Trust us when we say that nothing divides a room full of beauty experts quite like a debate over how long to leave between each step of your skincare routine. While some experts insist that formulas can be slapped on one after the other in a matter of seconds, others stand by the viewpoint that in order to get the most out of your products, you should wait a little while before applying the next step.
But what are the benefits of waiting between steps, and why are so many experts concerned about layering them up? To get to the bottom of this issue once and for all, we’ve reached out to a whole bunch of skincare experts to try and make some sense of it all. Essentially, it all comes down to allowing the product enough time to absorb into the skin. Dr Kaywaan Khan, medical doctor and aesthetician at Hannah London Medispa explains: “Risks of not leaving sufficient time for each product to absorb include pilling (when flaky balls form on the face) and dilution of the products used.”
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And while it is true that most experts agree with these comments, the issues come to down to how important of a lesson it really is. You see, while some experts insist you should leave anywhere between 30 seconds and 15 minutes between layers, others argue it’s far more important to just get the product on. “If you don’t have the time, it won’t harm the skin by applying products directly after each other. However, I do always recommend massaging the face to allow products to fully absorb,” says Chelseé Lewis, celebrity facialist.
However, after weighing up all of the feedback, it seems almost impossible to give one hard and fast rule. The truth is, the importance of waiting for full absorption varies depending on the skincare product you’re using and the product you intend to apply straight afterwards. To settle the matter once and for all, this is how long you should really be leaving between your skincare steps if you’re serious about maximising results.
Hydrating serums (straight after cleansing, but wait a few seconds afterwards)
Every single expert we spoke to agreed on this one. You should waste no time between cleansing and applying your hyaluronic acid serum. Dr Ana Mansouri, aesthetic doctor at Kat & Co explains: “Hyaluronic acid-based serums benefit from application on slightly damp skin straight after cleansing/toning as they draw in moisture like a sponge.”
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