lotion with soothing and hydrating ingredients.
4.Lightweight Occlusives:
These delicate, plant-based facial oils such as Marula Face Oil and Vitamin C Booster Oil, which can be layered over liquids, gels, or balm mediums. If you experience very dry or dehydrated skin, these facial oils can also be applied directly onto clean, well-exfoliated skin. Always keep in mind that if an occlusive is applied first, liquids and gels will not penetrate effectively, as the natural oil layer creates a barrier.
High-molecular plant-based lipids and free fatty acids influence the skin’s biological layer, chemical barrier, and physical barrier. As they break down, these lipids release essential nutrients that act as antioxidants, vitamins, and micronutrients. This is why lightweight occlusives are an essential step to include in your treatment regime.
5.Treatment Moisturisers:
These are emollients made from a water-and-lipid emulsion (lightweight to medium weight). An emollient is a substance that softens and soothes the skin by forming a protective layer that locks in moisture.
Our moisturisers and creams are specifically formulated as treatment mediums, enriched with active ingredients, natural plant oils, and water-based plant extracts. They not only provide hydration but also deliver additional nutrients to the skin, enhancing results beyond other applications.
Moisturisers help restore the skin’s barrier while allowing active ingredients to penetrate effectively and act on the cells where needed.
Should your skin need additional or temporary nourishment, any of our occlusive, water-less formulations can be added to your homecare regime. The Marula Face Oil will be a winner for your skin!
In summary: Always apply products on a clean, well exfoliated, damp skin. First liquids, gels, balms, moisturisers and then occlusives.
My final thoughts: Mediums matter! The effect of ingredients is linked to the medium that they were formulated in. By aligning the biochemical nature of actives with the correct application medium ensures optimal treatment results. Our products not just a sensory experience, it was formulated with the correct pH value, the perfect consistency to ensure that you achieve a healthy, fully functional skin.