Cream that fluffs on the skin: explanations and advice

What could be more frustrating once your beauty routine is over, than touching your face and discovering that it is covered in tiny fluff? Known as “fluffing”, we explain why this phenomenon can happen to you and above all, how to remedy it.

All these reasons why a treatment can fluff on the skin

Very often, a fluffy treatment is the sign of an incompatibility between skin type and the formulation of the care: “If for example the cream is too rich or your skin is too dry, it will not be absorbed by the skin and will remain on the surface, then fluff with another product. Hence the importance to choose the right product for your skin type”, explains Solène Soudrille, head of global scientific communication for the Filorga brand.

Second hypothesis: your plush care because you use too much. “A cream can fluff on the skin when too much product is applied,” warns Solène Soudrille. So to limit the risks, use only a single dab of cream for the entire face and neck, that is more than enough.

Note that some creams are not suitable for application gestures that are too long and can fluff if the skin is massaged too much. “In this case, you should not work the cream too much and favor pressure movements”, adds the expert.

What treatments or active ingredients should be handled with care?

When mixing several products of different brands in the same routine, it can sometimes happen that certain compositions are not compatible with each other (think for example that water and oil do not mix very well and can ” separate” once on the skin). This is why it is preferable to choose treatments from a single brand.

Silicones, polymers, talc… We check the composition of our products before launching. “Because treatments incorporating active ingredients intended to create a protective film on the surface of the skin can fluff if they are worked on too much during application”, adds Solène Soudrille.

“Formulas containing hyaluronic acid high molecular weight can also sometimes tend to form residues or leave a sticky finish. The art of formulation therefore consists in assembling the different raw materials and finding the right balance in order to obtain formulas that are both effective and pleasant to apply”, specifies the expert.

Another product to pay attention to: sunscreens. “Their high concentration of UV filters implies formulation constraints which can also fluff”, summarizes Solène Soudrille.

My plush cream, what should I do?

Despite all these precautions, your cream has formed fluff on your skin? If you don’t have time to erase and start your routine again, that’s okay. Try to gently remove the residue by patting the skin.

To prevent this from happening again, you need to take your time. Solène Soudrille recommends on this subject to leave about 20 to 30 seconds of exposure between the application of each treatment “to allow time for the products to penetrate”. Similarly, apply your products from the lightest texture to the thickest.

Finally, in order to optimize the penetration of active ingredients and have a very smooth surface, the expert advisesexfoliate your skin regularly.