Can (some) moisturisers be a first step?

Decorte Phytotune Refining Softener and Decorte Liposome Advanced Repair serum on a black silky background

It's been a busy few months what with getting a new job but I'm hoping to get back to posting more regularly :)

Note for this post: it might be a dry skin thing but if you have dry skin, the reasoning behind this post could make some sense. I'm not sure this would have worked this well when I had combination skin in a more humid environment with soft water. However, it would have really helped whenever I had a less than perfect barrier.

What prompted this post

I recently bought the beautiful and discontinued Decorte Phytotune Refining Softener from Decorte's UK online store. 

It was half price so I should have been suspicious... 

The usage instructions say to use it first. Right after cleansing! It's basically an emulsion - this does not make sense to me and it started an interesting experiment. 

Someone told me that this kind of product as a first step isn't unusual for Japanese brands. I've done some Googling - both Shiseido and Albion have products like this that are to be used straight after cleansing.

Routine order

It makes logical sense that we use our products thin to thick, watery to oily.

How's that thin product going to work properly if it goes after the thick one? They're designed to work thin to thick, surely. 

Some watery products, like SK-II First Treatment Essence, are said to be for skin prep and help your later products to absorb. 

Plus then there's how products layer - a thin product after a thicker one might make your skin feel like it's swimming with product because they don't mix together well and the thinner appears to melt the thicker one.

The routine order makes sense, it appeals to my sense of logic.

The Decorte has a number of oils, listed after water and butylene glycol. Still, squalane and mineral oil as the third and fourth ingredients is unusual for a product you are meant to apply first because they're both - to some extent - occlusive, meaning they're for trapping water so surely you wouldn't apply this oil-containing product and then things like serums. How's the hydration and goodies from the serum going to get through??

Here's a link to a blog on squalane with various information about it being occlusive: squalane blog link.

Lab Muffin's blog on mineral oil has information about it being occlusive: mineral oil blog link. 

But: how much does using an occlusive first matter? 

As Lab Muffin points out:

In reality, most moisturisers you buy will have water as a main ingredient, so you won’t fall into the trap of doing Option 1 [putting an occlusive on dry skin] and not-moisturising with your moisturiser (it’s not just there to make it cheaper to produce!). Most moisturisers will also have a blend of all three types of moisturiser, so you don’t have to think too much about layering, as all three will reach your skin. Additionally, the rubbing-in action will make the layers less distinct

Wong M. Layering: How to get the most out of your moisturiser. Lab Muffin Beauty Science. October 11, 2013. Accessed November 20, 2023. https://labmuffin.com/layering-how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-moisturiser/

The Decorte is watery, like a light emulsion.

The Decorte certainly looks like an emulsion and it feels creamy to apply.

A splodge of Decorte Phytotune Refining Softener on my hand on a black silky background. For reference, it's a blob about the size of a Malteser and that's probably twice what I'd use for my face.

The Decorte Phytotune Refining Softener partially rubbed into my hand on a black silky background 

The squalane and mineral oil must make a difference to how more watery products, like toner, apply.

Except it doesn't.

I've tried it with all manner of things after without any pilling or it lifting into a wet moisturizer mush.

Whaaaaaaat is this?!

Ingredients 

Perhaps the alcohol means it dries super well, although it is the fifth ingredient.

Ingredients list: sorry for all caps, blame the product packaging and it didn't pull the dots in between ingredients so I've gone through and put commas in. I'm providing the ingredients for posterity because this is a discontinued product. Sigh. As always, please do your own research if you have allergies or sensitivities.

WATER (AQUA), BUTYLENE GLYCOL, SQUALANE, MINERAL OIL (PARAFFINUMLIQUIDUM), GLYCERIN, ALCOHOL, TRIETHYLHEXANOIN, ASCORBYL DIPALMITATE, CERAMIDENG,  HUMUSEXTRACT, LIMNANTHESALBA (MEADOWFOAM) SEED OIL, PERILLAOCYMOIDESLEAF EXTRACT, PERSEA GRATISSIMA (AVOCADO) OIL, ROSA CANINA FRUIT OIL, ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS (ROSEMARY) LEAF EXTRACT, ROYAL JELLY EXTRACT, TOCOPHEROL, ZINGIBEROFFICINALE (GINGER) ROOT EXTRACT, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, CHOLESTEROL, DIMETHICONE, DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERYL STEARATE, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, OLEYL OLEATE, PHYTOSTERYL OLEATE, POLYSORBATE 80, SILICA, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SORBITANISOSTEARATE, STEARICACID, STEAROYL GLUTAMIC ACID, TRICETEARETH-4 PHOSPHATE, XANTHAN GUM, PHENOXYETHANOL, FRAGRANCE (PARFUM),  ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE, CITRONELLOL, GERANIOL, LIMONENE, LINALOOL, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891).

Things I've tried immediately after the Decorte that dried totally fine

• Melano CC essence in the tube (oily feeling)
• Decorte Hydra Clarity Treatment Essence Water (watery FTE) 
• Sooryehan Hyobidam Fermented Toner (thick toner)
• Various Whoo Balancers (thick toner)
• Missha Artemisia Calming essence (watery FTE)
• another others I've forgotten.

Other ways I've used the Decorte

I've tried this product in every step and permutation I could conceptualise! 

I've covered before watery products. 

Toner Sandwich 

It is very nice sandwiched between a watery FTE type product, like the Decorte Hydra Clarity, and a thicker toner, like the Sooryehan Hyobidam Fermented, followed with Sooryehan The Black Serum. And then the usual follow up moisturiser products. 

Emulsion

I like this in the emulsion step, both as well as and in place of my beloved Sooryehan Hyobidam Fermented Emulsion. 

My face drinks up emulsion, even when using thicker creams over the top.

I can absolutely get away with using less products and it is not strictly necessary to use some much.

Recently, for boring life reasons, I've just used emulsion - serum - cream. 

And it's fine. 

I prefer more, my skin would deplump over time with so little hydration. 

Instead of moisturiser 

Yep, works fine both AM and PM

I'd still prefer more steps but I didn't find my skin crying out for more - no noticeable dryness.

However, I suspect I'd notice the difference if it was over a longer period, rather than just a one-off routine. I can reduce my routine significantly or even skip skincare entirely PM sometimes and not have issues if it's not a regular occurrence.

I've also tried it as an entire routine: just this, no other products (apart from cleanser and / or sunscreen). It also works fine but again, I prefer more products. It's cool that it both hydrates and moisturisers enough that my skin survives, though.

As a body moisturiser

Ok, it's an expensive way to moisturise your body, even at half price. 

But it dries so quickly and so well whilst providing a very decent level of moisturisation.

If I was rich and this product wasn't discontinued, I'd love to use it as a body cream. 

I'm using Curel Intensive, which has some ingredients in common but it's thicker and takes longer to dry.

Reflections

The principle of moisturiser first is also super useful if I'm having one of my frequent neck flare-ups - it's some kind of atopic stress nightmare. As if stress was stressful enough without it causing my skin to feel so uncomfortable. My partner says "you've always been a bit of a rashy person". Lol and also not lol. 

I've also tried other thick creamy moisturisers first and it's worked fine, although it's worth noting that they weren't super oily or super siliconey creams.

Anyway. 

Using a moisturiser first when toner stings is a game changer. Obviously if you have skin problems, please see a medical professional.

One of my favourite things to use first for my neck is Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Water Sleeping Mask. It absorbs well but can feel a little sticky, presumably because of the glycerin and glycols, given silicone towards the end of the ingredient list. That goes away after you apply the next product, however, whether it's watery like Dr Ceuracle Kombucha essence or another cream. 

For my face, I've tried Sooryehan Hyobidam Fermented Emulsion as a first step and I thought it would be too siliconey but it works very nicely. If I want a super short routine after I've finished the Decorte, I know now that I can use the Sooryehan first with no issues. 

Is that better than just using the emulsion after the serum as per the usual routine rules? Not sure. But I like knowing I can use an emulsion first, just because I enjoy it as a concept.