Also, don't spend too much time in the shower to avoid excessive exposure to chlorine in the water. It is best to apply most products when the skin is moist because active ingredients can penetrate better when they are dissolved. Once your cream has dried up, its rate of penetration decreases dramatically. Don't wipe your skin dry after you cleansed or washed it if you intend to apply a products. If the skin is too wet, just pat a little with a towel.
Warm skin absorbs ingredients better.
Before applying a product, make sure your skin isn't cold. Apply a warm towel if needed. The uppermost layer of the skin, called stratum corneum , is composed mostly of dry, dead cells. If this layer becomes too thick, which is seen in aging or poorly maintained skin, active ingredients of a skin care product have trouble penetrating deeply enough to have an effect. Some people remove stratum corneum by using chemical exfoliants such as alpha hydroxy acids, enzymes or other chemicals.