Shower Sandwiching – An Amazing Hack that can Save Your Skin
In chiller months, our skin needs a little more attention to prevent dryness and damage. Just as we layer up with coats and hats against the cold, we should be layering up out skin to have more protection and support. Shower sandwiching can be a skincare hack that saves the day and protects the skin throughout the entire year.
Keep reading to find out the answers to questions like “what is the sandwich method in skin care?”, “how does this apply to showering?”, “how to use the shower sandwiching method?”, and much more today!
What is Skincare Sandwiching
The sandwich method in skincare can apply to two things. It can be referring to applying products on damp skin to increase hydration or it can refer to layering products between a barrier of moisture.
The first hack helps products absorb deeply into the skin. This is helpful as it increases the hydration of the skin and locks in moisture. The second application is a way to reduce irritation. This kind of skincare sandwiching is primarily used to protect the skin from potential irritation, such as retinol. Simply apply a moisturizer, apply retinol, and seal it with a moisturizer again, creating a sandwiching effect.
What is Shower Sandwiching
Shower sandwiching is a form of full-body skincare designed to protect the skin in the winter, summer, and any season in between. It involved nourishing the body before showering with oils and moisturizers. This is a great hack to use in the winter, when the air is dryer and the skin needs a little more protection
It can be used in any season, however, including summer. No matter the weather, people tend to gravitate towards hot showers, which are relaxing, steamy, and very harsh on the skin. Hot water tends to strip the hair and skin of natural oils and the important protection it naturally creates.
After your shower, it is important to reapply oils and moisturizer on slightly damp skin as this can trap hydration deep into the skin barrier.
Shower Sandwiching Benefits
Here are some benefits of shower sandwiching listed!
- Protects the natural skin barrier
- Allows you to have a hot shower with less damage to the skin barrier
- Moisturizes the skin effectively
- Locks in hydration
- Provides important nutrients and fatty acids the skin barrier
- Increases moisture levels of the skin long after a shower
- Decreases dry, flakey skin
- Balances pH of the skin
- Protects the natural microbiota on the skin
How to Do this Hack
Shower sandwiching is simple. About 30 minutes before you want to shower, get to moisturize. Use oil to provide the body with nourishment and protection, allowing it to soak into the skin. Pay close attention to areas that don’t create oil, like the elbows or knees. These areas need a bit more attention and care.
If you can stand waiting around for 30 minutes, you can simply just use this a couple of minutes before your shower! While it won’t be enough time for oils to soak in, it will still protect the skin while you shower.
After a shower, pat dry your skin a little bit, but make sure it’s still damp. Lock in the moisture with a moisturizer for the body, again paying attention to the skin of the knees and elbows.
The Takeaway
Sandwiching is a useful skincare hack that may refer to when you apply products or how you layer products. It may be used as a way to lock in hydration by applying a moisturizer on damp skin, or it may be layering a potentially irritating ingredient between a moisturizer.
Shower sandwiching however involves protecting the skin before a potentially irritating shower and locking in hydration after a shower. Try it out and see how your skin changes for the better almost instantly!
Remember that health comes from within! Eat a well-balanced diet, get some regular exercise into your day, and practice habits that promote emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Self-care when you need to allow yourself to thrive.
Take your health into your hands today and never forget about microbiota in the gut! While we know about how the microbiota can affect the skin, the gut microbiota also affects metabolism, muscle repair, mental wellbeing, and even sleep!!
Get all the resources you need about microbiota health for free here!
