Beauty Tips For Body Care
tl;dr My derm recommended I do this after I told her that any moisturizer I used felt like it formed a film on top of my skin and didn't get absorbed. As a bonus, doing this almost completely stopped excessive dryness and irritation from using Retin-A (Tretinoin).I wanted to share this tip because it seems like moisturizing consistently shows up as the LAST step in the routine of ScA folks, after serums and actives, on dry skin. While I'm sure that works for many of you, I thought maybe some could benefit from trying a different method. Namely, applying your moisturizer immediately after showering, while your skin is still damp.There is some disagreement online about just how wet your skin should be when doing this. Personally, I find it best to do it within a few seconds of hopping out of the shower, after patting my hair dry and gently rubbing away any big droplets of water on my face. Then, as I towel the rest of my body dry and put on clothes, my moisturizer feels like it sinks in as my skin naturally air dries (but stays moisturized!). Within a couple of minutes, I can move on to the rest of my routine.Wait, doesn't that prevent you from using other products? What about the lighter-to-heavier layering rule? As I mentioned before, this has not interfered with the rest of my routine, and members of the sub have talked before about how the LtH "rule" is not strictly a rule. In my case, in the morning, I use Vanicream Lite Lotion. It layers perfectly well under The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% serum, followed by Aczone (Dapsone) and my SPF. No pilling! In the evening, I use Hada Labo Skin Plumping Gel, followed by Cerave in the tub, Aquaphor on my lips, and Retin-A (Tretinoin) as the last step. With Tret, it's important I wait ~15 minutes after the previous steps to really minimize any irritation. One thing to note is that I have experienced some pilling if I try to use TO Niacinamide or Aczone on top of heavier (i.e. more occlusive) moisturizers like Cerave in the tub. Still not a big deal if I'm just going to bed after.And speaking of Tretinoin, after I started applying it on top of my moisturizer as opposed to under it, I got rid of virtually any irritation I experienced from it! I didn't even think this was possible, but nowadays I only really suffer from small cracks on the sides of my lips, which the Aquaphor helps with. Some sources call this practice "buffering," and mention that it can slow the absorption of actives, or even its effectiveness. Anecdotally, I haven't noticed any difference in how effective Tretinoin is for me (it's still my favorite ingredient, even more so now that she's finally showing some mercy on my skin). My derm also assured me that applying it on top of the moisturizer will not prevent it from working. I wish I had known this from the time I started using it!Out of an abundance of caution, I went looking for a scientific paper from a reputable peer-reviewed journal to support my derm's recommendation to apply a moisturizer on damp skin. Below is a link to an article in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics on best practices for the management of Atopic Dermatitis (aka Eczema). I know this is a pediatrics journal, so if anyone finds a better source feel free to post in the comments!Patients/caregivers should be instructed on proper skin care, including skin hydration with warm soaking baths or showers, immediately followed by application to damp skin of an adequate amount of moisturizer (emphasis added)Link to article
Girls Blog 2015
Submitted by FeelTheRoom
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