Moisturizers should be applied to clean skin after you cleanse your face, as they prevent skin from drying out post-wash. They're also most effective when applied to slightly damp skin, as they seal in moisture.
"Skin's oil production peaks at midday, and there is less oil production at night. Therefore, when you lose that protective layer of natural oils, your skin loses more water, so it's important to replenish the water loss with a moisturizer overnight," says Sobel.
Use Moisturizer Right After You Wash Your Face
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the best time to apply moisturizer is when your skin is damp as this can help lock in hydration. Use your face cream before your skin has dried post-cleansing.
Moisturizers are most effective if you use them while your skin is still damp because damp skin absorbs the product more readily.
Most people tend to rub moisturizer in the palms of their hands before applying, meaning that much of your precious product is absorbing into your hands. Instead, pump a little to the back of your hand, then take your ring finger and dab it all over your face before gently massaging it in.
If you're dealing with acne, the right moisturizer serves 2 roles. First, it can help regulate oil production, which may help decrease breakouts. Second, it can help combat some of the negative side effects of the active ingredients in your acne-fighting products, like cleansers or spot treatments.
The rest of the product then sits atop your face and forms a thin layer of oil, bacteria, and other ingredients. This layer will then clog the pores and whenever cores get clogged, pimples and zits form. So, yes, moisturizer can cause acne but it only typically happens whenever you over-moisturize your skin.
Goldenberg's go-to recommendation for timing between serums and moisturizers is about one minute. This wait has the same reasoning: Sixty seconds — give or take — gives each product a moment to delve into your pores.
Yes, it is possible for moisturizers to make skin darker or fair. This happens when the moisturizer contains a sunscreen that isn't broad-spectrum, meaning it doesn't protect against both UVA and UVB rays. UVA radiation can cause skin to darken, while UVB radiation can cause sunburn.
Rogers recommends using a physical sunscreen with zinc and to apply it after your moisturizer. “Zinc is safe, effective and provides the broadest protection against UVA and UVB rays.”
Dr. Garshick says the most immediate signs are clogged pores, blackheads, and excess oil production. She advises moisturizing no more than two times a day, using a product formulated for your skin type.
So should you moisturize oily skin? YES, you need to moisturize your skin, even if it is oily and acne-prone. To understand why, let's take a closer look at what a moisturizer really does. Moisturizers don't add water to your skin, but rather help hold the water in the outer layer of your skin to keep it hydrated.
Just as you should cleanse your skin twice a day, your face is calling out for moisture at least two times a day—in the morning and at night. You want to moisturize after every time you cleanse. This way, you can lock in moisture and keep skin from drying out.
Night is an essential time to renew your mind—and your skin. Adding a lotion before bed creates softer, more hydrated, and better-looking skin the next day. It also helps seal in moisture and repairs the skin barrier that's compromised by dry air and harsh cleansers.
Over time, all that squinting will lead to wrinkles. When we think about skin care, most of us immediately think "face" and forget about the skin that covers the rest of our bodies. Gohara urges everyone to moisturize their body at night.
DON'T Skip Your Moisturizer
According to famed esthetician Renee Rouleau, skipping moisturizer can cause breakouts, rather than the reverse. Go for something light and oil free if you're worried about aggravating your pores, but it's not something you should let fall to the wayside.
You should absolutely moisturize your skin even if you have active acne. It's an absolute myth that moisturizing your face will worsen your acne. In fact, moisturizers are necessary to keep acne-prone skin as relaxed as possible.
Generally accepted advice about the use of moisturizers is to apply it twice daily––every morning and every night. It's the most commonly accepted practice because it ensures that the moisture content of your skin remains constant throughout the entire 24 hour period.
Your skin needs moisture to heal and improve its appearance. The top layer of skin alone – the stratum corneum – can absorb three times its weight in water. If you suffer from acne scarring on your body (shoulders and back for example) moisturize with Vaseline® Intensive Care Deep Restore Lotion.
So even if you wash your face at night and your pillowcases often, an a.m. cleanse is best practice. Plus, if you're putting on products like treatments, serums, moisturizers, or night creams before bed, you'll want to wash those off in the morning before putting on your daytime products.
MOISTURIZER DO: TAKE YOUR SKIN CARE ROUTINE SERIOUSLY
That means cleansing and following up with moisturizer twice a day. Plus, applying moisturizer can help to give your complexion a radiant glow.
Don't Forget to Use Moisturizer After Cleansing
While you do want to give your face a good cleaning, you don't want to overly strip the skin of essential oils or cause dryness, notes Zeichner.
Clogged pores are the most immediate sign of over moisturising. Too much moisturiser or heavy formulations can clog your pores, because of which you end up with blackheads and whiteheads.
Use an oil-free moisturizer, preferably including hyaluronic acid, to deeply hydrate the skin, says Bratschi. This is an essential step to getting rid of blackheads, because overly dry skin can start to produce excess blackhead-causing oils.