How to do the 'Pat Dry': the fashionable facial drying technique

How you remove your face after cleansing is much more important than you think. The gesture of drying your face when you wash is almost automatic, as is the technique to do it: dragging the towel across your face without rhyme or reason, until you get a sensation of zero humidity.

Well, the experts are betting on another technique that can provide many benefits. And there is nothing better than knowing that there are solutions for the daily beauty routine that, not always, involve adding extra skin care products.

How do you clean your face?

Cotton pads, towels, gauze pads, gloves, sponges... According to experts, what you use to clean your face and to dry it is important. What should we use when we cleanse the face? “Except for certain discs that are designed to treat the skin and not irritate it, we always recommend avoiding cloths, makeup remover wipes, etc., because they cause irritation and do not usually clean as much. I prefer to always bet on a double cleanse, first with an oil-based cleanser, and then with a gel cleanser, always working with my hands. In this second step, it is important to bring the already foamed product to the skin. To do this, we moisten our hands, apply the amount of gel, lather, and apply to the face. Thus, it will act better and there will be less risk of irritation”, says Estefanía Nieto, technical director of Omorovicza.

What cleaning product to use? Should I always use toner after cleansing? “As for the toner, it will depend on each skin. Perhaps it is one of the most dispensable products, but it always helps to balance or treat specific concerns depending on its formulation. Regarding the format or texture of a cleanser: oil, gel, milk or micellar water are all valid. It is always a good idea to do a double cleanse at night, which always starts with the oily cleanser (balm, oil or milk) and continues with the aqueous one (gel or micellar water). Micellar water should never be a single step, always the second, because if not, it usually falls short in cleaning. It is also important to clarify that, if the micellar water is well formulated with micelles and does not include saponins, it is not necessary to rinse it afterwards”, says Elisabeth San Gregorio, technical director of Medik8.

Looking for a facial cleanser that won't irritate you? Look for those that contain principles such as CBD, niacinamide or teprenone, which also help the skin by being soothing and non-irritating principles. Like Calmwise Soothing Cleanser by Medik8 (€35 at medik8.es), with soothing teprenone. Also Hypoallergenic CBD Gentle Cleanser (€40 at perriconemd.es), with isolated cannabidiol.

And how do you dry it?

Does the face have to be completely dry before using the following product? “The usual and safe bet is to wait for the skin to dry, and then apply the products when the previous one has always been absorbed. However, there is one exception: water-based serums, such as those with hyaluronic acid, tend to penetrate better on damp skin. This is due to the fact that the permeability of the fabric is increased and that the water conducts the textures related to it well”, points out Valeria Navarro, technical director of Boutijour.

And to dry the face, what is the best? “The skin can be dried, in general, with a towel, glove or mitten. Gauzes are usually reserved for ultra-sensitive skin and very specific cases. It is always important to pat dry, and never drag the towel”, explains Raquel González, director of education at Perricone MD.

The pat dry technique

If pronounced quickly, it can even remind you of the quintessential Thai recipe: Pad Thai, but nothing is further from the truth. The concept comes from English, specifically from the words PAT, which literally means "slap", and DRY, whose translation is "to dry".

Knowing this, the technique is easy to understand: pat dry lightly on the face, something that experts like Raquel González, director of education at Perricone MD, defend, because: "When we dry by dragging the towel, we can irritate the skin, because this it causes continuous exfoliation of the dermis and can drag essential oils from the tissue, thus altering its barrier function. If we bet on doing it with small and gentle pats with a towel, the process will be much less aggressive".

Extra benefits of Pat Dry

The fact that Pat Dry has a less aggressive impact on the skin has the direct benefit of avoiding an irritative process, but this in turn has other positive effects. "When we dab dry, we stimulate the tissue, making it more receptive to the serums and creams we're going to apply," says Diana Navarro, technical director at Boutijour.

To this, it is added that: "Because there is less irritation, possible inflammatory processes are avoided, such as acne breakouts, especially now, when the skin is hypersensitized by the use of the mask," adds Estefanía Nieto, technical director of Omorovicza

The Omorovicza firm offers a drying mitt that makes it easier to apply this technique. Omorovicza Cleansing Mitt (€13 at purenichelab.com).