Getting More from The Power Couple: Pairings and Small Habits

To get the most from The Power Couple, keep each serum at its own end of the day: The Royal Kalahari Face Serum in the morning, and the Wrinkle Reducing Ultra Peptide Intensive Face Serum at night, given a minute to absorb. Once that is in place, the gains come from small things: the right amount, damp skin, sunscreen by day, a good partner product at each end, and leaving the peptide serum out on retinol nights.

Get the order right first

The most common mistake with a two-serum set is using both at once, morning and night, stacked one on top of the other. The Power Couple is not designed that way. The Royal Kalahari Face Serum is a light face oil that sits comfortably under sunscreen and makeup, so it belongs to the morning. The peptide serum is made for the evening, when it can be pressed into clean skin and left alone through the night.

Splitting them keeps both routines short and gives each formula the conditions it was made for. If you have been layering them together, try a week of morning and night apart and see how your skin feels.

Amounts that work

• The Royal Kalahari Face Serum: four to six drops, warmed between your fingertips and pressed into face and neck. On very warm, humid days, the lower end is plenty.
• The peptide serum: two to four drops, pressed into clean skin in the evening. Give them a minute to sink in before anything else goes on.

More does not help with either. Extra oil sits on the surface in the morning, and extra serum at night simply takes longer to absorb.

Partners for the morning

Start with a cleanser that does not leave skin tight. The Rose Face Wash Cream melts into damp skin and rinses clean and soft. Then choose one of two steps before the oil serum.

• Detox Gel. A light, cool aloe gel that sits between toning and moisturizing, so the oil serum that follows glides on more easily. Gel first, serum second, ideally while the gel is still fresh. This pairing is sold on its own as our Royal Kalahari Face Serum and Detox Gel Bundle.
• Vitamin C Collagen Boosting Face Serum with Niacinamide. A light serum that helps dull, uneven-looking skin look brighter. Press three or four drops into clean skin, wait a moment, then follow with The Royal Kalahari Face Serum as your face oil.

Whichever you choose, finish with sunscreen. A brighter, more even-looking tone is worth protecting.

Partners for the evening

The peptide serum works on its own, but two of our products build on it at night.

• Wrinkle Reducing Ultra Peptide Intensive Night Cream. The serum's natural partner, with the same three peptides in a rich, velvety cream. After the serum has had its minute, massage a small amount over face, neck and décolletage. The two serums plus this cream make up The Youth Trifecta.
• The Midnight Youth Potion. A night oil-serum of thirteen botanical oils with niacinamide and sodium hyaluronate. Our Complete Face Serum Collection suggests peptides at night with the potion last, four to six drops pressed into clean skin.

Through the seasons

In the colder months, when indoor heating dries the air, skin often wants more at night. That is the time to add the night cream over the peptide serum. In the morning, use the full six drops of Royal Kalahari and keep a mist like the Rose Petal Mist Face Toner nearby for a midday refresh.

In summer, lighten the morning. Four drops of Royal Kalahari is usually enough, and on humid days the serum can go on over damp skin without anything before it. The evening routine rarely needs to change.

Small habits that add up

• Press, do not rub. Pressing settles an oil into the skin; rubbing mostly moves it around.
• Apply to slightly damp skin. Both serums spread further, so you need fewer drops.
• Include the neck. The Royal Kalahari directions say face and neck. Carry what is left on your fingertips down.
• Skip the peptide serum on retinol nights. Use your retinoid on its own evening and come back to the peptide serum the next night.
• Be patient with the peptides. Judge the look of fine lines over several weeks of steady use, not a few nights.

Questions we hear about getting more from The Power Couple

Can I use both serums in the same routine?

We suggest keeping them apart, as the set's directions say: Royal Kalahari in the morning and the peptide serum at night.

Can I add the Vitamin C serum?

Yes, in the morning. Press in three or four drops of the Vitamin C serum, wait a moment, then follow with The Royal Kalahari Face Serum and sunscreen.

Can I use the peptide serum with retinol?

Not on the same night. On evenings you use retinol, skip the peptide serum and return to it the next evening.

What can I add at night for more moisture?

The Ultra Peptide Night Cream, smoothed over the peptide serum as the last step. It leaves skin feeling cushioned until morning.