Best Moisturizers? Complete Guide to Skin Moisturizers
Emollient-based face moisturizers keep skin moisturized. Moisturizers moisturize the skin’s surface. Their main function is sealing skin trapping in moisture & nutrients & protecting. it from environmental toxins.
Why do we need a moisturizer to prevent skin water loss?
Our skin needs water to function as an initial barrier against environmental pollutants. compromised skin barrier occurs occasionally, especially after facial cleansing. Damaged skin barriers allow water to escape & dry our skin.
Are you aware that washing is crucial but also causes the biggest water loss from your skin? After cleansing our face, we must replenish moisture to keep our skin healthy. Oily skin needs less heavy-duty moisturizers than dry skin. Sebum moisturizes your skin naturally. heavier richer & occlusive product is needed for very dry & sensitive skin.
Read Also: Skincare for oily skin
How do ointments creams & emulsions differ & which is best for you?
What distinguishes these skincare product types? Most of these products claim to moisturize or hydrate skin. ratio of humectants emollients & occlusives determines difference:
A rich ointment occludes. Its thick & rests on top of your skin to keep. it wet. it suits dry skin. Creams are more unpredictable. This depends on formulation because ratio of either element can vary. Lighter emulsion has more humectants than emollient & occlusive. This product suits oily skin.
Top 3 Best Moisturizers for skin
- Skin that is dry [ Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream]
Dermatologists love Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream for its deep hydration & restoration of dry sensitive skin. it is an oil free fragrance-free moisturizer. Ceramides hyaluronic acid & niacinamide are included to help seal in moisture & repair skins natural barrier.
- Oily Skin: Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream [ Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture Sensitive Skin]
Oil Free Moisture Sensitive Skin Care from Neutrogena: Designed for sensitive skin this oil free lightweight moisturizer absorbs rapidly without leaving greasy aftertaste. it has glycerin to draw in & hold onto moisture & hyaluronic acid to moisturize.
- Combination Skin [ Plum Green Tea Mattifying Moisturizer]
It contains green tea extract to control oil production. witch hazel to reduce inflammation & aloe vera to soothe skin.
Moisturizer types
Different moisturizers serve different skincare purposes. To maximize this skincare phase, you must understand each types uses & application methods. Different moisturizers should be used in your routine. Searching for suitable moisturizer for my skin type? Choose from the creams below.
A daytime moisturizer
AM moisturizers hydrate & protect skin from environmental stresses. Daytime moisturizers are lightweight & breathable providing skin with essential moisture.
CeraVes AM face moisturizer offers SPF. All skin types can use Ceramides AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 15 to prevent premature aging & cell damage. For bright balanced skin non comedogenic composition contains three vital ceramides hyaluronic acid & niacinamide
Evening moisturizer
PM moisturizers are heavier than daytime ones to help skin stay hydrated while you sleep. Evening moisturizer enhances your entire evening routine. Thick textured evening moisturizers lock in your other nighttime skincare products & take advantage of reparative skin cell phase as we sleep.
Ceramides PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion without oil or scent is for dry sensitive & moderate acne prone skin. Hyaluronic acid three critical ceramides & Multivesicular] Technology provides 24-hour hydration.
Eye creams
Eye skin is distinct in form & concerns. Eye skin is thinner than facial skin & displays signs of aging first. Dark circles eye puffiness crow’s feet & sagging skin can be treated with specially made moisturizers.
Ceramides Eye Repair Cream for Dark Circles strengthens delicate skin with powerful ingredients. composition brightens & moisturizes eyes with marine & botanical mix ceramides niacinamide & hyaluronic acid.
Body moisturizer
Body moisturization is just as important as facial moisturization since your skin moisture barrier needs protection. Choose supportive & minimal solutions to maintain your body especially hands & feet healthy hydrated & soft.
Ceramides Moisturizing Cream for Dry Skin protects dry to very dry skin with thick cream. AM/PM solution hydrates intensely with hyaluronic acid ceramides & MVE technology without feeling oily or heavy.
Due to high touch & environmental stress hands can feel dry or scratchy. Specially developed moisturizers soothe & protect hands. Reparative Hand Cream absorbs quickly & contains glycerin ceramides & dimethicone. Renewing SA Foot Cream gently exfoliates dry rough or bumpy feet with salicylic acid & three important ceramides.
Ingredients in moisturizers
Water
Most moisturizers are creams & lotions because they are oil in water emulsions. In ingredient list water is usually first. When applying moisturizer some water evaporates & soaks in. Since stratum corneum absorbs water well but doesn’t bind it an oily material is needed to retain its in. Without water from moisturizer or bath applying an oily material to skin results in greasy dry cracked skin. Soaking skin in water & then applying Vaseline is best approach to soften it. Its time consuming & untidy so unless your skin is severely dry moisturizer with water is easier & more practical.
Occlusives
Petrolatum & other moisturizing oils are called occlusives because they prevent water evaporation. Despite many moisturizers variations petrolatum remains staple & is commonly listed third or fourth. Several fatty or waxy compounds can occlude. Acetyl alcohol lanolin lecithin mineral oil paraffin & stearic acid are frequent. Occlusive silicones dimethicone & cyclomethycaine. Products labeled oil free frequently use dimethicone as an occlusive instead of mineral or vegetable oil. Aveeno claims natural oatmeal although some products only contain dimethicone. Effectiveness of occlusives varies. Petrolatum lanolin mineral oil & silicones retain water well.
Humectants
Humectants draw water from air & deeper skin layers into stratum corneum. air is so dry in low humidity that most of water comes from inside. Glycerin honey panthenol [ vitamin B5] sorbitol [ an artificial sweetener] & urea are typical humectants. Humectants can dry skin by drawing water into damaged parched stratum corneum without moisture. In practice they are usually employed with occlusive substances to hold moisture humectants draw into stratum corneum.
Emollients
Emollients make skin smooth not moisten. Dimethicone & other occlusives & humectants also work as emollients. Because of rubbing alcohol [ isopropyl alcohol] alcohols are considered drying & unsuitable for moisturizers. Octyldodecanol is good emollient.
Vitamins
Major ingredient in prescription antiwrinkle creams is topical retinoic acid type of vitamin that stimulates collagen formation to diminish fine lines & wrinkles. In certain moisturizers vitamin is retinyl palmitate. Which is stable but less biologically active than retinoic acid. quantities of retinyl palmitate in moisturizers are unlikely to affect collagen & wrinkles. Retinyl palmitate may be humectant.
Due of their antioxidant effects vitamin C & E [ ascorbic acid & tocopherol acetate] are added. Topically applied vitamin C has some benefits. But at large dosages. Its usage in moisturizers is questioned since light & oxygen inactivate vitamin C. Vitamin E as tocopherol acetate is inactive & likely preservative.
Menthol Sarna & other anti-itch moisturizers contain menthol. Although menthol doesn’t treat cause cooling effect seems to reduce itching.
Lactic acid. The heel skin might become thick leathery & dry. Use pumice stone or callus file to remove outer skin layers then soften it with AmLactin. Over the counter lotion AmLactin contains 12% lactic acid heavy duty humectant that loosens adhesions & makes heel skin more flexible & less susceptible to split. Lactic acid products can sting.
6 dry skin tips
- Lower thermostat. Heat is drier than cold.
- Use humidifier. Humidifiers may assist. Moisture can soak into walls & furniture or spread quickly depending on how airtight your home is.
- Use warm baths & showers. Hot water removes skins water retaining fatty components. Some doctors advise bath oils. teaspoon of bath oil diluted in two cups of warm water can be used to moisturize after bath.
- Use mild soap. Dove is well known. Cleaners like Cetaphil replace soap.
- Dress loosely. Skin can dry out from rubbing clothing.
- Guard yourself. Wrap up in warm mittens or gloves since cold windy air dries your hands.
Differences between moisture & hydration?
Hydration & moisture are often used interchangeably in skincare. Are there differences? Hydrating adds water to skin. Water hydrates your face when you cleanse it. Not that. it will assist your skin retain moisture. Moisturizing creams help skin retain moisture.
Hydration alone is insufficient; we need moisture retention. Water can be trapped by sebum in oilier skin. If you have dry skin your hydration may leak through & disappear.
Does oily skin mean you don’t need moisturizer? No because oily skin isn’t always hydrated. Sebum can trap hydration. But if there’s not enough water your skin is oily but dehydrated. When your skin produces oil creams with hyaluronic acid glycerin urea or AHA can attract moisture.
Dead cells on top
See drawings below to see our skins layers. outermost one stratum corneum has corneocytes & fats between them. stratum corneum looks more like phyllo thin sheets of dough used to create baklava than bricks & mortar. Which are acceptable metaphors for protective layer of skin.
Corneocytes are necrotic but not useless. They contain water holding compounds. For smooth supple skin stratum corneum must have at least 10% water ideally 20% to 30%. When wet stratum corneum can absorb five to six times its weight & triple its volume. But water content isn’t everything. Water affects enzymes that properly shed corneocytes process dermatologists call desquamation. Without water corneocytes build making skin flaky & stratum corneum disordered & cracked.
Because moisturizers contain oil many think they replace lost oil. However most young children have smooth skin & their sebaceous glands don’t produce oily sebum until puberty. Dry skin lacks water not oil.
