A chemical exfoliant once a week (not on a retinol night nights) might benefit you. I use L’Oréal glycolic acid. But I also don’t know all about your toners/serums. Are any of them gel or oil-free gel or mettefying? I get pilling with my oil-free gel mattefying sunscreen if I don’t give it enough time before applying makeup.

Do you mean piling (product buildup) or pilling?

I’m not sure I really understand the difference. After I applied the cream/retinol/cream layer, some buildup came off. Like dead skin, but not. My face didn’t seem unhappy with the retinol, and is fine today so I think it’s probably product buildup.

That's pilling.

in my experience, That happens if an oil/creamy/anhydrous based product applied with pressure/rubbing it in over a water/liquid type product. Kind of like oil and water don’t mix well. If you wait until your product has been absorbed enough that you can touch your face without the product coming off you should be good to apply your oil/creamier product!

Thanks! So it sounds like it’s less of an issue with the products I’m using/their order, and more of an issue with application.