When to Rub vs. When to Pat: Almost your entire skincare regimen — toners, essences, serums, moisturizers, and eye creams included — should be patted into the skin, since liquids, creams, lotions, and gel-based offerings absorb best with this technique.
Applying serums is a whole different ball game. For starters, rubbing it onto your face is not advised. Serums should be pressed and patted into the skin so that it can fully absorb all the benefits. Follow our simple steps to ensure you're getting the most out of your serums.
"She explained that using the patting technique was not only less damaging on the skin structure, but it also increased the absorption and effectiveness of the ingredients as well as stimulated the blood flow, giving a nice glow to the skin." Cho echoes these sentiments adding, patting "helps your products absorb ...
The Bottom Line. Rubbing your moisturizer in is so automatic, but your skin doesn't like it. Pat it in with love and tender care: it keeps wrinkles off your face and makes your lotions and potions work much better.
Unlike other skincare products like thick face creams and moisturizers that you massage into your skin in an upward direction, serums are meant to be applied to your face in small tapping motions with your fingertips or your palms. Do not rub your skin excessively, let the serum absorb into your skin on its own.
To allow serums to fully absorb, apply and wait 5 minutes before moisturizing. Take note: Well-formulated serums absorb quickly and disappear into your skin. If they leave an oily or sticky residue, they're not doing their job well.
Then, because vitamin C serums tend to be quite watery in texture, it's easier to pat your hands together and then gently pat the serum into your skin rather than rubbing it in like a cream.
According to the experts, the hero ingredient actually needs to be applied to damp skin in order to work. In fact, applying it to a dry face can have the opposite effect of what is intended, and actually leave skin more dehydrated. "Hyaluronic acid is a moisture magnet," says Allies of Skin founder Nicolas Travis.
By rubbing or patting your face dry, you remove moisture, making it difficult for the product to reach the deeper layer of the dermis. Other than this, your towel probably sits on the stand all day, accumulating bacteria through the day.
It truly depends on your skin type. If your skin is more tired and you're looking for a glow, rubbing may work better for you. If your skin is more sensitive and already has a lot of redness, your skin may work better with a patting technique.
Take about half of the retinol cream that's on your fingertip and rub it lightly into your forehead. Then take the rest of the cream and, using fingertips from both hands, rub it across your cheeks and chin and around your eyes until you no longer see any product. Rub the cream in using small, circular motions.
Rather, serums supplement your moisturizer and each product greatly benefits the other. After you've waited 5 minutes for the serum to absorb, apply your moisturizer to your face and neck. The moisturizer is the final step and finishing touch that helps seal in your serum and lock in the nutrients.
You can use face serum twice a day—before your moisturizer—but reserve products with retinol for nighttime. “Generally, most people should be using a treatment serum twice day,” says Hirsch.
In general, it is best to apply serum before moisturizer. This gives the active ingredients in the serum the best chance of working. Otherwise, the best order and time of day for a skin care routine depends on the products' ingredients and the person's goals.
Second, avoid anything with harsh ingredients like alcohol and fragrance, or anything with a high acid concentration. “The majority of over-the-counter (OTC) cosmetic creams, lotions, and serums are water based and contain less than 2 percent hyaluronic acid,” Frey explains.
As long as you have the serum sandwiched between slightly damp skin and a moisturizer, you're good to go. It really plumps up the skin and makes it look nice and moisturized, and stays moisturized, throughout the day. NT: You definitely want your skin to be wet or damp before applying a hyaluronic acid serum.
Can You Use Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C Together? Not all powerful skincare ingredients can be mixed, but hyaluronic acid and vitamin C are two that become even stronger when paired with one another. These ingredients can provide both immediate and lasting results when used together in anti-aging formulations.
If you are applying a Vitamin C serum and hyaluronic acid separately, it's suggested that you apply the Vitamin C first, and then add the hyaluronic acid afterward in order to help fortify the skin barrier and lock in the moisture.
The proper way to apply your sunscreen is to squeeze dots of product all over your face and pat them into the skin. Do not rub. Pat, pat, pat. As mentioned in Margot's post about your basic skincare routine, sunscreen is always the last step.
One study even recommends applying a vitamin C serum every eight hours, or twice daily for the pinnacle of protection. Vitamin C has photoprotective properties and staves off oxidative stress from the free radicals we meet throughout our day.
“I definitely recommend serums for anyone who is concerned about aging. It's a really good way to get extra anti-aging effects, more than your typical moisturizer and sunscreen,” says Dr. Waldman.
Serums are thinner and lighter than moisturizers and have a greater variety of functions. A serum usually has smaller molecules combined with a high concentration of ingredients designed to penetrate, improve and/or nourish the skin in some way. A moisturizer's job is to hydrate the skin and prevent water loss.
Q: Should we wash the face after serum mask
then you can either complete your skin care routine with your desired moisturizer or even complete your look with your desired make up. No...after applying a sheet mask gently tap the serum and let it absorb into your skin after that apply your moisturiser.