Should I apply Cicaplast Baume B5 before or after moisturizer?

How to layer the two

1. 1Wash gently. Avoid hot water and scrubbing, especially if your face is dry.
2. 2Apply your lighter moisturizer promptly after washing. Leave a little water on your skin to help trap moisture.
3. 3Apply Cicaplast Baume B5 next if it is the thicker layer. Smooth moisturizing products gently over the skin rather than rubbing vigorously.
4. 4Finish with sunscreen in the morning. At night, leave out the sunscreen step.

The useful timing detail is to moisturize soon after washing, not to delay that first moisturizing layer. Aim to apply moisturizer within five minutes of washing your face. Pat gently rather than rubbing your skin completely dry.24

Do you need both layers?

A second moisturizing layer is optional, even if the bathroom shelf has already voted in favour. Keep the routine simple rather than adding products automatically. If one suitable moisturizer controls your dryness, there is no need to build a separate two product moisturizing step.1

Moisturizers can combine ingredients that attract water, soften skin and slow water loss. Humectants attract and retain water in the outer skin layer. Occlusives form a surface barrier that reduces evaporation. Those functions can exist in the same moisturizer; they do not require separate bottles.56

Choose the amount of moisturizing support around how dry your skin feels. Light lotions suit mild dryness, creams suit more substantial dryness, and ointments provide the strongest moisture seal for very dry, scaly areas. These are general texture categories, not interchangeable names for Cicaplast formulas.6

How often should you moisturize?

A simple routine includes moisturizer in the morning and evening. Dry skin can need additional moisturizer when it feels dry or tight. Moisturizing is ongoing care rather than a single application that permanently stops water loss; the frequency depends on the severity of the dryness.145

What if you use acne treatment or have sensitive skin?

Benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and retinoids such as adapalene or tretinoin can dry and irritate skin. Daily moisturizer can help you tolerate those treatments. For acne prone skin, look for a moisturizer labeled "noncomedogenic," "oil free" or "won't clog pores." Heavier occlusive products can aggravate acne, so adding a balm is not automatically better than using your moisturizer alone.35

For eczema, use a gentle moisturizer without fragrance immediately after bathing and as often as your dermatologist advises. If you use a steroid cream or another treatment for a skin condition, ask your doctor which layer goes first and leave 20 to 30 minutes between that treatment and an emollient. That spacing concerns medicine, not an ordinary pair of moisturizing products.47

Stop a new product if it causes a rash or skin irritation, and arrange medical advice. Speak to a clinician or pharmacist about persistent burning, stinging or inflamed hair follicles. Get dry facial skin checked if it is not improving, looks wet and red, or becomes itchy enough to interfere with daily activities.124