An effective moisturizer can do wonders for your skin – from smoothing lines and hiding blemishes, to evening out tone and tone unevenness – but first you must consider what your skin type needs are before selecting a specific formula.
Consider moisturizers that contain humectants (which attract and hold water), emollients (which soften, smooth, and seal in moisture), as well as occlusives like petrolatum or oily ingredients like shea butter.
Hydration
Moisturizers help keep skin hydrated, which prevents dryness, cracking and itching while helping it appear healthier and younger. This is particularly helpful during colder months when indoor air tends to be dryer.
Moisturizer should be part of your daily skincare regimen. A noncomedogenic lotion will not clog your pores, making it suitable for both facial and body application.
There are three basic categories of moisturizers, occlusives, emollients and humectants; most products contain at least some combination of these three ingredients.
Occlusives create a protective barrier over the skin to lock in moisture and stop it from evaporating away, such as petroleum jelly (Vaseline).
Emollients soften and make skin more supple, often using natural and synthetic substances like shea butter, oils and waxes. Humectants help skin retain moisture by drawing it from outside sources into it using substances such as glycerin; some formulations even stimulate natural production of ceramides that reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
Anti-aging
Moisturizers contain various ingredients designed to treat skin conditions like acne, dry skin, flaking and aging. Moisturizers generally fall into three categories: occlusives, humectants and emollients – the best moisturizers will utilize all three agents together in order to provide adequate hydration.
Occlusive moisturizers are thick lipid-based moisturizers designed to cling onto the surface of your skin and block water loss from it. These may be wax or oil based with thick consistency – such as VaselineR, beeswax, jojoba oil, shea butter or mineral oils as examples.
Emollient moisturizers are oil-based moisturizers designed to replace the natural lipids produced by your skin that make it smooth and soft, such as gels, lotions and ointments. Common examples include mineral oil, cocoa butter, shea oil, petrolatum and paraffin wax as emollients.
Sunscreen
Moisturizer and sunscreen both play an essential part in maintaining healthy skin, so it’s crucial that you understand their relationship. A moisturizer helps hydrate skin cells without stripping away its hydration while sunscreen shields against UV rays from the sun’s harmful UV rays. To maximize efficiency of both products, it’s recommended that a period of time pass between applying each one.
Moisturizing creams with SPF can help simplify your skincare regimen. As these multitaskers provide both hydration and sun protection, they’re perfect for those seeking to minimize the number of products used daily in their routine.
Search for a face-specific sunscreen formula as it will be less greasy and won’t clog pores like all-body products do. Consider chemical sunscreen if you prefer fast absorption; alternatively opt for physical sun care such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide which have natural finishes without irritating skin.
Skin-clearing
Moisturizer is one of the key elements to any effective skin-care routine, particularly as we age and our oil glands become weaker. Daily moisturization helps them produce less oil while simultaneously helping prevent overproduction of sebum which often contributes to acne breakouts.
Moisturizers typically fall under the category of oil-in-water emulsions, meaning that they have three primary properties. Occlusive ingredients (like petrolatum, lanolin and mineral oils ) work to physically block transepidermal water loss (TEWL), creating barriers on skin surfaces as well as in the stratum corneum and interstitium between keratinocytes. Humectants (like glycerin and hyaluronic acid) draw water into skin while softening agents such as shea butter and cocoa butter soften skin while adding soft, smooth feelings for users.
This lightweight moisturizer features soothing botanicals such as moringa oil to gently hydrate without over-stimulating or irritating the skin. Formulated without common acne triggers like sulfates, parabens, fragrance, or formaldehyde-releasing preservatives makes this formula gentle enough for even those with sensitive skin.
