A Dermatologist Tells Us Exactly How Much Product You Should Be Using

It’s no secret that skin care products can come with an expensive price tag. And, while we may want to douse ourselves in that new facial cream we splurged on or glob on our favorite detoxifying face mask once or twice a week, we also want to make sure these products last…at least until our next pay check. To find out how much product we actually need to be using—hint: you should not be applying layers upon layers night cream—we turned to board-certified dermatologist and Skincare.com expert, Dr. Bhanusali, for his expertise on the matter. From cleanser and moisturizer to face masks and exfoliators, we break it all down for you, below.

As the first step in your skin care regimen, use a generous squeeze of cleanser. Dr. Bhanusali says you should mask your entire face in cleanser and leave on for one to two minutes before washing off. This helps to ensure that you are covering the necessary areas and giving your complexion an effective cleanse. 

TONER 

When it comes to using toner, Dr. Bhanusali says less is more. Using your fingertips, gently dab a pea-size amount of the toner onto your complexion. Allow your skin to absorb the product before following up with a moisturizer.

While there is no such thing as moisturizing your skin too often, it is possible that you are applying too much moisturizer. For this, Dr. Bhanusali has a technique that he has his patients practice. “Apply small smears on [the] forehead, nose, chin, and cheeks and then work [the product] in lightly,” he says. 

Similar to toner, when applying eye cream around the eye contour Dr. Bhanusali recommends using a pea-size amount. For the right way to apply eye cream, check out our expert step-by-step, here.

As far as face masks go, Bhanusali says that it all depends on the product. When in doubt, follow the instructions on the packaging.

Whether you use a mechanical exfoliator or chemical exfoliator, Dr. Bhanusali recommends no more than a pea-size amount for both. You’d be surprised how far a small amount of exfoliator can go!

When it comes to SPF application, the amount of sunscreen necessary can vary, depending on where you are applying. As far as applying sunscreen to your face goes, Dr. Bhanusali says to use a nice thin layer with your daily moisturizer 30 minutes before you go outside. For the rest of your body, use about a shot glass amount and, of course, reapply the sunscreen every two hours, after working up a sweat, or after going in the pool.