Moisturizers. Where to start. Well, they are important when it comes to skincare.
Whether it’s for your morning skincare routine, night skincare, or you want a minimal skincare routine, a moisturizer is one of the key skincare products you will find on the list. However, choosing moisturizers for your skin is not as easy as you think.
If it was easy choosing moisturizers, then there won’t be a need for this article, right? Some realize it’s more than walking to the skincare aisle and picking the fanciest or alluring moisturizer in the rack. You can literarily get lost when looking for the right moisturizer.
There are factors you have to consider, and then the price (is the moisturizer worth it?) has to match the worth of the product.
So how to choose moisturizers becomes a question you need to have answered ASAP.
How to choose moisturizers for your skin
Your day starts on a good foot when you use the right skincare products to prep your skin for what’s to come. Moisturizers are a must on the list. You probably have one already. But is it the right one?
You have to know how to choose moisturizers (plurality intended) that are right for your skin.
You can answer the question correctly when you identify what you are looking for with the following factors.
1. Skin Type
Your skin is a reflection of you. So when you pick a moisturizer, it has to be formulated for your skin. That is the moisturizer that works for your skin type.
There are different skin types, and you will definitely fall under one. The face’s skin is the best part to show what type of skin you have.
Oily or acne-prone skin types produce excess sebum (natural oil), which means they need products that would hydrate their skin and hold moisture. On the other hand, dry skin needs lots of moisture to keep the skin soft and smooth.
Meanwhile, combination and neutral skin types are to pick moisturizers based on the weather or season. But the moisturizers they pick must be non-comedogenic. And sensitive skin types need moisturizers with hypoallergenic ingredients.
If you are lost with these skin types and not sure what you are you can do the morning test.
Your face when you first wake up in the morning will give you a perfect picture of what type of skin you have.
If your face is oily and shiny, then you are oily skin. And if only your T-zone area (forehead, nose, and chin) is oily, and your cheeks are dry, then you are combination skin.
Dry skin usually has flaky skin and is coarse when touched. However, normal skin is not dry, neither are they oily. They are neutral.
However, the season might determine whether it should be dry or oily. For instance, oily in the summer due to humidity and dry in winter or cold seasons.
Most times normal skin types need one or two moisturizers to complement the seasons.
2. Skin Condition
Another way to find out how to choose moisturizers is to determine how they will treat your skin condition.
Are you acne-prone, do you have eczema or psoriasis, redness, or irritated skin? Do you have wrinkles, fine lines, or dark spots?
The moisturizer you pick must be able to treat or at least does not aggravate your skin conditions. If it does, then it isn’t for you.
3. Ingredients
The first five ingredients. That’s what you have to pay attention to. The first five ingredients should have active ingredients like glycerin that are humectants.
Moisturizers should also contain antioxidants to keep the skin healthy and fresh. Antioxidants help in neutralizing free radicals from external agents or the environment.
Usually, the first ingredients listed are the active ingredients of the products. Therefore, you have to know what you are looking for.
The ingredients would also contain inactive ingredients that would help the skin but not help fight harsh external agents like the sun’s UV rays. Inactive ingredients are meant to supplement the main ingredients or contribute to making the final product.
Another thing to look out for with moisturizers is harmful ingredients. When there are harmful ingredients like synthetic chemicals, it’s best to avoid them. The moisturizer has to read hypoallergenic. This means that it is less irritant.
However, this does not assure you that there won’t be reactions. You have to take the proactive step of reading the labels and finding the ingredients that work for you and do not.
4. Skin Protection
This is essential for all skin types and skin tones. You need to protect your skin every day with SPF.
Protecting your skin with sunscreen will help it stay smooth and wrinkle-free. Dermatologists keep stressing that you must use moisturizers with sunscreen with at least an SPF 30.
And after buying a moisturizer with a good sunscreen, it is advised you don’t use it at night. Moisturizers with SPF are mostly recommended for morning moisturizers. Evening moisturizers are used to cure the skin while the body rests.
Morning moisturizers should be able to protect against external elements, including the UV rays of the sun. This is why you need sunscreen in your moisturizer.
5. Texture – Lotion, cream, or Ointment
This might look trivial. But it is an important factor when you want to choose moisturizers for your skin.
Your skin type determines what texture of moisturizer you would end up with. For example, oily skins need thin or light moisturizers because of the excess sebum on the skin. Therefore it is best they go for lotions.
Meanwhile, dry skins need all the hydration they can get. Therefore creams or ointment with a much thicker constitution is perfect for their skin.
That way moisture can be locked in on the skin. Also, you can have different moisturizer textures based on when you use it. For instance, a night cream is heavier than a light day moisturizer.
Also, the seasons need a change of moisturizer. In the summer, lighter creams are best. And during cold seasons, you can switch to heavier moisturizers.
SEE: Is Vaseline Good for Your Skin? Discover the Benefits and Uses of Petroleum Jelly
Notable Factors
Scent, Coloring, and Preservatives
These are other things to look out for. It’s best to go for moisturizers that are scent-free. This is because some of the scents are artificial and could be harmful to the skin.
It’s the most helpful tip to acne-prone and sensitive skin. Also, artificial colorings are to be avoided, especially for sensitive skins. The colorings and dyes could strip the skin of natural oils.
Parabens are added to cosmetic products to elongate the shelf life. Now, this is a grey area because they are important but not necessary.
Parabens have been declared safe by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review(CIR). However, the component should be between the ranges of 0.01 to 0.3 percent in the moisturizer.
Moisturizer’s Purpose
There are specialized moisturizers that treat simple to severe skin issues.
These moisturizers are formulated to treat specific issues like anti-aging, acute acne, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and others. Some of these moisturizers are prescription treatments.
On the other hand, other types of moisturizers are targeted for a specific area of the body, for example, the face.
This is common as you will see moisturizers that help the skin face because it is most exposed to the sun. And then are moisturizers for the hands or whole body.
You need to know the purpose of the moisturizer and what it aims to treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I moisturize?
Moisturizing is key to keeping your skin protected, smooth, and supple. You need to do this regularly and do it after a bath when your skin is still moist with water.
There are many reasons why you need to moisturize your skin.
The most important is to protect your skin from external elements like the sun’s UV rays.
Also, you would be protecting your skin from further breakouts. A moisturizer, even if it doesn’t treat the skin, should be able to maintain it from breaking out.
Furthermore, your skin’s pH level and hydration are balanced, and so is your complexion.
You can maintain your natural glow derived from using other products like soaps, serums, exfoliating treatments with a moisturizer.
When should I moisturize?
Every day, twice a day. That is the rule. You need to protect yourself from external harsh elements like the sun’s UV rays.
In the morning, use a moisturizer laced with SPF, and in the evening use a moisturizer with rejuvenating ingredients.
This is why having two separate moisturizers is best. Also, apply the moisturizer to damp skin. This will help the moisturizer be absorbed faster.
What can I add to my moisturizer?
Certain ingredients can be added to moisturizers. They are the main active ingredients to help the skin.
For instance, retinol, hyaluronic acids, collagen, and more can be added to moisturizers.
Retinol helps with cell turnover and collagen production.
Hyaluronic acid is great for moisturizing the skin and keeping it hydrated and smooth. And infused collagen helps with cell regeneration.
Other components can be added to moisturizers to make them powerful cosmetic products. This includes ingredients that help with aging effects like wrinkles, fine lines, aging spots, and sagging skin.
Also, components like glycolic acid and lactic acid can be added to topically treat dry skin.
As mentioned earlier, there are some prescription moisturizers used to topically treat mild to severe acne and skin conditions.
Takeaway
Learning how to choose moisturizers for your skin is essential.
You can learn what to look out for when it comes to your skin type, skin conditions, ingredients, and texture of the cream. For instance, oily skin can use Paula’s Choice RESIST Daily Hydrating Fluid Face Moisturizer with an SPF 50 to protect from ultraviolet rays.
When it comes to how to choose moisturizers for skin, dry skin has to look for products that would keep their skin hydrated.
Like CeraVe Moisturizing Cream Body and Face Moisturizer for Dry Skin. It has hyaluronic acid and ceramides to help the skin stay hydrated all day.
When you know what to look for in your moisturizers, it becomes easier to follow up on your routine because you will see positive changes over time.
But you should keep this in mind, a skincare routine without a moisturizer is not going to work. This is why you should get the best moisturizer there is out there.
Africana Fashion provides beauty and skincare articles to help boost your everyday skincare lifestyle.
