“The best time to moisturize your skin is after you get out of the shower or right after you wash your face,” says Imahiyerobo-Ip. “Gently pat your skin and apply moisturizer to slightly damp skin. This will seal in the moisture from your shower.”
It’s recommended to do this twice a day (in the morning and at night), but Van Dyke says it might also be beneficial to moisturize midday, especially if the environment around you is dry. “Try misting the face and then applying moisturizer. In a pinch, just mist on top of the moisturizer, allowing the water to be drawn in,” she says.
Make sure you are applying your product actively, not passively, Kim advises. “Why not simultaneously stimulate collagen production and increase circulation?” she says. “When applying products, I always recommend to mindfully pat or slap in an upward motion, and do so for as long as you want (I actually hit quite hard that my skin turns pink!) when applying the products.”
When it comes to your baths and showers, you want to hit the sweet spot in terms of water temperature and duration, as more than that could dry out your skin. Gmyrek recommends taking short baths or showers of 15 to 20 minutes and using lukewarm, not hot, water. Use non-soap cleansers that are fragrance-free, as soaps can strip essential oils from the skin.
