Moisturizer...How to Choose the Best One

Last week spoke of choosing the right sunscreen, well what about a moisturizer? I get that questions a lot, what is the best moisturizer for my skin? What I like to do when I get asked this questions, especially when I am in my studio, I ask if I can analyze them under my skin analysis machine. If they are wearing makeup and a sunscreen, I will have them wash it off to get an accurate reading, and then analyze them. But if they ask me while I am out and overhear someone in the skincare aisle looking for a moisturizer or even a skincare system. I will first ask if I can ask them a few questions, and let them know that I am a skin therapist and may be able to help them choose. I will then let them know that I can get a more accurate ready if they come in to my studio to do an analysis and choose the best skincare and moisturizer for them.

With this being said, when you do wonder the skincare aisles, you quickly find yourself overwhelmed with the variety of creams, lotions, and ointments; for face and body; for dry, sensitive, light, or dark skin; and then there is also the anti-aging ingredients and sunscreens, and the confusion just keep on growing.

The Basics about what moisturizers do.

Moisturizers are to keep your skin hydrated and supple. They lock in your skin’s natural moisture, as well as help attract moisture to the surface of your skin to prevent it from drying out. They also improve your skin’s barrier function.

What to avoid when choosing a moisturizer?

More isn’t always better when it comes to the list of ingredients in a moisturizer. To get the most benefit from your skin, avoid some popular extras.

• Colorings and perfumes. Whether you want to moisturize dry skin, sensitive skin, or something in between. Antibacterial agents can also be unnecessarily harsh, stripping skin of essential oils. Most moisturizers include fragrance to make the product smell more appealing.
• Body-friendly ingredients. What’s good for your body is not always good for your face. Avoid facial moisturizers with popular body products and ingredients like Lanolin, mineral oil, waxes, or shea butter, they can clog your pores and cause acne on the face.
• Too many acids. Avoid alpha-hydroxy acids, glycolic acid, retinoic acid and salicylic acid, if you have dry or sensitive skin. These ingredients may penetrate the skin too deeply and trouble delicate skin. Stay away from products with alcohols as well.
• Overusing steroidal ingredients (for itchy skin). Limit your use of steroid cream or ointment to only 1 or 2 weeks, unless your doctor recommends using it longer. Overusing these creams can make skin very thin and lead to other skin problems.
• Urea or Lactic Acids (for eczema or cracked skin). Stay away from moisturizers that contain these dry-skin friendly ingredients. They can aggravate existing skin irritations.

When choosing a good moisturizer is the texture and feel of the moisturizer. You want to pick one that hydrates but won’t feel heavy and greasy. The ideal moisturizer is smooth and easy to apply and sinks into your skin instead of sitting on the surface. Fluid moisturizers (like lotions or gels) and serums tend to sink right in. However, they usually don’t provide enough moisture. It’s also good to make sure your moisturizer doesn’t leave you feeling sticky, especially on humid summer days.

To get the most out of your skin moisturizer, follow these 3 tips:

• Use more than 1 moisturizer (if you need to). Nobody needs a cabinet full of moisturizing products. But a thin lotion for your face and a thick cream for your body may be just right for your all-over skincare.
• Apply your moisturizer while your skin is damp. Smooth on your favorite moisturizer a few minutes after a bath or shower. Then pat your skin dry.
• Make your moisturizer do double-duty. Be sure your moisturizer contains a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. The pros recommend Vitamin A or alpha-hydroxy acid for anti-aging boost. Want to even out your skin tone? Look for a tinted moisturizer suitable for your complexion.

A good moisturizer should also not break you out, burn upon touching your skin, or cause any other kind of irritation. With all types of skin, particular acne-prone skin, choosing a good moisturizer is difficult. You can read all the reviews and ingredients you want, but you will never know how your skin will react until you try it out for yourself. But reading review and analyzing ingredients will narrow down the chance of breakouts and irritation.

Choosing a moisturizer is a difficult task, but it is not impossible!