How Long Should You Let Your Skin Care Set Before Applying Makeup?

Picture this: It's 8 a.m., you just applied your makeup, and it looks pristine. No concealer settling into any creases, no excess oil shining through, and, of course, your highlighter is hitting every high point on your face. The next thing you know, it's 3 p.m., your look has already faded, and you're scurrying to the bathroom for a quick touch-up. 

We've all been there. It's frustrating to spend ample time on a makeup look just to have it wane a few hours later. If this is something you struggle with often, you might be missing an essential step in your routine: allowing your skin care products to fully set. Here's exactly how long to wait until moving on to makeup.

The key to a glowing makeup look is a clean, hydrated canvas. This means you'll want to pamper your skin before applying makeup: Whether you reach for a facial massage tool or a skin-plumping serum (like those with hyaluronic acid), this step will help your makeup apply evenly and last longer—with one caveat. You must let your skin care set before layering on makeup. 

"I recommend waiting a full five minutes or longer to ensure that all the products have been completely absorbed," esthetician, skin care expert, and PCA SKIN's peel ambassador Candice Miele tells mbg. The longer you can wait, though, the better. Especially if you have multiple layers of product on (think serum, moisturizer, sunscreen, etc.), it may take a bit more time for those products to fully absorb. 

How do you know you applied makeup before your skin care set? "If you apply makeup before your skin care has set, your makeup can ball up and roll off the skin," Miele says, also known as pilling. See, most makeup is oil-based—and if you remember the rules of basic chemistry, oil and water do not mix. So if you use water-based skin care products (i.e., humectant serums or moisturizers) and apply an oil-based product right on top, it will create those tiny, pesky beads when you attempt to blend. "Also, the makeup can slide around, not set properly, and won't be as long-lasting," says Miele. 

Putting time and effort into a makeup look just to have it slip off is the worst—luckily, you can easily avoid the mishap. If you find yourself applying foundation right after finishing your skin care routine, try scheduling in a few minutes to let your products fully set. Make sure to apply a hydrating lip balm as well to ensure your lip color glides on smoothly and your pout stays soft and supple. Not sure what order to apply your products pre-makeup? Check out our full guide to skin care layering for some pro tips.