Why You Should Apply Skin Care Within 3 Seconds of Washing Your Face

Health

Why You Should Apply Skin Care Within 3 Seconds of Washing Your Face

By Elizabeth Denton. Photo by: Scott Kleinman/Getty Images.

If you think Korean beauty products are everywhere these days, it’s because they are. With new products popping up in CVS and Target every other day, it’s easier than ever to pick up Korean skin-care, makeup, and all the sheet masks you could ever want. But it’s not just Korean products we’re living for â€” it’s beauty tips, too.

Just ask Charlotte Cho, aesthetician and co-founder of popular Korean beauty site Soko Glam{: rel=nofollow}. On one of her trips to South Korea recently, Cho learned about a popular skin-care trend Korean women are loving, which she calls the 3 Second Moisturizing Rule.

“It means you go straight into your skincare routine a few seconds after washing up, because damp skin is more receptive to topical actives when wet,” she tells Allure. “Also, occlusives in your moisturizer can actually help seal in water that is on your skin!”

It makes total sense. When you get out of the shower, it’s best to apply moisturizer right away to reap all the skin-soothing benefits. Joshua Zeichner, MD, Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research at the Mount Sinai Hospital, sees the benefits, too.

“Moist, hydrated skin is more likely to absorb the topical ingredients applied to it as compared to dry skin,” he explains. “Studies have shown that applying a moisturizer immediately after bathing results in greater hydration of the skin compared to delayed moisturizing. The same is likely true of other active ingredients found in skin care products. My best advice is to apply your skin care product immediately after padding the skin dry from cleansing.”

Though he says it doesn’t necessarily have to be three seconds, it should be pretty fast. “I’m sure high levels of penetration can still be achieved even within one minute of drying your face,” he adds.

As someone who is half asleep and just trying to remove my makeup before I go to sleep, any trick that can get me closer to my bed even faster is seriously fine by me.

This story originally appeared on Allure.