Moisturizer is essential for any good skin care routine, so it’s important to know how to moisturize your face the right way. If you’re familiar with the proper skin care order, moisturizer is applied both morning and night and usually falls as one of the last steps in your routine. Formulated to seal in hydration, moisturizer is typically heavier than the toners or serums you apply underneath.
How to moisturize face
After cleansing your skin, you may be tempted to completely dry your face off with a towel. But according to Daniel Isaacs, chief product officer at Medik8, leaving some excess moisture is actually beneficial. “Applying moisturizer on damp skin helps lock in moisture more effectively,” he says. “When skin is slightly wet, it can absorb hydrating ingredients better, enhancing the product’s efficacy. This practice allows the moisturizer to create a barrier that seals in hydration, resulting in a plumper, more radiant complexion.”
Picking up a quarter-sized amount, apply your moisturizer with your hands using upwards motions. Do not rub or tug at your skin—instead use gentle pressure to sweep the product across your face, making sure to cover areas like the chin, neck, and décolletage.
What ingredients should I look for in moisturizer?
As for what ingredients to look out for? “You should use moisturizers with humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, which pull in water,” says Morgan Rabach, MD, dermatologist and cofounder of LM Medical NYC. “I also recommend looking for ceramides, which seal the outer layers of skin.”
How to apply moisturizer with retinol
If you use retinol and experience dryness, you may want to try the “sandwiching method,” when applying your moisturizer. The idea is that your retinol is sandwiched between layers of moisturizer, to help cushion the skin from irritation.
Aesthetic physician Gendai Echezona, MD, explains: “The sandwich method involves applying a moisturizer before an active ingredient like retinol, then reapplying the moisturizer on top of that product.” The application sequence is: moisturizer, retinol, moisturizer. “This method is used for those who have difficulty tolerating retinols and need a slower acclimation process.”
This is method is especially effective for sensitive skin. “Applying the moisturizer first provides a protective barrier prior to retinol application, minimizing irritation while still allowing some retinol to penetrate,” she adds.
The post How to Moisturize Your Face the Right Way, According to Dermatologists appeared first on Glamour.
