Moisture Barrier

How to complete Moisture Barrier

The three minutes after a shower are when moisturizer actually works best: your skin is still holding water, and lotion seals it in instead of sitting on top of already-dry skin. Hot water strips your natural oils, so this habit directly repairs what the shower just did.

1. Put the lotion somewhere you cannot miss it: on the sink or shelf next to the towel, not in a drawer.
2. Shower with warm rather than hot water; scalding water does most of the drying damage.
3. Pat yourself with the towel until damp, not bone-dry, since rubbing hard removes the water you are trying to trap.
4. Apply body lotion everywhere within about three minutes of turning off the water, starting with the driest zones: shins, elbows, hands.
5. Finish with a separate face moisturizer, since body lotion is usually too heavy or fragranced for facial skin.

Tips

• Fragrance-free formulas are the safe default if your skin ever gets itchy or red.
• Thicker creams and ointments beat runny lotions in winter or dry climates.
• A pump bottle removes just enough friction that you will actually do it every time.

What counts as done

You have gone through the full sequence at least once: shower, pat dry, body lotion and face moisturizer applied while your skin was still damp.