Like most people, you want to keep your skin soft and hydrated. But doing so can get complicated, especially with all the available products. And when it comes to having soft skin all over, a lotion is always the best and much cheaper option. Let’s take a closer look:
Perhaps the biggest difference between lotions is their water content. A lotion is typically a mix of water and droplets of oil, you can choose whether you want a lighter or thicker in texture. It is non-greasy but the thicker the texture, the greasier it will be. The body lotion is formulated to be more readily absorbed by the skin. It’s excellent for normal to slightly dry skin and is ideal for use during the day and night.
Mix Different Lotions Together
The answer is YES. You can mix different lotions. But there is a way of doing this. It is wrong to mix 2 different lotions on your palm, then apply them to your skin. The right way of doing the mixing is by applying the first lotion on your skin, then waiting for a few minutes, then applying the second lotion. The reason for doing it this way is because, if you mix both lotions at the same time, some of the ingredients will cancel one another.
You not only have to be concerned if the active ingredients will be inactivated, but you also need to be concerned if there will be any reactions among the ingredients that could result in adverse effects. For instance, if some of the products are acidic and some are basic then there will be an acid-base reaction that can result in the generation of gases. In a closed container this can build up pressure and release explosively when you open the container. The lotion that is formulated with benzoyl peroxide uses ingredients that are compatible with the peroxide which, chemically speaking, is an oxidizing agent (a bleach). These are notoriously reactive with many other chemicals. Therefore, mixing it with other formulations would not bring any benefits.
In general, it is a bad idea to mix lotion formulations, especially when they contain acids, bases, oxidizers, and biocides. It is a better strategy to examine whether you need all these different products or if some of them are redundant. For instance, glycolic acid and lactic acid fulfil the same purpose in a formulation, they are both alpha-hydroxy acids that exfoliate the skin. If you are using two lotions one after the other where one contains glycolic acid and the other lactic acid you're exfoliating twice. You should consider whether you need that level of wear and tear on your skin.
But you are still insisting on mixing different lotions, as has been suggested earlier, you can apply the first lotion on your skin, leave it for a few minutes, then apply the second lotion. This will allow the absorption of ingredients from both lotions. What`s interesting, there is another 1 step that you can do for maximum absorption. It`s called a slugging technique.
Slugging Technique
Slugging is a K-beauty trend of generously applying a petroleum-based product as the final step in your routine, to help lock and seal in your skincare products overnight, and then washing it off with the next day. "It actually presses down all the active ingredients into your skin preventing it from being lost to the surroundings, for instance, like preventing your lotions from being wiped by your bedsheet," says Dr Ingky. Petroleum jelly is an occlusive that is not only amazing at soothing irritated skin and promoting wound healing, but it can act as a protective barrier for the skin, too.
Slugging creates a seal over the skin, prevents transepidermal water loss, and protects and repairs your skin's natural lipid barrier that binds skin cells together. A commonly used analogy for the interaction between your skin cells and their lipid barrier is the similarity that it shares with a brick wall. And much like a brick wall that begins to decay when its mortar cracks, your skin is much more prone to damage when its lipid barrier is not performing as well as possible. This is where slugging provides its most effective benefit: by reinforcing the lipid barrier, it is artificially strengthening the way that your skin already wants to protect itself.
Therefore, it is very important for you not to mix 2 lotions together and ensure that you stock your house with Vaseline today! Do you like to learn more? Skynfyx is run by a group of skin doctors and skincare experts who want everybody to achieve flawless skin at the cheapest possible cost. Skynfyx also can customize a skincare range just for your skin condition.
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