If you’re looking to make sure all those fancy serums, ampoules and treatments fully penetrate into your skin for best results, you’ve come to the right place.
There’s nothing worse than stocking up on all the right skin care products and then not getting the full benefit of that product because dirt, grime or dead skin is in the way.
Find out how to help your skin care products absorb better so you get the best results every time.
*this post contains affiliate links and some products mentioned were gifted*
1 . Properly Wash Your Face
What’s this? How would it be possible to wash your face without doing it properly? Easy! Whenever you apply any SPF/sunscreen or makeup products, you really need to ensure you are properly double cleansing your skin, because SPF and makeup don’t come off that easily.
I share a more detailed post on double cleansing here, but quite simply double cleansing involves removing SPF and makeup first with an oil-based cleanser (which usually come in a liquid or balm form) and then washing it a second time with an oil-free, foaming cleanser.
By ensuring that all the dirt, oil, makeup and SPF are properly removed from your face, you can be sure that when you apply your skin care products and treatments on top, they will better absorb on not be blocked by that cream blush you didn’t properly remove from your pores.
If you have oily skin, I’m sure the thought of applying an oil-based cleanser is terrifying to you, but not to worry! These cleansers are designed to rinse away clean with no grease or residue left behind. Even better, many people with oily or acne-prone skin have found oil cleansing is a great way to unclog pores and remove blackheads, which I explain here.
A great oil-based cleanser that removes anything you put on your face without drying out your skin is the Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Cleansing Balm. It uses natural oils to deep clean and nourish skin and rinses away clean with no residue left behind.
The Oil Cleansing Method For Clear Skin + 15 Cleansing Oils To Consider
If you want to effectively remove makeup/SPF, gently clean your skin and reduce acne, the Oil Cleansing Method might be something to try in your skin care routine.
2. Exfoliate your Skin
Exfoliating on a regular basis helps your skin care products to absorb better because exfoliation removes dead skin cells and debris from your skin that can block how your products absorb.
Exfoliating with a chemical exfoliant, like The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, or using a gentle form of mechanical exfoliation from a scrub or silicone cleansing brush, can leave you with smoother, clearer skin that is ready to easily absorb whatever you put on top of it.
Just be sure to only exfoliate as often as your skin tolerates it; some skin types can exfoliate daily while others can only handle exfoliation 1-2 times per week before skin begins to feel irritated.
3. Try Facial Massage
Facial massage has a number of skin care benefits that you really need to know about. One of those benefits? Facial massage can help your skin care products to better penetrate into your skin.
So if you have just finished applying the last step of your skin care routine, grab a facial roller or pulsing facial massager or even just your fingertips and give your face a relaxing massage to push those products in deeper.
It’s also a great way to de-stress and de-puff your face while boosting circulation under the skin. Just remember to always massage from the centre of your face, outwards and upwards to the hairline.
A great skin care tool that intensely massages your face with T-Sonic pulsations while delivering a gentle microcurrent to plump and smooth skin is the FOREO BEAR mini – it is seriously amazing and I reviewed it in great detail here.
RELATED READING: The Facial Massage Tool That’s De-Puffing My Face
4. Always Apply Skin Care Products To Damp Skin
A few years ago, I can remember watching one of those daytime talk shows and heard a dermatologist recommend that moisturizers and hydrating skin care products should be applied to damp skin to increase their absorption because damp skin is more permeable than dry skin. Ever since then, I’ve followed this skin care recommendation and believe it’s one of the best pieces of skin care advice I ever got!
After cleansing, I’ll lightly pat my skin almost dry and start applying all my skin care products in order – exfoliant, hydrating toner, essence, serum, treatment, eye cream and finally moisturizer – all without waiting for my skin to fully dry between each step.
I also use this tip when applying lotions and moisturizers to my body and try to apply them when I’m fresh out of the shower and still slightly damp. It’s also believed that damp skin will help active skin care ingredients travel deeper into the skin, which is the reason retinols are recommended to be applied to dry skin – to reduce the potential for irritation.
Besides increasing product absorption, applying your products onto damp skin can help stickier or hard to spread products to spread easier, which helps you get better coverage with less product.
5. Layer Skin Care Products Properly
Skin care products have different textures and consistencies and need to be applied in the proper order to ensure they penetrate and work as designed. Based on this principle, you should always apply your skin care products from lightest consistency (e.g. water-based) to heaviest (oil-based), which usually looks like this:
-hydrating toner
-essence and/or sheet mask
-hydrating serums/oil-free ampoules
-treatment serums or lotions
-moisturizer
-facial oil
Properly layering your skin care will ensure that lighter, water-based products don’t get blocked from penetrating into the skin by oil-based products and will ensure all your products absorb as they were designed to.
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How do you ensure your skin care products absorb better?
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