Pilling

Pilling is when skincare rolls up into small flakes or threads under a finger, a brush or a second product, instead of settling into an even film. It is a physical incompatibility between layers, not a sign that a product is bad or that skin is peeling.

Several things cause it. Gel-forming polymers and gums have the most tendency to roll; silicone-heavy layers can slide off water-based ones; too much product in one place leaves more material than the skin can hold; and applying a second layer before the first has dried gives the two a chance to mix and clump. Physical exfoliant residue and some sunscreen and primer combinations do the same.

• Wait until each layer has genuinely absorbed before the next one.
• Use less, and press rather than rub the layer that pills.
• Change the order, or swap one of the two products, if the same pair pills every time.

Pilling is a texture problem, and the practical consequence worth caring about is sunscreen: a layer that has rolled off is no longer providing the protection its label describes. If a sunscreen pills over your moisturiser, the fix is a different pairing rather than less sunscreen.