Have you ever wondered how much of your serums and moisturizers are actually getting into your skin? You probably already suspect that 100% of the product doesn’t get absorbed (as evidenced by the veil of moisture or liquid you can see and touch on your face after applying), but it’s important your skin is soaking up and processing as much of the key ingredients as it can.

Here are the top methods to ensure your are getting the most of your skin care.

1. Exfoliate consistently

Sloughing off the dead skin cells that accumulate on your skin’s uppermost layer is essential for peak skincare absorption. Think of dead skin as a physical barrier to your fresh, healthy skin. When you remove this blockade, you allow your serums and moisturizers to reach the healthy skin and penetrate deeper.

Use a powerful exfoliator like our ILUMA intense brightening exfoliating powder, which contains cell-regenerating coconut milk powder and buildup-dissolving pumpkin enzyme to buff away the lackluster layers while delivering nutrients into the skin. This powder is so gentle that you can use it every day—that means you’ll virtually never have to worry about dead skin cells getting in the way.

If you’re extra blemish-prone or oily, you may want to opt for the CLEAR CELL medicated acne facial scrub, which contains microbeads to buff away dead skin with powerful ingredients that combat bacteria.

2. Apply serums when your skin is still damp

Ever notice how smooth and soft your body feels when you moisturize right after you step out of the shower, and how much rougher it feels if you want until you’re completely dry? Your face is the same. The skin is a lot more absorbent when it’s damp (which is why Korean women slather on their skincare products within seconds after cleansing and rinsing). You can also opt to spritz your skin with a facial mist for added moisture.

3. Layer properly

Active ingredients like retinol or vitamin E are permeable and boast small molecular weights, so they are accepted by skin cells and eventually go into circulation. Ingredients with larger molecules, more often present in creams, won’t pass through as easily and will hang out around skin cells. If you apply larger molecules before the smaller molecules, the former will essentially block the latter from entering. This is why it’s so important to apply your skincare products in the correct order. Learn exactly how layer your skin care by clicking here.

4. Steam your face

Your skin will drink up more of your skin care if it’s in high humidity and increased temperature. This is why aestheticians often veil your face with steam or a hot towel before a facial! If you’re at home, you can purchase an at-home steamer or add hot water to a large bowl and hang your head over it with a towel draped over (to trap the steam). Steaming a couple of times each week will make a difference.

5. Look for skin care with a delivery system

Your skin needs all the help it can get to make use of the potent active ingredients you put on it. IMAGE’s Vectorize Technology™ enables your skin to reap maximal benefits. Up to 100 layers of active ingredients such as stem cells and peptides are encapsulated in spheres. These spheres time-release layer after layer, which means our products offer exceptional results.

6. Consider a dermaroller

A dermaroller is a long handheld tool with a cylindrical attachment containing tiny needles all around its surface. Also called microneedling, dermarolling involves sweeping the spiky roller over your skin to create microchannels—essentially, small injuries—on the skin’s surface, prompting the skin to produce more collagen. Studies have shown dermarollers can also improve absorption of skincare products. Many people receive this treatment either professionally (which is a lot more intense) or by using an at-home device. If you’re interested, talk to your IMAGE professional to see if he or she recommends it for you.

7. Increase the volume

If you save your skincare products for only the areas on your face where you see visible issues, you might want to rethink that. Sounds obvious, but applying an anti-aging serum all over your face instead of, say, your forehead will increase absorption by skin, which means it will uptake more active ingredients for its benefit.