Hydrating skin is mostly about layering. Water-based products go on first to add moisture, and something richer goes on top to keep it there. Skip the second part and a lot of that moisture simply evaporates. The first group is where to start. Milky toners and essences like LANEIGE's Cream Skin, AESTURA's Milky Hydro Essence and Farmacy's Honey Milk go on right after cleansing, and a hyaluronic serum like Glow Recipe's Plum Plump or Medik8's Hydr8 B5 comes next. Creams like LANEIGE's Water Bank and Peter Thomas Roth's Peptide Skinjection finish it off.

What decides this is your skin type and how much richness it can take. Oily skin often does fine with a toner, a serum and a light cream. Dry or irritated skin needs a proper barrier cream like AESTURA's ATOBARRIER365 or Farmacy's Honey Halo, both built around ceramides. Keep cleansing gentle, since a harsh cleanser undoes everything that comes after it, and RoC's gel-to-foam cleanser is a softer option. Retinoids like Peter Thomas Roth's Retinol Fusion PM can be drying at first, so pair them with extra hydration instead of cutting back.

Consistency beats the number of steps. Go from the thinnest texture to the richest, and apply toner and serum while skin is still a little damp. In the morning, finish with a moisturizer that has SPF, like Peter Thomas Roth's Water Drench Sheer Tint, or add EltaMD's sunscreen on top. At night, swap the cream for an overnight mask a few times a week. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Overnight and Origins' Drink Up are the easy ones, and RoC's Barrier Renew PM is the nightly version. If you take one thing away, seal it in, because hydration without a cream on top doesn't stay in your skin for long.