It requires prep products and two-finger application.
The gist:
People often moisturize their faces with faulty technique.
Expert insight:
The first mistake is applying moisturizer to your bare face, says Kate Roach, regional spa manager at Equinox in New York City. Instead, you should prep your skin with toner (to remove excess oils) and serum, which provides hydration for the moisturizer to lock in.
Another bad habit: lathering lotion between your palms, says Ashley Hudson, senior regional manager for EQX Body Lab in New York City. When you do this, the product gets absorbed into your hands before it even touches your face. That means you’ll need to use more for optimal coverage.
When rubbing in moisturizer, do it gently—not vigorously, an all too common approach that irritates the skin around the eyes, Roach adds.
The bottom line:
After priming your skin, use one or two fingers to dab your lotion onto your forehead, nose, cheeks, chin, neck, and chest, Hudson says. Work it in with the tips of your fingers in an upward fanning pattern, moving from the center of your face out to the sides.