Those of us Gen X babies who wore synthetic knits know all about pilling. Those tiny balls of lint formed in the washer and dryer as space-age plastic fibers abraded one another. My winter clothes had to be shaved periodically because my mother couldn’t stand sending me out in the world with a multicolored sprinkling of fuzzy dots coating my body. As an adult, I learned about being gentler with laundry and I developed a fierce allegiance to natural fibers. Now I have a new pilling issue, and it has to do with getting older.
Beauty products pill. This is a new phenomenon for me. One common ingredient that causes pilling is silicone. I didn’t even know what primer was until the early 2000’s, when a Sephora employee matched me to a Makeup Forever foundation and inquired about how I primed my skin for makeup. She was mildly surprised when I explained that moisturizer prepared my skin for makeup. That expression of surprise is what I’d label a microaggression now. She probably didn’t even know her face did that, but I did. I left with a wonderful, pricey foundation and an ok green primer that felt silicone based. I based that guess on my understanding of textiles and coatings that give a soft “hand,” or feel to clothing we buy. Silicone is a slippery substance that’s in a lot of products, including breast implants. In liquid form it helps products like primers create a smooth surface for makeup. It’s in a lot of products for aging skin. More properly, silicones, plural, are in our skincare products
As an ingredient in anti-aging products, silicones, including dimethicone, form an occlusive layer. That is, they form a barrier that keeps moisture in the skin. They help plump up fine lines too, so silicones are helpful. Consistent use helps the skin’s collagen and elastin synthesis, and these two proteins are key to anti-aging. Other important anti-aging ingredients can cause pilling too, most notably hyaluronic acid. Polymers and related polymer ingredients can help plump fine lines and wrinkles too. How many times in your youth did you hear about “space-age polymers,” in reference to plastics or coatings? Yes, related ingredients are in your creams and moisturizers, primers, etc. Again, helpful in fighting the appearance of aging skin, kind of weird to think about. I have a primer from Laura Geller. It’s called New York Spackle Hydrating Primer. The ingredients we’ve been discussing: silicone, polymers, hyaluronic acid, act on the surface as well as below the surface of the skin. They are filling in lines while they encourage cell turnover, collagen and elastin production, etc.
Here’s a key piece of information: There’s only so much a person’s skin can absorb in a short period of time, and once the skin can’t absorb anymore product, pilling can start to occur. It can happen when you apply foundation on top of primer, for instance. It can occur in the evening after cleansing and skincare. Try cutting back on the amount of product you’re applying. Try spreading one or two drops of thin serums at a time. Everyone has seen the influencer videos of people dripping expensive serums down their faces, their expressions orgasmically rapt as they encourage their audience to misuse the products they advertise. Do what you want, but that earns a big unfollow from me.
Apply skincare products thinnest to thickest. I begin with an antioxidant serum that is water-based and very thin. Then I move on to my silicone-based anti-aging serum that’s much thicker, followed by an anti-aging cream. I use an anti-aging eye cream too. Upon adding a second eye product, I noticed pilling. I see that as an indication that I need to choose one product or the other.
Make sure you allow your skin time to absorb one layer before moving on to the next. My antioxidant serum dries quickly. All I need to do is wait a few seconds before I’m unable to feel the product on my face. My thicker serum requires more time, and if I’m in a hurry, I use this fan that I found on Amazon. It’s rechargeable, compact, and it’s a lifesaver during a hot flash!
Make sure, too, that you’re exfoliating too. My dry, rather delicate skin doesn’t respond well to aggressive exfoliation, but dead skin cells on the surface make it more difficult for skincare to penetrate, and those dead cells provide more opportunity for pilling as they slough off the surface. One option to try is The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner. It feels gentle on the skin and I haven’t had a problem tolerating it.
Leave me feedback! How much of a problem is pilling for your mature skin?
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