Skincare "pilling"—the formation of tiny, gunky balls on the skin's surface—occurs because products fail to absorb and instead form a, usually, silicone-based film that rolls off. This is caused by layering incompatible products (like oil-based over water-based), rushing the routine, over-application, or using products with high concentrations of ingredients like talc, silica, or carbomer.
Impatience to get your skin-care routine done is another common cause. "Pilling most commonly occurs because we aren't giving enough time for each product to dry before applying the next," explains Marchbein.
Product pilling occurs when skincare products form tiny balls on the surface of your skin instead of being absorbed. This can leave your skin feeling uneven and your products ineffective. It happens because of various factors, from layering incorrectly, to ingredient incompatibility.
For skincare, always apply products from thinnest to thickest—starting with mists or toners and finishing with heavier creams or moisturisers. Applying lightweight products over thicker ones prevents them from fully soaking-in, which can cause pilling.
The 4-2-4 skincare rule is a Korean-inspired double-cleansing method emphasizing timed steps: 4 minutes massaging an oil-based cleanser, followed by 2 minutes with a water-based (foam/gel) cleanser, and a final 4 minutes rinsing (alternating warm and cool water) to deeply purify pores, break down impurities, boost circulation, and prep skin for other products.
The "1% rule" in skincare refers to how ingredients are listed: above 1%, they're in descending order, but below 1%, brands can list them in any order, often placing beneficial-sounding ingredients higher for marketing, even if present in trace amounts, so always check ingredient lists for things like preservatives (e.g., phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate) to find the "1% line" and see where your "hero" ingredients (like niacinamide or peptides) fall below it. While this rule helps decode labels, a core practical skincare rule is consistency, or even simpler: cleanse gently when needed, apply products from thinnest to thickest, and focus on a purpose for each step, as over-cleansing or using too many products can harm skin.
So it's safe to say that a 10-step routine is probably too much for most people, and you're not falling behind the times! A three to five-step routine that you can do consistently every day is a good place to start. Focus on: A quality cleanser to wash away dirt and impurities.
Pilling is a natural process that will inevitably happen to even the most luxurious fabrics like cashmere wool and is not necessarily an indicator of poor quality, nor a reason to discard or return a garment.
Therefore, if your hyaluronic acid comes in the form of a serum, make sure to apply it before your moisturizer and after other more fluid serums. Be patient with your routine : To prevent your products from pilling, it is recommended to wait 30 to 60 seconds between each application.
Deep Hydration: Many Korean ingredients provide long-lasting moisture, ensuring your skin remains hydrated and plump. Improved Skin Texture: Various ingredients commonly used in Korean products contribute to the synthesis of collagen or help eliminate dead cells and damage, leading to a smoother skin texture.
A disposable razor and even your regular household scissors can be used to gently shave or trim off the random fabric pill in a pinch—just use extra caution if going this route! Keep the fabric taut and be mindful not to cut into the actual garment.
Your skin should be renewing and shedding the skin's surface layers all the time. When you apply moisturiser, you slow down the process, often leading to dull skin, uneven texture, and breakouts. Your skin is a homeostatic organ which means it is clever at producing enough hydration from the inside.
Pilling occurs when a moisturizer or hydrating product is layered under or over another hydrating skincare product that has not fully absorbed into skin.
Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, so it actually draws moisture from the skin and increases transepidermal water loss — this is literally written in fine print in dermatology publications.
What happens to your skin if you use too much hyaluronic acid?
Too much hyaluronic acid symptoms include unexpected dryness, irritation, or breakouts. This happens because excess product can actually pull moisture from your skin when humidity is low. The ingredient needs water from the environment to work properly.
Scientific studies have shown that HA improves skin hydration, stimulates production of collagen in skin, works as an antioxidant and free radical scavenger, maintains skin elasticity, cushions joints and nerve tissues, has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity and maintains the fluid in the eye tissues, ...
Unfortunately, there's no magic way to fix pilling once it's begun, but there are a couple things you can do to improve the appearance of your clothing: Remove pills: you can physically remove pills by picking or brushing them off with your hand or cutting them with a pill shaver.
The more of a product you apply, the more your skin will struggle to absorb it. Instead of soaking into your skin, all of that excess product will sit on your skin's surface. It will then mix together with dead skin cells or the next product that you apply, resulting in skin pilling.
To quote Roberts-Smith, “All the 60 second rule is: washing your face — with your fingers — for 60 seconds. That's it!” Supposedly, most people only wash their face for about 15 seconds. The 60 second rule is a skincare hack that prolongs cleansing so you're sure to wash every single part of your face.
How to Tell You're Overwashing Your Face. The most obvious sign of over-cleansing is that “squeaky-clean” feeling you get after drying your face. Tightness and dryness are the biggest side effects. “The cells become dry and cracked, and release small molecules called chemokines, causing itchiness,” explains Greenfield.
