Does Eye Cream Go Before or After Moisturiser?

Eye cream usually goes before face moisturiser, after any essence or serum you use. That is a useful starting point for a hydrating eye cream. If the instructions on your particular product give a different order, follow those.

Already put your face cream on? There is no need to wash everything off and begin again. Keep the next application straightforward: check the label, use the suggested amount and handle the eye area gently. Getting through your routine should not involve second-guessing every bottle.

Where does it fit in the routine you already have?

You do not need to add a toner, an essence and several serums just to make room for eye cream. Work with the products you actually use. For a routine with a cleanser, a hydrating serum and a face cream, the order can look like this:

1. Cleanse. Remove makeup first if you are wearing it, then finish your usual cleanse.
2. Apply your serum, if you use one. Keep products that are not intended for the eye area away from it.
3. Apply the eye cream. Use the amount and placement recommended on its packaging.
4. Apply your face moisturiser. In the morning, finish your skincare with sunscreen, following its directions.

At night, the position of an ordinary hydrating eye cream can stay the same; the sunscreen step drops out. A product intended only for evening use needs its own instructions, rather than the same schedule as every cream on the shelf.

This order is a practical guide to layering. It does not mean that a face moisturiser makes an impenetrable barrier, or that applying products in a different order once has cancelled your routine. Medik8 advises putting eye cream after face serum and before moisturiser, while also making the product label the reference point.

A little care matters more than another layer

Start with clean hands and the quantity on the label. A full pump, a squeeze from a tube and a scoop from a jar are not interchangeable measures. Check what the manufacturer actually recommends before copying an amount shown in a video.

Place the cream where its instructions indicate and pat lightly with a fingertip. Avoid dragging the skin or working the cream right into the lash line. Do not assume it belongs on your eyelids; Paula's Choice advises doing that only when the specific packaging allows it.

If the next product seems to slide around, pause before adding it rather than rubbing harder. When you are getting ready for work, that pause is a convenient moment to brush your hair or choose your concealer. There is no need to turn it into a timed ritual unless your product asks for one.

Two Korean eye creams to consider

If you want to add this step, choose one eye cream first. You do not need both of the options below in the same routine.

COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream

COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream is a hydrating eye cream in a pump bottle. COSRX places it after an essence, serum or ampoule and recommends a gentle application around the eyes. That gives it a clear place between your lighter skincare and face moisturiser.

ETUDE Moistfull Collagen Eye Cream

ETUDE Moistfull Collagen Eye Cream is another moisturising option for the eye area. ETUDE describes the range's eye cream in terms of hydration. Check the product listing and your pack when choosing it, rather than assuming that every version has the same ingredient percentages.