Basic Isn’t Always Basic

Someone once said that you can’t give advanced knowledge to someone who is basic, even if the knowledge is basic to you. It makes sense. We all have different expertise, knowledge on different topics. If I try to talk to my husband about healthcare he often gets irritated with my medical terminology skills. 10-4 is my most advanced radio lingo but he can have a full conversation with his cop friends in nothing but numbers. One question that I get asked a lot about products is “how do I use it?” which seems self explanatory to me. But something so basic can actually be very complicated. How much do you use? In what order do you use it? Wash first or after? Leave it on indefinetely or wash it off? Where can I put it? Where shouldn’t I put it? Skincare product application can actually be trickier than I give credit. So here are my tips for skin care product application.

  1. Always apply sunscreen as your LAST product in the mornings. Otherwise the order is usually flexible. At Johnson Dermatology we try to write down what order to use products if it makes a difference.
  2. Put product on the back of your hand before applying it to your face. This allows control of consistency of the product before going to your face and it keeps your hands’ skin taken care of too. If you pump the product into the palm of your hand then some of the product is wasted on the tough, thick palm skin. The back of the hand can really age a person. You want your hands protected with sunscreen and reversing the damage with retinol or other specialty products. Some products separate in the packaging. Squirting onto the back of your hand and then mixing with one finger there allows you to get rid of any dry clumps and mixing any separation that may have occured in the bottle.
  3. One pump is enough. If you are using a product that comes in a pump (retinol, TNS, lytera or HA5 for example) then one pump is a sufficient quantity. If you are using a product that comes in a jar (like redness relief calmplex) then use one pea size drop amount for entire face. This is a general rule, sometimes there are variations but this is a good starting point at least.
  4. Apply evenly to face. My favorite technique is to get the initial pea size drop of the product on the back of the hand and make sure it is mixed evenly and remove any clumps from drying. Next, take one finger from the opposite hand and put an even amount on each cheek, forehead, chin and nose. Then you can rub it all over your face for an even distribution. If you have some product left on your hands rub down the neck and decollete. Lastly, rub the back of your hands together so no product is wasted.
  5. Wash your face prior to applying product. This simply gets off any dirt or product that could block your skincare products from penetrating the skin like you want. I don’t recommend cleansing more than twice a day.

What tips do you have for applying skin care products? Would you like to see a video on our youtube page of me applying my regimen? Do you have any questions? I love hearing from you guys! I always take your suggestions to heart. Hope your weekend was magical!

“It’s still magic even if you know how it’s done.” -Terry Pratchett

XOXO, Nina

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