Press, Don't Rub: Gentle Skincare Habits
Most skincare advice starts with what to put on your skin. This note is about how you handle it. When you wash your face, dry it with a towel or put on a serum or cream, it is easy not to notice how much pressure your hands are using.
Below are a few habits for not rubbing hard, based on what the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) tells the public. This note does not diagnose any skin condition or promise any result. Follow each product's directions, and if a product causes a reaction that bothers you, talk to a dermatologist.
Wash with your fingertips
The AAD says to wet your face with lukewarm water and apply cleanser with your fingertips. It explains that using a washcloth, a mesh sponge or anything other than your fingertips can irritate your skin.
After a sweaty day it is tempting to scrub your face clean. The AAD says to resist that, because scrubbing irritates the skin. It recommends a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser without alcohol, and lukewarm water for rinsing too.
Pat dry with a towel
After rinsing, pat your face dry with a soft towel. That is the method in the AAD's face-washing guidance. Its advice on dry skin says the same, to gently pat skin with a clean, dry towel, and adds that rubbing your skin dry can irritate extremely dry skin.
In the same advice, the AAD suggests gently patting your skin dry after a shower or bath and then applying a fragrance-free moisturiser straight away. That advice is about the skin on your whole body, not only your face.
Apply with a gentle press
In Korea, people often talk about pressing serums and creams in gently with the palms or fingertips. You might put the product in your palms and lightly press them against your face, or tap it on with your fingertips. It is one way of applying products rather than a fixed rule.
The AAD guidance cited in this note does not cover this pressing method on its own. What the AAD gives is a broader principle: scrubbing can irritate the skin, and around the eyes you should apply cream gently so you do not pull too hard on that delicate skin. For how much to use and in what order, follow the product's directions.
Fewer products, used regularly
In its advice on keeping skincare costs down, the AAD describes a simple three-step approach of cleansing, moisturising and protecting your skin. It says limiting the number of products you use can also help, because using several different products can be costly and can irritate your skin.
Rather than bringing in several new products at once, choosing a few and using them the same way morning and night leaves you less to remember. With fewer steps, it is also easier to keep the habit of not rubbing. If you have questions or concerns about your skin, the AAD advises seeing a board-certified dermatologist.
HANARI's serum and gel cream
HANARI plans to launch Clean Start Gel Cleanser, Even Days Serum and Air-Fit Gel Cream together in India in December 2026. None of them is on sale yet. We designed the serum and gel cream to spread thin and easily, even on humid days. The full INCI list will be published on this site later, and we will make efficacy claims only after they have been checked.