Without question everyone should be using moisturizer but the problem arrives in what intervals you should be moisturizing. This can be quite tricky as each product has different ingredients and this is why one routine can’t fit everyone’s needs. Another issue arises when you factor in external reasons like humidity and maybe even more important skin type.
Skin type may be the greatest reason as some people have naturally damp skin which does not require that much moisturizer whereas some people have really dry skin which requires higher amounts of moisturizer.
Is Moisturizer Important?
If you’re someone who wants your skin to glow you probably use sunscreen and whatever high-quality soap you can find. But if you’re not using a good moisturizer you’re missing out and your skin would look better if you’re using one.
One of the best moisturizer would be Prob5HA Full Spec Quenching Serum this is useful because it has hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic Acid is a good moisturizer. The main ingredient of Prob5HA Full Spec Quenching Serum is hyaluronic acid.
There’s a reason it’s ubiquitous: Not only does hyaluronic acid do a killer job when it comes to moisturizing the skin, but it minimizes signs of aging since plump, hydrated skin makes fine lines and wrinkles less visible.
Please refer to the image below to learn more about how Hyaluronic Acid works on people’s skin.
The human body’s skin does have a natural ability to protect you from external factors like dust, sun radiation, air pollution and tobacco smoke.
Other factors even include other face creams which are chemically packed or harmful to the human skin. But eventually as you grow older your body’s ability to protect starts wearing out which results in more need for products like moisturizer.
Isn't Moisturizing The Same As Hydrating?
No, although the textbook definition of moisturizer is that they’re only made to protect you from dull and dry skin.
But nowadays with the amount of ingredients and chemicals that are available moisturizers have become a lot more than that. Although their base ingredients are usually oil and water they have started to come in all different scents and ingredients.
What moisturizers actually do is they restore moisture levels in your skin. They keep the moisture trapped in the skin. They also make a defense between your skin and any damaging outside features.
We’re going to be focusing on three types of moisturizers in this article.
The Common 6 Types of Moisturizers – Choose Wisely
1. Humectants
Humectants normally are those items which bring out water from any nearby areas. But when used on your skin they bring out water from nearby areas and from parts of your skin towards the surface level.
Humectants can help all skin types but they work especially well on oily skin since they weigh less. Most humectants are made from glycerin, glycol and hyaluronic acid.
2. Emollients
Emollients are items which fluff up your skin. This is helpful as when your skin dries up it causes cracks in your skin which can damage your skin. These cracks leave spaces in your face.
Emollients replace the spaces in the face with fatty substances which soothes out the face. But due to the way emollients work they are only beneficial on dry skin. But emollient based moisturizers can be used on any skin type.
3. Occlusives
Occlusives are used in moisturizers and these make a protective area on the outside of your skin. This prevents any moisture from leaving the skin. It acts just like your skin’s natural defense against all external reasons like dust or pollution which could harm you.
They’re mostly thick and are waterproof. They also work best on dry skin but can be used on normal skin. Some moisturizers are different due to the way they are made.
4. Creams
Cream moisturizers are bulky and thick, they create layers on the skin to prevent your skin from losing dampness and to protect them from any external factors. Creams are made with two types of moisturizers: humectants and emollients.
It also contains some of the third type of moisturizer in oil form. This creates a balance between all three types of moisturizers. Creams are comparatively lower in water than oils and any other bulky combination.
5. Lotions
Comparatively lotions are higher in water content than creams. Due to this lotions look thinner and they don’t have the same layering effect which creams have.
6. Gels
Gel based moisturizers usually have a high water content which makes them very light and freeing. They also include tiny amounts of emollients and occlusives while having high amounts of humectants which get absorbed into your skin.
How Many Times A Day Should You Use Moisturizer?
The widely accepted practice with logic behind it is twice every twenty four hours. The logic is that if you apply it one in the morning and once in the evening your moisture content will remain the same throughout the day and not drop.
No matter whatever you do in your skincare regime. You should make sure that you have a daily moisturizer as one of things you use when you wake up and before you sleep. When you wake up make sure you use your facial toners and serums before you apply moisturizer and make sure to use sunscreen and makeup after you’ve used moisturizer. Washing your face is recommended but not necessary.
When you’re applying moisturizer before you’re going to sleep you should wash your face to remove all the dust and pollution from it.
Why Different Moisturizers For Different Skin Types?
Each skin type is unique and it will require different remedies for it. What a blemish-prone skin needs may not be what combination skin needs and also the other way around. For you to cure your skin you need to know what your skin type is so you can treat it effectively.
1. Oily Skin
You can tell if a skin is oily if it has excess oil on the face, especially on the forehead, nose and chin. This makes it so that your skin is always slippery and also weirdly shiny. Oily skin is also not good on a molecular level as it can clog quite easily which can lead to blemishes.
You should only use lighter moisturizers for this as it makes sure your pores don’t get clogged. Try to use gel or lotion based moisturizers.
2. Dry Skin
Dry skin can be seen by its tightness and overall lack of color. This happens because dry skin is usually caused by an inability to retain water which can happen due to a lack of fats in the top layer.
Lack of fats leads to decline in moisture levels which removes your defense against external factors like dust and pollution which can cause further problems. You’ll have to get moisturizers which can restore your body’s natural defenses. These moisturizers should be cream and lotion moisturizers which are high in emollients and humectants.
3. Combination Skin
Combination skin, just as the name implies is a combination of oily, dry or even normal skin. Some of your skin could be oily, some could be dry and the rest could be normal.
The special thing about this is that any type of moisturizer can be used as long as it fulfills two key goals. It should hydrate your skin and keep your natural skin barrier refreshed. It should also minimize your moisture loss to make sure your skin stays great.
4. Blemish-Prone Skin
Blemish-prone skin isn’t exactly a specific skin type as it can be any skin type. It could be oily, dry, combination or even sensitive.
The key to this is to keep using products which help oily skin as blemishes are usually caused by something being clogged in your skin’s pores. You’d want a light moisturizer which also makes it so that oil cannot accumulate on your skin.
5. Sensitive Skin
Any skin type can be sensitive. You can tell which skin is sensitive by looking for visual signs of inflammation. With that out of the way, most times sensitive skin is dry skin. This happens due to the fact that the cracks in dry skin make it vulnerable.
To reduce visible signs of inflammation get moisturizers with relaxing ingredients and make sure that they will not have an adverse reaction with sensitive skin.
Final Words
You should try and take care of your skin as much as possible. Moisturization is just one of the ways you can do so. You should take extreme care of your skin especially if you live in harsher climates and pollution riddled areas.
Moisturizing your face twice a day is a completely fine way to take care of your skin but you don’t have to adhere to it strictly. If you want to you can moisturize more than twice per day. You can also start eating healthier if you want to in order to take better care of your skin.