The Golden Minute to Apply Body Lotion After a Shower

Step out of the shower and apply moisturizing body milk, or, if you prefer in English, body milk. Many women view this simple beauty ritual as climbing Everest every day. That it is sticky, that now I can’t get dressed as quickly as I’d like, that it’s cold… But procrastinating in this matter is a mistake. Did you know there is a golden minute to apply body milk? 

And now that you know, another question arises: what is the best moment to apply body cream? The answer is the golden minute right after leaving the shower. It is that perfect moment when the skin, just emerged from the steam of the warm shower, is most receptive to moisturizing cream.

Applying cream in winter

One of the great drawbacks of body milk is that it’s not like Fernando Fernán-Gómez’s bicycles, which were for summer. Applying moisturizer all over the body is as essential—or more so—when the cold bites. But precisely in winter is when we feel the most lazy about putting on body cream. 

Why is body moisturizer so important in winter if it’s not visible? The answer is simple: because it also gets cold. Or sudden heat. The most common consequences of cold on the skin are loss of hydration and consequent tightness, lack of radiance, redness and some degree of flaking. All this happens because the barrier becomes unbalanced as some natural lipids are lost due to wind and low temperatures, damage that adds to the fact of moving abruptly from a heated room to the cold outdoor air. 

Yes, there is a golden minute

On television, the golden minute is that happy moment when the audience ratings peak. The skin also has its own ideal minute. „It’s called the golden minute trick. It consists of applying the cream just after leaving the shower before 60 seconds pass, when the skin is still damp,” explains dermatologist Ana Molina. She insists that at that moment the cream hydrates twice as well.

And almost no one takes advantage of it. 

The secret lies in the water droplets

According to studies published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology applying the cream in the first minute after the shower reduces transepidermal water loss by up to 60%. “This is because at that moment the skin still retains water in the stratum corneum, the outermost layer, and its permeability is higher.”

Why does it work so well? “When the skin has water retained, the barrier is more permeable due to the opening of the lacunar system,” she explains.

Formulas that hydrate more

So if you felt lazy about applying body cream, this trick isn’t silly at all because it guarantees absorption without so much effort, quickly and effectively.

To maintain an optimal moisture balance, avoiding dryness and skin flaking, look for a cream that contains ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid and natural oils. These actives will help retain water in your skin for the rest of the day, providing deep and lasting hydration.

Best not to strip the skin’s natural oils

Dicho todo esto, la dermatóloga da otro apunte: si bien es importante mantener la hidratación con crema tras la ducha, no lo es menos tratar de no retirar lo que ella llama «la grasita natural de la piel». Su truco es no usar jabón. Tampoco lo lleva a los extremos del no-poo, pero aconseja evitar esponjas, usar agua templada en vez de caliente y usar productos para lavar formulados al mismo pH que tu propia piel.

«Así mantendrás su capita de grasa natural y no tendrás que usar tanta grasa artificial después», puntualiza la dermatóloga. 

Pay attention to the shower gel: not everything is suitable

We cannot expect the body cream to work miracles if we don’t take care of what happens inside the shower. Before buying a shower gel thinking only about fragrance, it is worth considering the composition.

The latest are oleogels. They usually contain gentle detergents in an oil format. Their best virtue is that they clean perfectly while caring for the skin, that is, they help maintain or restore the skin’s hydration level, preventing dehydration and providing an immediate sense of comfort from the sensation of tightness and itching.