Moisturizing your skin is the second most important step in caring for your skin, while cleansing is #1. In this post I’ll demystify the facts on moisturizing to help you better understand why everyone needs to use a moisturizer regardless of what skin type they have.
Barrier support
Think about what would happen if you had no top coat on your car to protect the paint underneath. The dirt, rain, rocks, etc. would quickly damage the paint and your car would rust out much quicker. Moisturizers act in a similar way that a top coat of paint does. It protects the delicate surface underneath.
The skin barrier is made up of protective skin cells that are held together by fatty lipids. This keeps moisture in your skin and irritants out. Acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea and dehydration are caused and/or aggravated by a weekened skin barrier. When the skin barrier is compromised, tiny invisible cracks occur which allow irritants to enter and moisture to ascape. As a result, aging, fine lines, inflammation and skin conditions will follow.
Moisturizers help to fortify the skin barrier with the inclusion of oils, fats and lipids and act as a protective coating on the skin.
Preventing Water Loss
Skin cells are made up of lipids (oil) and water. Therefore, skin needs both in order to be healthy. Throughout the day, the skin naturally looses water through evaporation. This is called trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) which can lead to dehydration. Moisturizers protect our skin from TEWL by forming a seal over the skin to help prevent moisture from escaping. Oily skin tends to produce a lot of oil but may not necessarily be hydrated.
Myth: Oily skin doesn’t need a moisturizer.
Fact: Oily skin may NOT need extra oil but will still require hydration (water) in order to be healthy. Using an oil-free moisturizer will help prevent dehydration in the skin. If the skin is dehydrated, it will produce more oil to compensate for the water loss which can result in clogged pores and breakouts.
Myth: I only need to moisturize once a day.
Fact: Ideally you should be cleansing twice a day, therefore, you should moisturize twice a day.
Fact: You should moisturize immediately after cleansing your skin to prevent the skin from becoming dry. This also helps to seal in the water on your skin and allow the skin to function healthy.
Myth: I just use my hand cream or any old cream to moisturize my face with. A cream is a cream.
Fact: If you want an anti-aging approach to your skin, using a moisturizer designed specifically for your face that includes, antioxidants, peptides, and vitamins in an effective percentage, will deliver you results and improvement in your skin. A basic hand/body cream will generally not offer you a results oriented approach, it will however moisturize the skin.
Myth: My skin feels balanced, not dry or oily, therefore I don’t need to use a moisturizer.
Fact: All skin requires water. Moisturizers help protect the skin and allow it to carry out its functions properly while also preventing dehydration. If you skip a moisturizer, your skin will age quicker.
Myth: I don’t need two seperate moisturizers.
Fact: Ideally, you should use a moisturizer with a SPF during the day and a seperate face cream or lotion at night. I do not recommend sleeping with a SPF on your face.
I hope from reading this article that you learned of the importance of using a moisturizer on your skin. Choosing the best one for your skin can be difficult. Please reach out to me if you have any questions and need advice from a professional. Kristin@pureadina.com