How Much Skincare Product Should I Apply to My Face?
How Much Skincare Product Should I Apply to My Face?
If you apply the proper amount of skincare product to your face, you will achieve healthier skin and it will be easier for you to predict when to refill your products. If you are not using your products at the rate suggested here, then that means you are not using enough of the product.
What Is a Fingertip Unit (FTU)?
A fingertip unit is measured using a tube with a standard-sized five-millimeter nozzle and an adult’s hand. Squeeze the product out of the tube, starting at the first crease or joint on your index finger and ending at the fingertip. The fingertip unit cannot be used with serums and lotions.
When applying a cream to your face, you need to use 1.0 FTUs, or 1.2 grams, or 0.04 ounces or 1/4 teaspoon to cover the entire face.
You will need another 1 FTU (1.2 grams or ¼ teaspoon) to cover the front of your neck and décolleté. If you need to apply to the back of your neck, you will need another ½ FTU which equals 0.6 grams or ⅛ teaspoon or 0.02 ounces.
How Much Cream to Put on the Face, Neck, and Decollete Per Application?
Use these numbers to help you determine if you are using enough skincare product and to predict how often you should refill products. For example, if you properly apply a cream to your face only once daily for 30 days, you will need to use 1.2 ounces of cream in one month. (I often suggest to my patients to buy products in a one-month quantity only so their regimen can be adjusted monthly without having to throw any product away.) This means that a 1-ounce tube of face cream should last one month. If the face cream is applied twice daily, you should go through 2.4 ounces in a month. If you were to apply a face cream twice daily for 30 days, you would need 75 grams (which is a little over 2 ounces at 28.4 grams/1 ounce).
These numbers are important because they can help you gauge whether you are using the correct amount of product each time. Look at the total number of grams contained in the tube and compare what is left – if any – at the end of the month with how much you were supposed to have used.
How Much Face Cream Should I Take on My Trip?
When planning for a trip, use this table to help you figure out how much face cream to bring with you. For example, if you use the face cream one day a day and you are traveling for 7 days, you need almost 0.3 ounces of cream. If you use it twice a day, you need about 0.6 ounces. If you also apply to the front of your neck you will need twice as much. (This does not include the back of the neck).
How Much Retinol Should I Use on My Face?
Retinoids such as retinol, tretinoin, and tazarotene are an exception to the rules described above because they can cause dryness and irritation if too much is used too soon. It is best to start with a lower amount every third day until you get used to it. Start with one pea-sized dot for each area of your face (or 1/8th of a teaspoon), divided into your forehead, right cheek, and left cheek. Most people need to use 1/8th of a teaspoon every third night for 2 weeks and can then increase to every other night. It is important that you introduce your skin to these ingredients slowly, gradually increasing how often you apply them. Some people can gradually work up to applying retinoids every night, while others do better with every-other or every-third night applications. Your skin type and how well you tolerate retinoids will determine how frequently you apply them. Once you are using 1/8th of a teaspoon every night with no problem, you can increase the application amount to 1 FTU (0.04 ounces or ¼ teaspoon).
How Much Sunscreen Should I Use on My Face?
The amount to use depends upon whether the sunscreen is a cream or a gel or a lotion. The numbers described here apply to cream sunscreen only. When the SPF is measured in FDA testing to determine what SPF goes on the label, 2mg/ square cm2 is applied to the skin. This is ¼ teaspoon for the face. If the sunscreen is a cream, the weight of ¼ teaspoon of SPF should be about 0.04 ounces or 1.2 grams. That means that in order to achieve the amount of SPF on the label, you must apply 0.04 ounces to your face. If you apply less, then the SPF will be less than that listed on the label.
A 30-gram tube of SPF should last you 25 days if you are applying once a day to your face. If you are going to be outdoors, do not forget that you need to reapply at least every 2 hours. (You will need to apply more frequently if you are going in and out of the water and do not have a water-resistant SPF). So, if you plan a beach vacation and will be in the sun for 6 hours, you need to apply your SPF at least 3 times. That means you will use 0.12 ounces per day on your face. For a one-week trip, you need over 0.8 ounces of sunscreen for your face only. (This does not include the neck and decollete!)
In Summary
Be sure you are using the right amount of facial cream for your face. If you are underusing it, you are not getting the maximum benefit, and maybe zero results.
...be your own kind of beautiful
Jeri