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Skin & hair · 5 min

Moisturise while your skin is still damp

The three minutes after a bath or shower are the best time to moisturise. Pat dry, then smooth it on before the water evaporates.

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Dry, tight or itchy skin is common, especially in winter and with age. One of the simplest things that may help costs nothing extra: when you moisturise, not just whether you do. Skin that is still slightly damp holds on to moisture better.

The steps

Four small steps,in your own time.

  1. Keep a plain, unperfumed moisturiser in the bathroom where you can reach it from the bath or shower.

  2. Use warm, not hot, water, and keep the bath or shower to around ten minutes.

  3. Pat your skin with a towel rather than rubbing, leaving it slightly damp.

  4. Within three minutes, smooth moisturiser over your body in the direction the hair grows, paying attention to dry areas such as shins, elbows and hands.

The reason

Why it helps

Hot water and long soaks can strip the skin's natural oils, and rubbing dry can irritate it further. Applying moisturiser to damp skin helps seal in water from the bath or shower. Plain, unperfumed products are less likely to irritate sensitive or older skin.

A gentle variation

If getting in and out of the bath is hard, a warm wash with a cloth followed by moisturiser works too. If you are short of time, focus on your hands, shins and feet.

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Try itwith someone.

If you help someone wash, finish by gently moisturising their arms, legs and back, warming it in your hands first. Ask how it feels, and let them do the parts they can reach.

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Try it today

After your next bath or shower, pat your skin dry and smooth on a plain moisturiser within three minutes.

Add it to your day

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