OK, we’ll keep this simple. We know you probably Googled this in the middle of your skincare routine, so here’s the answer to the question: how many minutes should you wait between skincare steps?

Not long, says more than a few dermatologists. “”Current formulations are made for layering, so you don’t need to wait a specific amount of time between each step, [but you should] wait for one step to be absorbed and then move on to another,” advises Dendy Engelman, a board-certified New York dermatologist in an interview with Allure.

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According to Paula’s Choice, a US skincare company that specializes in fragrance-free and cruelty-free skincare, “everything you apply is going to easily absorb and do its job of taking great care of your skin. No product is going to get in the way of another product’s ability to permeate into skin or interfere with its efficacy. Skin can easily handle many beneficial ingredients all at once.” Great to hear!

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You just need to be careful, however, with the kinds of ingredients you’re mixing together (rather than the intervals between steps). Certain ingredients, like niacinamide and Vitamin C, shouldn’t be used in the same routine, for example.

TL;DR? Just wait for the product to absorb. When your skin feels ‘dry’ enough to accept the next product, move on along!

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