---
title: "Acne Medication Order for Two or More Creams, and the Wait Between"
description: "Using two or three acne creams? Who sets the order, a log for times, gaps before the next step and stinging, and a list of questions for your prescriber."
url: https://troublediary.com/en/qna/multiple-ointments-timing/
markdown: https://troublediary.com/en/qna/multiple-ointments-timing.md
language: en
site: "TroubleDiary"
publisher: "KW Cosmetic Content Team"
author: "KW Cosmetic Content Team"
section: "Quick Q&A"
keywords: ["acne treatment order", "acne cream order", "can i use two acne treatments at once", "how long to wait between acne cream and moisturizer", "apply acne cream before or after moisturizer", "acne scar cream order", "acne cream", "skincare order"]
published: 2026-10-01
updated: 2026-10-01
evidence: "Mixed · Evidence across several grades"
image: https://troublediary.com/images/multiple-ointments-timing/multiple-ointments-timing-cover.jpg
alternates:
  ko: https://troublediary.com/qna/multiple-ointments-timing.md
  vi: https://troublediary.com/vi/qna/multiple-ointments-timing.md
  th: https://troublediary.com/th/qna/multiple-ointments-timing.md
  tl: https://troublediary.com/tl/qna/multiple-ointments-timing.md
  ja: https://troublediary.com/ja/qna/multiple-ointments-timing.md
---

# Acne Medication Order for Two or More Creams, and the Wait Between

> When you use two or more acne creams, the order and the gap between them are set by whoever prescribed or dispensed them. Your part is to write down when you applied each one and how your skin reacted.

Using two or three acne creams? Who sets the order, a log for times, gaps before the next step and stinging, and a list of questions for your prescriber.

![A bedroom at night seen through a door left slightly open, with one bedside lamp lighting white bedding and a bench at the foot of the bed](https://troublediary.com/images/multiple-ointments-timing/multiple-ointments-timing-cover.jpg)

| Situation | What to record | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| The day you get a prescription | Each medicine's name exactly as on the pharmacy label, morning or evening, and where to apply it | Korean Dermatological Association · society |
| When the way you apply it changes | Changing only the spacing of the same medicine changed first-week irritation scores (120 people) | 2018 RCT · A |
| When a moisturizer is added | The group that added a moisturizer with specific ingredients had less irritation than the placebo-moisturizer and gel-only groups (120 people, 8 weeks) | 2016 RCT · A |
| At the visit | Tell the doctor about cosmetics and oral medicines you have used | KDCA · official |

The two institutional sources here are both Korean: the Korean Dermatological Association (Korea's professional society of dermatologists) and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Korea's national public health agency.

## Who decides the order when you use two or three acne creams?

The prescribing doctor or the dispensing pharmacist sets the order; your job is to apply them in that order and keep a record. The Korean Dermatological Association explains that care starts by checking the medicines you used before, how you reacted, and any other medicines you use alongside.

Say you have a gel from your dermatologist and an over-the-counter cream you bought at a drugstore a while back sitting in the same drawer. It is quicker to bring both and ask first which one to keep using.

![Three textures laid out vertically on a pale yellow background: a clear gel with bubbles, a glossy white cream, and a thick yellowish balm](https://troublediary.com/images/multiple-ointments-timing/multiple-ointments-timing-3.jpg)
*While you use several different textures, write down each day the order your prescriber set and the time you applied each one.*

## Does changing only how you apply it change your skin's reaction?

Yes. In a 2018 trial that split 120 people with acne into four application schedules, the group that applied every other day instead of every night had lower stinging and burning scores at week 1, and lesion reduction at 12 weeks was similar across schedules.

Since the schedule alone can change the reaction to the same medicine, bring your log to your prescriber instead of stretching the gap or dropping one on your own when stinging starts.

![A gray-haired man in a white coat touches a drop of clear gel on his fingertip to his cheek beside the cheekbone](https://troublediary.com/images/multiple-ointments-timing/multiple-ointments-timing-1.jpg)
*Mark any day the method or spacing changed in the notes column of your log.*

## Does moisturizer go before or after the acne cream?

No study compares before versus after directly; there are only studies that looked at using a moisturizer alongside. In a 2016 trial of 120 Asian patients with acne, the group that paired a prescription topical gel with a moisturizer containing specific ingredients had less measured irritation over 8 weeks than the gel-only group and the placebo-moisturizer group.

A 2006 split-face trial in women with sun-aged skin had them apply a different moisturizer to each side of the face starting two weeks before the prescription topical, and the side with added barrier ingredients had less early irritation. Both studies used specific moisturizers, though, so follow your prescriber's instructions on which step it belongs in.

![An open palm in a pale yellow knit sleeve holds a small dot of white lotion while the index finger of the other hand reaches toward it](https://troublediary.com/images/multiple-ointments-timing/multiple-ointments-timing-2.jpg)
*Write the time you applied moisturizer in the same row as the medicine.*

## Two-week log for more than one acne cream

| Date and time of day | What you applied (exactly as on the label) | Time applied | Time of next step | Moisturizer | Stinging or redness (0–3) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 morning |  |  |  | Used / not used |  | Sunscreen time |
| Day 1 evening |  |  |  |  |  | Face-wash time |
| Day 3 evening |  |  |  |  |  | Mark skipped days |
| Day 7 evening |  |  |  |  |  | Number of new bumps |
| Day 14 | Continue / changed / stopped |  |  |  | Total | Questions for your prescriber |

What to bring to the visit: every medicine you use (in its original packaging), older creams left in your drawer, the names of your skincare products, and, if you have periods, notes on whether things shift with your cycle.

## When should you call your prescriber or a dermatologist?

- If the area you applied it to swells or oozes, hold off on using it that day and contact the clinic that prescribed it.
- If your stinging score stays at 2 or higher for more than three days, bring your log and talk to your prescriber.
- The KDCA says the approach is changed if there is no improvement after 6 to 8 weeks of steady use under a doctor's care, so book a follow-up with your doctor around then.

## Evidence summary

- In a 2018 trial that split 120 people with acne into four application schedules (PMID 30187864), the every-other-day group had lower irritation scores at week 1 than the every-night group, and lesion reduction at 12 weeks was similar across groups.
- In a 2016 trial comparing 120 Asian patients with acne over 8 weeks (PMID 26293170), the group that paired a prescription topical gel with a moisturizer containing specific ingredients had lower skin irritation measurements than the gel-only and placebo-moisturizer groups.
- The KDCA says it is important to tell your doctor before care starts which cosmetics you have used and which medicines you take by mouth.

## Frequently asked questions

### What order do I use two or three acne creams in?

There is no single set order. Each medicine has its own timing and area, so follow the order given by the clinic that prescribed it or the pharmacy that filled it. The Korean Dermatological Association says a visit starts by checking the medicines you used before, how you reacted, and anything else you use now. Notes on what you applied, morning and evening, and at what time help when the order is reset.

### How many minutes after acne cream should I apply lotion or moisturizer?

The sources this guide relies on do not compare waiting times. If the pharmacy label or leaflet gives a gap, stick to it; if not, ask your prescriber. Meanwhile, write the time you applied the medicine next to the time you applied moisturizer, so you can see when stinging starts.

### Can I mix my acne cream into my moisturizer?

None of the studies behind this guide tested mixing a medicine and a moisturizer together. Some studies added a moisturizer alongside, but none looked at mixing, so check with your prescriber whether to mix or apply separately. Mixing on your own also makes it hard to record how much you used.

## Sources

- [Randomized trial comparing four ways to apply a prescription acne gel in 120 people, 2018 (PMID 30187864)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30187864/) — A
- [Randomized trial of skin irritation when a prescription gel is used with a moisturizer in 120 Asian patients, 2016 (PMID 26293170)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26293170/) — A
- [Split-face randomized trial of barrier care with moisturizer before starting a prescription topical, 2006 (PMID 17121065)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17121065/) — A
- [Korean Dermatological Association — Acne vulgaris (Korean)](https://www.derma.or.kr/new/general/disease.php?uid=994&mod=document) — Institutional
- [Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) National Health Information Portal — Acne (Korean)](https://health.kdca.go.kr/healthinfo/biz/health/gnrlzHealthInfo/gnrlzHealthInfo/gnrlzHealthInfoView.do?cntnts_sn=3947) — Institutional

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TroubleDiary is a notebook kept by KW Cosmetic Content Team. The routines and logs here are general information, not a diagnosis or medical care. If painful, swollen spots are spreading or have not changed in weeks, consider seeing a dermatologist.

Written by KW Cosmetic Content Team · Last updated 2026-10-01 · https://troublediary.com/en/qna/multiple-ointments-timing/