The verdict is finally here.
Ask any dermatologist to speak on the importance of cleansing and they’ll come back to you with a laundry list of reasons why it’s a step you should never skip. The same goes for the importance of hydrating and protecting your skin afterproperly washing your face, which nearly all of us know by now means moisturizer and a non-negotiable layer of SPF.
What’s less clear, however, is what you should do during the fleeting moments between cleansing and your next skin-care step, while your skin is still damp and dewy. An educated guess would suggest that most people dry the remaining water off with a towel, but isn’t air-drying technically an option, too? Allure tapped several dermatologists to find out which method is superior, once and for all, and the verdict might just surprise you.
“Air-drying sounds nice in theory, but I’m way too busy to wait for my skin to dry on its own,” says New York City-based dermatologist Shereene Idriss, who adds that there’s a happy medium between rubbing your face dry and letting it dry on its own. Her technique? “The key is to be gentle and pat with a dabbing motion without being too aggressive, as that can lead to worsening of dryness or sensitivities,” she explains.
