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How much skincare should you use?

How much of each skincare product to use — cleanser, serum, eye product, moisturizer and sunscreen — and why too much or too little both cause problems.

3 min read · By the Ozera Labs editorial team · Updated

Clear glass and water in natural light

Use the amount on each product’s label. As a general guide: a small amount of cleanser, a few drops of serum, a grain of rice per eye of eye product, about a dime-sized amount of moisturizer, and much more sunscreen than most people use, at least a teaspoon for the face according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

A step-by-step guide

Typical amounts for the face (follow your product’s label first)
Step Typical amount
Cleanser A small amount, enough to lather or spread over the face
Serum A few drops, often 3–4
Eye product About a grain of rice per eye
Moisturizer About a dime-sized amount for face and neck
Sunscreen At least 1 teaspoon for the face (AAD)

Too much: what goes wrong

Using more of an active serum doesn’t speed up results. It raises the chance of irritation.

Too little: what goes wrong

  • Sunscreen is where too little matters most. SPF is tested at a generous application, so a thin layer gives less protection than the label suggests.
  • Moisturizer: skin may still feel tight.
  • Uneven coverage: patches get missed, often the sides of the face, the neck and the ears.

Adjusting within the label

  • Drier skin or winter: a little more moisturizer, or a richer one. Adjusting for weather.
  • Oilier skin or summer: a little less moisturizer, or a lighter texture.
  • Retinol: keep to the label amount and increase frequency slowly, not amount.
  • Sunscreen: don’t reduce it.

Tips for consistent amounts

  • Dispense into your palm or fingertips, not straight onto your face, so you can see the amount.
  • Warm creams between your fingertips for easier spreading.
  • Press serums in rather than rubbing.
  • Cover the neck, jawline and hairline.

How long will a bottle last?

It depends on the amount, how often you use it, and whether you include your neck. Brands that promise an exact number of days are estimating. Work out value by price per ml instead. What you’re paying for.

Further reading: American Academy of Dermatology: How to apply sunscreen · American Academy of Dermatology: Tips to relieve dry skin

Our labels give amounts: three to four drops for 004 and 003, a grain of rice per eye for 002, and a dime-sized amount for 001 Copper Peptide Cream.

Photography: COPAL / Unsplash. Editorial photograph.

General information, not personal medical advice. For persistent concerns or a reaction, speak with a qualified healthcare professional.