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What is Pilling?
It's not a serious skin condition but man-oh-man, can it be so. stinking. annoying. Pilling is when skincare products or makeup don’t get properly (or fully) absorbed into the skin. Instead, they sit on the surface and ball up into little “pills.”
The bad news: some people are just “pillers."
The good news: there are things you can try to help prevent and minimize pilling!
Common Culprits For Pilling + How to Fix Them
CULPRIT: Rushing your routine.
FIX: The most common mistake is when we rush things, not giving layers enough time to dry. If you’re a ‘piller,’ plan ‘drying time’ between layers – for instance, apply serum, make tea; apply moisturizer, brush teeth; and so on. This dramatically reduces the incidence of pilling.
You may even need to wait a full 5-10 minutes until all your skincare products are dry before applying SPF or makeup. These products are notorious for collecting on the surface.
In formulating the products for Barefaced, founder Jordan Harper was very conscious of the need for the layers to work together so that layering runs smoothly.
CULPRIT: Your pores are blocked.
FIX: Exfoliate often. Chemical exfoliants, like the ones in Toning Pads and Glow Peels Pads, help slough away dead skin cells. This means your products are more likely to penetrate the skin barrier properly instead of sitting on top.
In particular, say hello to Glycolic Acid + Retinaldehyde! The two are great on their own, but when used in the same skincare routine they become a tag-team powerhouse.
Glycolic acid is the smallest molecule of the Alpha Hydroxy Acid family allowing it to penetrate the skin more effectively than other members of the AHA family. This allows the glycolic acid to gently exfoliate (chemically) which in turn removes dead skin cells, dirt, and debris from the skin's outermost layer (Stratum Corneum). This leaves the skin clean and unobstructed, allowing the retinaldehyde to penetrate deeper into the skin to promote overall collagen production and cellular turnover. The two together work to target sun damage, uneven texture, hyperpigmentation, fine lines, wrinkles, and acne.
If you look at the image above, you can see the skin starting off damaged with signs of pigmentation and dead skin build up which caused dull and rough/uneven textured skin. After using glycolic acid, the dead skin cells were removed and the skin began to even out. The glycolic acid has cleaned up the top layer of skin, preparing it for the retinoid. As you can see, when the retinoid was added the pigmentation starts to lighten and the skin's texture is smoother, lessening the visible signs of aging.
If tolerated, it is important to use Toning Pads/Toning Pads II daily (after you build up to once/twice a day) and the Glow Peel Pads can be used 1-3 times a week (do not use the same night as RetinAL Skin Therapy to minimize irritation). For the RetinAL Skin Therapy, work into your routine by using three nights a week on alternating days and gradually increasing to 5 nights per week. *Remember consistency is key!
CULPRIT: Applying too much product.
FIX: This is one time you don’t want to be extra! Use just enough product—especially for serums. Too much can slow absorption rates and cause the excess to pill on top of the skin.
Apply products correctly…thinnest to thickest. Best practice for most people is to apply serums on damp skin. (Splash some water on if you need to!) This all helps with absorption.
Other application tips:
- Dab product in different spots on the skin before rubbing them in to even distribution and minimize friction.
- When applying foundation over sunscreen, try using a Beauty Blender/makeup sponge. This can be a game changer in reducing pilling with makeup application – the action of pushing makeup into skin, rather than ruffling up the layers underneath with brushes or fingers, reduces the risk of pilling considerably.
CULPRIT: The ingredients in the products.
FIX: If you’re still plagued by issues after slowing down and exfoliating properly, it’s time to look at the ingredient list.
Silicones are great at creating a smooth, priming finish on the skin but in some individuals, they can pill, especially if used in more than one layer or in too-generous quantities.
Talc, iron oxide, and mica can also pill – and these are common ingredients in sunscreen and foundation.
It’s while it could be a single ingredient issue, it’s also essential to understand product formulations and how they interact with each other. Most brands are intentional about formulating their products to work together for best results and why formulations from differing brand may not work well together and can cause pilling.
In the end…
It’s almost impossible to predict who will experience pilling and who won’t. Founder Jordan Harper has used exactly the same routine in multiple patients, ,and 9 out of 10 will layer like a dream, and one might experience problems.
Sunscreen is probably the number one culprit for pilling and it’s a real barrier to daily use for some individuals. Don’t let pilling stop you from using daily SPF. Give it tenacious trial and error — there’s a sunscreen out there that will layer as beautifully as your favorite primer — you just have to find it.
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