Moisturize skin

#skincare#moisturizer#face#body#apply lotion

Sticky, cold or perfumed: any of the three can stall the whole routine right at the moisturizer. The pictures here break the step down so the feeling on skin is no surprise.

A person moisturizes their face with cream, applying a dot of cream to their cheek.♂

Moisturize face

A person moisturizes their face with cream, applying a dot of cream to their cheek.

A happy boy applies cream to his cheek while holding a bottle.♂

Boy moisturising face

A happy boy applies cream to his cheek while holding a bottle.

A man pumps moisturiser into his palm.♂

Pumping out moisturiser

A man pumps moisturiser into his palm.

A man dabs cream on his cheek while holding a jar.♂

Moisturising skin

A man dabs cream on his cheek while holding a jar.

A finger presses on a round patch of skin.

Cream on skin

A finger presses on a round patch of skin.

About this visual support

The friction between cream and skin is often what decides whether a child stays with the routine or backs out. The wider sequence is fine, it is the in-between moment that snags: the lotion is half soaked in but still tacky against fingers, the floor, the towel, and anything that brushes by.

A visual schedule for this step works best when it also pictures the time between cream and clothes. A panel showing waiting until the skin feels dry gives that pause a clear name, so the child stops yanking pyjamas on too early and then reacting to fabric clinging at the armpit.

A concrete tip: keep the cream in a smaller container that the child can dip a finger into themselves, and pick a fragrance-free version for a stretch if scent has been a sticking point. The friction then becomes something the child explores, not something done to them. In the Routined app you can drop a visual timer between moisturizer and getting dressed so the pause has a clear start and end.

Use this image in a schedule

Build your own visual schedule with this image and download it as a print-ready PDF. Completely free.

Take the visual supports with you

In Routined you build schedules from these pictures, add timers and voice instructions, and your child follows the day on their own.

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