When is the best time to moisturise your body? It turns out, I've been getting it wrong

Have you ever really put any thought into when to moisturise your body? Me neither. But I have recently discovered, with more than a decade in the beauty industry behind me, that I’ve been doing it all wrong.

When I recently told my colleagues I only moisturise my body before bed, they were genuinely appalled. I mentioned it in passing, assuming that was a perfectly normal thing to do, but their reaction was as if I’d told them I butter my toast before I put it in the toaster. I looked around the office to galvanise support for my near-nightly ritual of basting my skin like a turkey with my best body creams and best body oils before getting into bed, but I couldn’t get a single person on side.

So, to see if I was actually onto something, or - as was becoming increasingly clear - potentially wasting my body creams by wiping them on my sheets, I asked two dermatologists exactly how and when to moisturise your body.

When is the best time to moisturise your body for maximum hydration?

“The best time to apply moisturiser to the body is after bathing, when the skin is still damp, to help lock in moisture,” explains consultant dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite It’s especially important if, like me, you’re partial to a borderline scorching hot shower, as, according to consultant dermatologist Dr Derrick Phillips , “hot water can disrupt the skin barrier, so this is an important moment to intervene.”

That answers the question of when the best time to moisturise is, but is there a bad time? “There isn’t a specific 'bad time’ to moisturise your body, but timing and skin preparation do matter,” explains Dr Phillips. “Ideally, moisturiser should be applied to clean skin. Applying it to skin that’s sweaty or hasn’t been cleaned can trap dirt, oil and debris against the skin, which may increase the risk of clogged pores or breakouts, especially on areas like the chest and back.” Just like you wouldn’t slather on your best face moisturiser after a sweaty workout without washing your face first.

“It’s also worth noting that applying moisturiser to very dry skin is less effective than applying it when the skin is slightly damp, as you miss the opportunity to lock in that additional hydration,” Dr Phillips adds. If you feel like no matter how much product you use, your moisturiser isn’t working, then this could be why. If your skin isn’t particularly dry, you might not even have noticed, but if your skin has become increasingly dry through time, or hormonal changes it’s a good hack to keep in mind. The same applies during summer or when on holiday, when chlorine and sun exposure can dehydrate skin.

Now for the million-dollar question: am I making a mistake by moisturising before bed? Thankfully, Dr Phillips was on my side. "It’s absolutely not mad to moisturise your body at night, in fact, it’s a very sensible time to do it. Overnight, the skin barrier becomes more permeable and transepidermal water loss increases, meaning the skin is more prone to dehydration. Applying a moisturiser in the evening helps to counteract this and maintain hydration while you sleep.”

“This increased permeability also means the skin is better able to absorb beneficial ingredients,” Dr Phillips continues. “Using a moisturiser containing ceramides and humectants such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid at night can help to both hydrate the skin and support repair of the skin barrier during its natural regenerative phase.” Just make sure you’re giving your moisturiser a moment or two to soak in so you’re not wiping it all off on your bedding. It doesn’t matter if an expensive moisturiser is better if your skin doesn’t have a chance to reap any of the benefits.

So, in short, after a shower or bath is always the best time to moisturise your body, but the time of day isn’t really important. And that's me vindicated! I really don’t like feeling sticky or the fear of getting a grease mark on my jeans, so I’d still much prefer to marinate overnight – even if my colleagues don’t agree…