I'll admit it: I'm skeptical of almost every viral skincare trend these days. Still, every once in a while, in between the less advisable fads like applying beef tallow to your skin (don't do it) and contouring your face with sunscreen (also, no), a tip that’s actually worthwhile and derm-approved pops up. This time, it’s the retinol skin sandwich method.
The gist: Instead of applying your retinol or exfoliating treatments—which provide benefits such as removing dead skin, evening out skin tone, and speeding up cellular turnover—as the first step in your skincare routine, you apply it between two moisturizers. The active ingredients are still able to penetrate and be effective, but the moisturizer duo helps temper the irritating side effects, literally and figuratively. I'd compare it to drinking milk before and after a spicy food—you'll still taste all the flavors, but you're probably going to sweat a bit less.
