As we near the conclude of the calendar year, chilly temperatures, blistering winds, and snow days have us layering up with coats, hats, beanies, and gloves. Why? Because the more levels, the far more protected we are against winter season features. The very same strategy applies to skin treatment. Layering on merchandise in excess of other products and solutions is a terrific way to enhance the hydration in your skin, in particular for the duration of the bleakest of cold times. As it turns out, there is a title to this procedure and it is referred to as dampness sandwiching.
A well-liked Korean skin care method, humidity sandwiching popped up on the Western magnificence scene many thanks to Reddit, Instagram, and (that’s right) TikTok. It fundamentally utilizes a three-second rule in which you utilize your skin treatment items to moist pores and skin three seconds soon after cleansing — as opposed to patting your skin dry prior to proceeding with the relaxation of your schedule. “Moisture sandwiching refers to the course of action of making use of products on top rated of moist skin to make certain your skin stays hydrated,” claims Dr. Carl Thornfeldt, board licensed clinical skin doctor and founder of Episciences. The thought powering this is that moist skin is additional receptive to absorption, offering you a lot more benefits to your solutions.
Even though moisture sandwiching is having a second in the buzzy splendor earth, according to Dr. Karyn Grossman, co-founder of RAF 5 and movie star dermatologist, it is one particular of the oldest methods in the e-book. “This has constantly been the golden common in managing skin gently for a long time,” suggests the pro. “Having some h2o on the pores and skin, then incorporating elements to deliver the h2o into the pores and skin [humectants] then incorporating components to seal that water in the pores and skin [occlusives] helps to maintain pores and skin hydrated and wholesome.”
Now that you know the record guiding moisture sandwiching, what are the complete advantages and measures to integrate it accurately into your regimen? In advance, TZR spoke to six skilled dermatologists to get the 411.
What Is A Moisture Sandwich?
If you glance at the fundamentals of a skin treatment schedule, you have three most important ways: cleaning, hydrating, and locking in humidity. On the other hand, with the dampness sandwich strategy, you include in a lot more nutrition among these a few essential techniques, piling on product or service from light to thick textures. So you can have an purchase that seems like this: cleaning, hydrating, moisturizing, firming, moisturizing, serum, and much more moisturizing … or any other combo you want.
“The notion is to lock in hydration to the pores and skin to prevent trans-epidermal humidity reduction (how a great deal h2o the pores and skin retains) and preserve pores and skin glowing and hydrated,” says Dr. Yannis Alexandrides, triple board-qualified plastic surgeon and founder of 111Pores and skin. The target here is to start with the lightest texture goods and layer with heavier ones. In accordance to the skilled, the strategy can be utilised 12 months-spherical but is ideal in the colder months to continue to keep pores and skin hydrated.
Primarily, when the skin is dehydrated or dry, it’s paramount to lure in hydration for the skin to maintain on to. The sandwich technique does this by layering in light-weight, water-based mostly formulas less than thicker lotions so drinking water is sealed into the skin’s deepest levels — making hydrated and bouncy skin.
What Are The Advantages Of A Humidity Sandwich?
Sandwiching creams, oils, moisturizers, and hydrators can lure water into the skin and decrease drinking water decline — making it possible for water to keep in the skin for a more time interval of time, ensuing in much healthier and additional radiant skin. “Every time you evenly dampen your face with faucet h2o and then apply your moisturizer, you enable all your products and solutions penetrate greater,” states Dr. Sherwin Parikh, board-accredited skin doctor and founder of Tribeca Pores and skin Middle. “Ultimately, your skin appears to be and feels flawlessly hydrated and balanced, for a apparent glow.”
Not only that, but it helps protect the pores and skin from the components. “The entire procedure gives a protective barrier to the dry skin and retains skin texture sleek vs . a moisturizer that tends to evaporate and not give the identical tactile textural advancement you’d get from an oil,” states Dr. Loretta Ciraldo MD FAAD, a Miami-based mostly board qualified derm and founder of Dr. Loretta Skincare.
When you use products with lighter textures and scaled-down molecules, it permits for deeper penetration and thicker formulas the potential to lock in moisture. “The thought at the rear of dampness sandwiching is to lock in extra dampness by making use of goods on moist pores and skin,” claims Carmen Castilla, MD, New York Town-dependent board-qualified dermatologist. “It can theoretically attract in additional moisture than just making use of the goods on your own to dry skin.”
How To Include A Moisture Sandwich Into Your Plan
Dr. Gross states the sandwich approach is the identical concept as making use of lotion to the body article-shower. “The moist skin will take up the moisturizer greater and lock in hydration,” the pro tells TZR. So if you are prepared to implement the method to your splendor regime, start out with water-dependent and light-weight possibilities like hydrating toner, essence, or confront mist. Abide by that with a hydrating serum packed with glycerin or hyaluronic acid (aka, humectants that will pull moisture into the deepest levels of your skin) to assistance keep humidity on the surface of the pores and skin.
3rd up, grab your favorite occlusive moisturizer to seal in very long-lasting hydration and end with an right away or 15-minute mask to deeply hydrate the pores and skin. The finest thing about humidity sandwiching is it can be wholly customizable based on your pores and skin treatment wants to see greatest effects. This means, if you prefer 4 ways, 5 ways, eight actions, or 12 — it’s continue to sandwiching. The industry experts all concur this can be done everyday, but to simplicity up if you have zits-susceptible skin (extra on that later on).
And it’s not just your facial area, but your lips much too. Just wet lips with h2o, use a moisturizer on top rated (can be a face cream), and a thick layer of lip balm to end. Preserving the lips moist gives the moisturizer a better prospect at deeper penetration, when the lip balm stops moisture loss.
Does Dampness Sandwiching Do the job On All Skin?
Usually dampness sandwiching is highly valuable on dry and sensitive skin, but it can do the job on other pores and skin varieties as nicely. Having said that, if you have oily pores and skin, the specialists recommend pondering twice on the buzzy craze. “Patients with oily pores and skin and who are acne breakouts-prone must stay clear of occlusive moisturizes given that they may well exacerbate zits flares,” states Castilla. Alternatively of making use of an occlusive moisturizer, Dr. Grossman indicates using a hydrating hyaluronic acid in a gel method on moist pores and skin to hydrate without included oils.
