WHY YOU NEED TO INCLUDE MOISTURIZING IN YOUR SKINCARE ROUTINE

Photo by Park Street on Unsplash

Who doesn’t want to have a radiant skin glow when they take pictures for the gram? I’ll tell you. Absolutely no one!

From our favorite beauty vanguards’ expert advice to dermatologists’ professional counsel, moisturizing is being upheld as an essential step in any skincare and makeup routine.

It is advised to moisturize daily to always keep your skin healthy and give it a silk-like smooth feel. However, some moisturize twice daily – morning and night – which is the recommended frequency. Whatever the frequency, it is pertinent to include moisturizing in your skincare routine.

So why are you not moisturizing?

The Right Moisturizer for Your Skin type

Before you go for any moisturizer, please first understand your skin type’s complexities and what works for your skin. Your skin type is widely determined by genetics, andwhile there is nothing you can do to change it, there are procedures to help maintain and improve it.

Keep reading to find out the best kind of moisturizers for various skin types.

• Oily/Acne-prone skin

Those with oily/acne-prone skin have one thing in common – big pores on an ever shiny and greasy skin.  This is due to the excess production of sebum from the sebaceous glands under the skin. It is prevalent to see those with oily skin debunk the need for moisturizing because they feel – wrongly so – that oily skin needs no extra moisture with the excess oil production already. Well, this is a hurtful stereotype as moisturizing is vital for every skin type.

A skin so shiny from excess oil production often time means that the skin is dehydrated or at least not as hydrated, as some may think. Water hydrates, not oil and so the best moisturizers for oily skin are water-based lightweight moisturizers that usually come in gel or lotions.

Moisturizers labeled as “oil-free” and “non-comedogenic” are the right choice as they tend not to further overwhelm the skin by not clogging the pores.  One real gem for oily/acne-prone skin is humectants moisturizers. Humectants like glycerin, vitamin B5, and hyaluronic acid are hydrating agents that help pull water to the skin’s surface from the air or the deep layers of the skin.

• Dry skin

Characterized by rough complexions, patches, visible wrinkles and lines, flakiness, and sometimes inflammation, one beauty ingredient people with dry skin want to avoid is alcohol.

Some other things to avoid are moisturizers and general skincare products that contain alcohol, artificial fragrances and go for those with hydrating ingredients because you want to keep the skin really hydrated.

Moisturizers with occlusives work better for dry skin because water is not enough to be applied to the skin; it needs to be locked in.  This is where occlusives come in – they are greasy substances that help retain water supplied by the moisturizer, like petrolatum and mineral oil.

The best moisturizers for dry skin come in creams and ointments, and it is advisable to dampen the skin before moisturizing when using a solely oil-based moisturizer.

• Combination Type Skin

Combination skin types are usually oil in the T-zone area – forehead, nose, and chin – and dry in the cheek region. It can be tricky caring for combination skin types because they are neither exclusively dry or exclusively oily.

Combining different moisturizers for the different parts of the skin can be quite expensive. The cost-effective option is to get moisturizers that will balance and even out the other parts of the skin, like lightweight lotion moisturizers, which will reduce the excess oil on the skin’s oily surfaces and simultaneously hydrate the dry spots without clogging the pores.

• Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skins need to be pampered and given tender care because they are easily irritated and highly prone to dryness and reactions.

Avoid harsh products with actives like sulfate, alcohol, and acids, and opt for gentle and skin-friendly products.

Sensitive skins need moisturizers that will soothe and calm the skin. Choose moisturizers with actives like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide for a trio-combo effect of soothing, hydration, and repair.

Why You Need to Moisturize

Moisturizing comes with some really great benefits that we just can’t skip the process. Below are only a few of the advantages of moisturizing and how it helps keep your skin smooth and flawless.

1. Healthy Skin

Moisturizing prevents skin problems like eczemas and likes. Moisturizing ingredients called Emollients keeps the skin smooth and soft by giving the skin a protective cover to lock in moisture, thereby giving it an overall healthy sheen.

2. Combats Dryness

Moisturizing is the right formula for combating dryness. The hydrating effect of moisturizing is to retain skin moisture and prevent the escape of water by supplanting damaged or weak skin barriers, which generally prevents dryness.

3. Fights Acne

Clogged pores result in acne and other breakouts. The sebaceous glands of a hydrated moisturized skin will have no need to produce more oil than necessary as this can overwhelm the pores, resulting in breakouts.

4. Anti-aging Formula

As one ages, the natural skin moisture, and oils wear out.  Moisturizers reduce this aging feature by replenishing the skin’s moisture. Ceramides and other humectants in moisturizers help eliminate fine lines and wrinkles to reveal a more youthful appearance.

5. Skin shield

We are exposed to the sun every day, which can be a problem, especially for sensitive skin types. Moisturizers with SPF gradients also do the works of sunscreens, which protect the skin from UV rays.

Now that you know to moisturize and have basic knowledge on the right moisturizer peculiar to the different skin types, I welcome you to the club of moisturizing Faithfuls!