How to apply a spot treatment correctly

Believe it or not, there is a little bit of science and art to applying a spot treatment so you get the maximum efficacy out of it. Here’s how to apply a spot treatment correctly and a little bit of background on WHY you do it like this. I call it:

Spot Treatment Sandwich Method

Complete version:

*works best in the pm, since skin heals best at night, but ok to use in the am and throughout the day as well*

1. Cleanse the skin (or not, depending on your regular routine. some people do not cleanse in the am, some people do not cleanse except when bathing)
2. Activate the skin – warm compress 5-10 min.
3. Spot treat
4. Wait 20 minutes
5. Do your usual skincare ritual (minus cleansing – you’ve already cleansed!)
6. Apply spot treatment again as the very last thing
7. Try to get extra sleep if possible

Shortcut version:

*works best in the pm, since skin heals best at night, but ok to use in the am and throughout the day as well*

1. Cleanse (or not, depending on your regular routine. some people do not cleanse in the am, some people do not cleanse except when bathing)
2. Apply spot treatment
3. Wait 5 minutes
4. Do usual skincare ritual (minus cleansing – you’ve already cleansed!)
5. Apply spot treatment again

Using a warm compress – like a warm-hot washcloth helps to open the pores and make the skin a little more receptive to the product. Of course, be careful not to overdo it and irritate the skin – honestly, after a shower or bath is the perfect time – your skin is already activated and you can skip the compress! OR, you can go the ultra-luxe route and use an anti-inflammatory facial tea as the compress to get an extra healing boost from the soothing botanicals.

Here’s why this is the best way to apply a spot treatment: because spot treatments work best at maximum strength, undiluted. When you spot treat first, without any other product on your skin, and give it a chance to SINK IN, then you’ve applied the spot treatment at the maximum strength – there’s no other oils, gels, or lotions on your face creating layers that keep your skin from getting the max effect of the spot treatment. The longer you can wait to apply the rest of your products, the better.

When you do apply the rest of your products, you effectively dilute that initial spot treatment, so even though you’ve given it 5-20 minutes to soak it, we reapply it AGAIN as the very last thing.  We do it last to keep it from getting smeared and smudged out by the rest of your skincare. Even though now it still has a little bit of a barrier created by the other products to get to your skin, this is still keeping it pretty concentrated PLUS you now know the secret of the spot treatment sandwich, so you’ve ALREADY dosed your skin with it once. This is just to make double sure.

If makeup is involved, I would even suggest applying a spot treatment OVER foundation, and then maybe using concealer and powder on top – trying as hard as possible to not dilute the spot treatment.

If you have any product application tricks and tips leave them in the comments – share your wisdom! 🙂