The world of beauty is filled with numerous buzzwords, some of which pique your interest immediately, for instance, slugging. Then, of course, there are multiple beauty phrases that you may encounter in your FYP, but have no idea about how they benefit your skin. The latest buzzword that has captured our attention and is taking the skincare world by storm is named ‘moisture sandwich’, and it might be the ultimate solution to tackle your dry skin woes during pregnancy.
This beauty phrase was put on our radar by the Dieux skin co-founder and CEO Charlotte Palermino, who emphasised that a ‘moisture sandwich’ is the technique of stacking your lip and skincare products to give a dampening effect on your skin and prevent moisture loss to reveal a hydrated complexion.
To know why you should incorporate this unique beauty technique in your pregnancy skincare routine, we broke down everything you need to know, from sandwiching your skin and lips, and the best products you should use, below.
What Is A Moisture Sandwich?
As with most trendy skincare terms, ‘moisture sandwich’ blew up on social media platforms, such as Reddit and TikTok, and has been tried and tested by many users and beauty creators. So what exactly does a ‘moisture sandwich’ mean? According to Palermino, “The moisture sandwich is a process of layering hydrating skincare products in a specific order that helps trap water in your skin and prevent transepidermal water loss.”
Palermino further explained, “This technique works best when you layer lighter and more watery products on your damp skin first, and then follow it up by layering the thicker products, so that the water remains trapped for longer, allowing for a more hydrated and happy complexion.”
The Benefits Of A Moisture Sandwich
The main idea of the moisture sandwich method is to hold water in your skin and lips to prevent conditions such as dry skin. Hence, using this technique will not only help deliver ultra-hydration to your skin but also enhance your overall skincare experience. Moreover, when you trap moisture in your skin, it helps with deeper product penetration into the skin layers and allows your skin to receive the skincare better.
This technique also benefits your skin cosmetically—meaning it gives your complexion a dampening effect and makes it appear super glossy and hydrated, you may even consider ditching your highlighter for the extra sheen.
How Does The Moisture Sandwich Technique Work?
The moisture sandwich method typically applies to your lips and skin. The technique may slightly differ for each area. For a better understanding, we have given you an entire breakdown of how you can use this technique for your skin and lips, below.
For Your Face
If you are battling dry skin during pregnancy, this should be your ultimate order of skincare products
- Water/Face mist
- Serum
- Moisturiser
- Face oil (in case your skin is extremely dry and rough)
After a shower, dampen your skin using water or spritz your skin with a hydrating face mist. Next, move on to applying a hyaluronic acid-based serum all over your face, after which massage a moisturiser to your skin, and lastly, lock in all the moisture and hydration with nourishing face oil.
For Your Lips
If you have dry and chapped lips, follow this order in your lip care routine
- Water
- Moisturiser (the same one as your skin)
- Lip balm
Begin by dampening your lips with water, and then layer a rich, creamy moisturiser on top (the same one that you are using on your skin). Finish by applying a thick layer of lip balm on top. The moisturiser will help the active ingredients to absorb better, and the application of lip balm will prevent any water loss, reducing peeling and flakiness in the process.
The Products You Should Use
For your skin sandwich, there are a couple of products that you can reach out for! Look for a natural face serum that contains hyaluronic acid, and other potent antioxidants, such as bakuchiol, niacinamide, and vitamin E. All these ingredients are gentle on your skin and work to increase hydration in your skin and boost firmness.
Opt for a natural moisturiser that is designed to prevent dryness and contains rich hydrating ingredients, such as vitamin C, aloe vera, green tea, and squalane. Besides boosting hydration, these ingredients also help prevent transepidermal water loss and even out your skin texture. You can use this moisturiser for your lip sandwich too.
In case your skin is extremely dry, you should also consider incorporating a rich and moisturising face oil into your pregnancy skincare routine. Think, of natural face oil with potent ingredients like bakuchiol, chia seed oil, and sea buckthorn oil, which lock in hydration, restore your skin’s natural glow, and make it appear plump and supple.
For your lips, opt for a natural lip balm designed with botanical oils and protective ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, flaxseed oil, and candelilla wax. All these ingredients maximise hydration in your lips and prevent water loss from your lips to reduce dryness.
The Precautions You Must Take
When it comes to moisture sandwiching, ensure to steer clear of retinoids, and exfoliating acids. While retinoids are simply not safe for use during pregnancy, exfoliating acids may irritate your skin and make your dry skin condition even worse. Also, if you have acne-prone skin, use a specially designed oil-free moisturiser to prevent the clogging of your pores and acne breakouts.
This unique beauty technique is literally #moisturisedskingoals, and if done the right way, it can definitely beat your dry skin concerns during pregnancy. Apart from increasing hydration, the moisture sandwich method can also enhance your overall skin health and make your complexion appear glowy, nourished, and supple, and isn’t it what we all dream of? BRB, we are on our way to sandwiching our face, wbu?
Also read:
Ultimate PM skincare routine: Want that Sonam Kapoor glow? Check out these amazing skincare products for a nourished and spot-free complexion.
CTM skincare routine: Want to tackle your pregnancy skin woes? Check out this expert-approved CTM skincare routine and the best pregnancy-safe products to use.
Slugging and its skin benefits: Slugging can make your skin plump and glowy. Read this post to know more about this viral skincare technique and the best products to use.
Feature image: Alia Bhatt/Instagram
