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Exfoliate First and Foremost!
It’s a matter of getting out of your own way. Think of the surface of the epidermis-those dead cells-as a barrier. You have to remove it for products to get in. This particular barrier is more like a sheer curtain than a brick wall, however, so go easy. Basic gentle cleansers do a fine job of freeing up pores by removing dirt and oil, but to truly increase product absorption, you’ll need to use a product that is specifically formulated to exfoliate your skin. There are several forms of exfoliation, such as enzymatic, ideal for sensitive and acne-prone skin, a grainy scrub with small, smooth particles which is great for those with sensitive skin.
Go In Order
Your skin has a firm first-come-first-served policy. Whatever goes on first penetrates best. So whether you’re fighting wrinkles, breakouts or sunspots, a serum the most active ingredients should be first in line. If you’re using two products for two different problems, apply once to bare skin in the morning and the other to bare skin at night so you’re guaranteed 100% efficacy from both. After treatments are in place, smooth on other items in order of density, from thinnest to thicket for example sunscreen to night cream.
Apply to just washed skin
Damp skin acts like a sponge, quickly absorbing whatever comes it way (*that’s damp, not wet, as nothing can get into wet skin; products slide right off the water molecules). This rule applies to almost every product. When the skin is hydrated and plumped up – after cleansing or a warm shower – ingredients penetrate more easily into the slightly deeper layers of skin to do things like stimulate collagen. Any water molecules lurking about will act like lubricants.
Warm it up
When you wash your face with luke-warm water instead of cold, you raise the skin’s temperature slightly, causing blood vessels and pores to dilate in an effort to cool you down. Space between the cells means there’s a greater surface area for absorption, which helps product get in. Plus, ingredients move through skin and interact with cells more quickly when the skin is warm.
NOW for some DONTS....
LACK OF COMMITMENT: The number-one thing that hinders your ultimate skincare goals is using something on and off. Don’t give up on a product that hasn’t delivered after one week; most take several weeks to show signs of change. And when I say several I mean 5 - 8 weeks!.
OVERDOING IT: Sometimes stronger isn’t better, and that’s especially true with skin care. For most, there’s no appreciable difference between the efficacy of low-strength benzoyl peroxide and maximum strength, but the high-strength version is a lot more likely to irritate skin and cause dryness. People buy countless acne products and don’t realize that they’re irritating their skin and worsening their breakouts. It can be equally detrimental to overdose yourself on a single product by applying it too often, as well.
