Moisturizers can be helpful for dry skin. They work by preventing the natural oils and moisture in the skin from escaping; they don’t add moisture to the skin. The skin is given a soft, smooth texture. Fine wrinkles are also softer.
If you don’t have exceptionally dry skin, a moisturizer shouldn’t be part of your routine. When moisturizers become overused, they can stop the natural shedding of the dead top layer of skin cells. It gives the impression of dryness, which can lead to the user using more moisturizer. Cosmetic seborrhea is the name given to this dryness caused by moisturizer. If the problem continues, the skin will become inflamed and scaly.
How to Choose a Moisturizer
The choice of moisturizers, like that of cleansers is also a matter of personal preference. It may take some time to experiment and find the one you prefer.
The two main ingredients in moisturizers are oil and water. Moisturizing products differ in their ratio of oil and water. Oil-free products may contain oil, but their ratio of oil to water is higher than that of similar products where the ratio of oil to water is typically much greater. Oils are needed to trap moisture.
Before buying large quantities of a product, you can try these tests if you cannot determine the ratio between oil and water on the label.
Apply some moisturizer. The moisturizer will have a lot more oil if the skin is warm where you apply it. If the skin is cold, the moisturizer will have a lot of liquid in it. This is because the water evaporates off the skin, and evaporation acts as a cooling agent. Oil does not evaporate. It traps heat in our body.
Hold a tissue piece with a dab moisturizer over a light bulb that is hot for a few minutes. The moisturizer will melt around a dab if there is much oil in it. The more oil in the moisturizing product, the wider the spread into the tissue.
Mineral oils and petroleum-based products are excellent moisturizers, as they absorb moisture. They can occlude pores and prevent natural oils from coming out, which leads to acne and milia. The skin can also feel sticky.
Vegetable oil is not as moisturizing as animal fats or mineral oils. In moisturizers, fats and polyunsaturated oil, like apricot, avocado, and olive oils, are commonly used.
Placental extracts and hormonesattract may hold water but also cause allergic reactions. These hormones can affect the internal organs if they are absorbed. Other ingredients, such as Vitamin E collagen, Proteins, and amino acids, may encourage Skin Hydration
These ingredients cannot help to rejuvenate aging skin, as they don’t penetrate the top layer of the dermis. These ingredients can also trigger allergic reactions.
Vitamin A Derivates are added to certain products as anti-aging ingredients. The question of whether or not these enzymes convert the derivatives to Tretinoin – the rejuvenating ingredient in anti-aging products Retina, Renova and vitamin A acid – remains unanswered until the product is exposed to cold light scientific scrutiny. Even if the doses do convert into tretinion, they may not have the desired effects. Estee lauder’s future perfect micro targeted skin gel, Avon Bio Advance and prescriptive extrafirm are all examples of products that contain vitamin a.
Chemical agents such as urea, glycolic Acid and lactic acid improve the ability of moisturizers to retain moisture. Reversa lotion is one example. Others include Lacticare, Lachydrin, and Uremol. These agents are often recommended to treat dry skin and work best when applied on moist skin. They tend to sting if they aren’t applied on moist or cracked skin.
Fragrance – Fragrances mask the smell of formulation ingredients, and impart a fresh scent. Fragrance is used in 65% of all moisturizers. Fragrances are among the most common sensitizers. These are the most irritating agents. This is especially true for individuals with a dermatitis.
