How to stop skincare pillingUpdated a year ago
You won’t be surprised to discover that the best way to stop skincare from pilling is by avoiding all of the common pitfalls that lead to it in the first place. Here are some key tips:
Buy complementary products
Products with similar formulations are less likely to pill when layered together. If you notice that your skincare pills specifically when you apply a specific product, consider replacing it with something that lines up better with the rest of your routine.
It’s not always simple to identify oil-based vs. water-based formulas, but generally, glancing at the ingredient list and judging the texture will help. A light, fluid texture implies that a product is water-based, while a thicker texture implies that a product is oil or silicone-based.
For example, if you notice your sunscreen pills the second you apply it over your moisturizer, search for a sunscreen with a more watery formula (Korean and Japanese sunscreens are often excellent on this front).
Avoid bloated routines
The more products you layer one after the other, the greater the risk your skincare will pill up. There are more products that can interfere with one another, and the additional layers mean there’s simply more product sitting on the surface of the skin rather than sinking in.
That’s one of the reasons why we prefer to follow a simple, streamlined skincare routine at Protocol (although it’s a fairly minor one). Streamlined routines are far less likely to have product pilling, they’re often more efficient, and they make controlling for irritation and breakouts a little easier.
Apply thin layers
You don’t need to pile on thick globs of skincare (unless you’re slugging). Your goal should be to apply just enough so that early-stage products like toners and serums sink in, and that late-stage products like moisturizers leave your skin feeling hydrated and plump.
Trying to apply a product that’s meant to form a film over the skin doesn’t work if there’s a thick layer of a water-based product under it, and the two will be more likely to disrupt each other.
The only exception to this rule is sunscreen, where it’s important to apply around a ¼ teaspoon to the face and neck. That’s why it’s particularly important that whatever you apply beforehand fully disappears into your skin before you apply sunscreen (and why we’re partial to skipping moisturizers in the morning).
Layering and wait times
We know that figuring out how to layer can get complicated, but it makes a big difference as far as your risk of pilling is concerned.
Your light, water-based products should always go first since they’re quicker to sink into the stratum corneum. Oil and silicone-based products should usually go on the skin towards the end of your routine since they’re usually designed to create a layer over the surface of the skin.
Make sure that your lower layers, like toners, essences, and serums, have sunk in completely before applying any additional layers - especially sunscreen and makeup primer, which are the big pilling culprits.
Trial and error
Some products are just incredibly prone to pilling, even on their own. Through trial and error, you can figure out why a product is pilling, and whether it only pills with specific products.
Maybe your favorite moisturizer is fine when you use it over one serum, but it pills if you apply it over another. By testing and trying different things, you’ll be able to figure out the specific product or product combination that results in pilling, so you can avoid it.