The Beauty Technique I've Been Totally Wrong About For Years

You know how you feel when you find out you've been singing the words to a song totally wrong for years? I recently had the beauty editor equivalent.
I attended a Japanese product launch this week and was informed that the proper way to apply any skincare product to your face is by patting it on, not spreading it over your skin.
But I wasn't totally sold on why you should pat instead of spread, so I had to do my own recon before switching up my entire routine.
"Patting is better than spreading on your skincare," according to Francesca Fusco, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in NYC. Why?

- "It's more gentle, because patting doesn't tug and pull at your skin, eventually contributing to more fine lines over time."

- "It doesn't mess up the flow of your lymphatic system. If you spread on your cream, you can accidentally push against the flow of your lymphatic system, which can actually make you puffy—especially around your eye area." Okay, nobody wants that!

- "It ensures even distribution and helps your skincare penetrate deeper, since you're pressing it into your skin."

So, what's the right way to pat? "You want to make sure you're patting on your eye cream from the inner to the outer corner of your eyes, and then applying your face cream from the jawline upward, or from the nasolabial lines [aka the parenthesis that we subtly see that frame our mouths] outward," Fusco explains.

Glad we've got that one settled! Here's to proper skincare application from now on.