How to get the most out of your moisturizer

Wash first. It’s not enough to simply splash water on your face and body. You need to cleanse to remove makeup, dirt, sweat, and grime that may have accumulated on your skin.

Use the right cleanser. Soap can strip your skin of its natural moisturizing oils, so lather up with a cleanser designed specifically for your face. Bar soaps and other body washes aren't acceptable when it comes to your delicate facial skin. Limit your shower to no more than 10 minutes and use warm water, not hot, to prevent your skin from drying out.

Exfoliate regularly. Sloughing off dead skin allows your moisturizer to be absorbed more easily and to penetrate deeper. The very best way to do this is coming to Sole and receiving a microdermabrasion facial. However most of us can't do that once a week, so do your microderms about once a month and substitute at home with a good physical exfoliant, such as a scrub. Want to go a step further? Use the Clarisonic Pro every time your cleanse your skin to keep your skin looking bright.

Apply moisturizer to damp skin. After a shower, your skin already has moisture in it a good moisturizer will help lock the water in, and it penetrates well-hydrated skin better. Moisturize no more than two to three minutes after cleansing to take advantage of the moisture boost.

Massage moisturizer in. Just like nail polish, the way you apply moisturizer makes all the difference. A light massage will allow the cream to be absorbed better and will help distribute it more evenly than a couple of swipes. I recommend using your middle and ring fingers to apply moisturizer with gentle, light upward strokes.

Wait a minute! Don’t rush to put on clothes after you apply moisturizer. You need time to allow the moisturizer to be absorbed, or else it’s just rubbed off by your clothes. The goal is to give yourself a good five minutes before you get dressed. You want to feel clean, hydrated, and ready to face the day.

One of our favorite's is Skin Medica's TNS Ultimate Daily Moisturizer + SPF 20. It is the ultimate in fighting environmental aggressors from the inside out. Enriched with natural antioxidants this moisturizing formula guards against the destructive effects of free radicals and shields your skin against the sun's harmful rays with full spectrum UVA/UVB protection. It is so much more than just a moisturizer!

As seen in W Online...