Rozyisback asks…Is it really best to apply lotion after showering? And will I still get the benefit if I don’t put it on after bathing? I see the first ingredient is water usually. I don’t like putting it on after I bathe because my skin is sensitive then and it feels colder than it normally would. Just a sensory issue I have personally. So should I put it on with damp skin before I dried off with a towel?
The Beauty Brains respond:
Putting lotion on after bathing is a more effective way to moisturizer because your skin is saturated with water. The the oily materials in the lotion prevent (some) of the water from evaporating. The fact that the lotion has some water in it is not the key factor.
The trick is to find the right balance of water in your wet skin so your maximizing how much you lock in. The best way to do that is to pat your skin dry with a towel and then apply lotion. If there’s too much water on the surface of your skin it will dilute the lotion and interfere with its ability to set up a film on your skin (which is what locks in the moisture.) On the other hand, if you towel dry your skin too much or if you wait too long after showering, the water that was absorbed by the upper layers of the stratum corneum will be lost.