Choose Your Moisturizer which just right for your skin
Our skin constantly keeps losing moisture. It becomes essential to moisturise your skin to keep it soft and supple. Moisturisers work in two ways; one it supplies the moisture to the skin and other, it traps the moisture already in the skin. It prevents the natural moisture of skin to leak into the atmosphere. Moisturisers hydrate the skin and are essential for maintain the texture and complexion of the skin.
Moisturisers should be used irrespective of your skin type. The function of moisturiser is to retain the natural moisture of skin and provide a film of moisture over the surface of skin. They work by controlling the amount of sebum from sebaceous glands and water. Moisturisers have emollients in them which add to skin.
Though moisturisers are essential for all skin types but for dry skin, they have special significance. Dry skin has lacks the ability to retain moisture. It becomes itchy and flaky due to lack of moisture. Moisturisers help water to penetrate skin deeply. Moisturiser helps skin cells to become plump which make skin smoother and softer.
Mainly moisturising lotions are emulsions. They have oil, water and sunscreen agent in different proportions.
How do moisturisers work?
There are many kinds of moisturisers based upon the kind of ingredients used and proportion of ingredients used. Content of oil and glycerine decides consistency of moisturisers. Some moisturisers have sunscreen agents to protect skin from harmful rays of sun.
Occlusive:
There is more of oil and less of water in oil-based moisturisers. These kinds of moisturisers are designed for rough and dry skin. There are occlusive moisturisers which contain oils like white soft paraffin, liquid paraffin, coconut oil, lanolin or emulsifying wax. They leave a film of grease on the rough skin which prevents water evaporating from skin. Increase of water content in cells in stratum corneum makes cells swell against each other and reduce the cracks in the skin. Oils are added to different proportions of water to make different kinds of moisturisers like creams, ointments and lotions. These kinds of moisturisers are very effective if applied at night. These oils act as natural lipids in the skin.
Humectants
Water Based Moisturisers contain some oil in water. These are the most common type of moisturisers available in the market. Water based moisturisers are just right for oily skin which need less of oil and more hydration. In these moisturisers, to improve water binding properties, water binding ingredients are added.
Humectants are the substances which attract water from atmosphere like honey and glycerine. Most of the moisturisers have humectants in them to draw moisture from air. Moisturisers may contain humectants like urea, lactic acid, glycolic acid or sodium pyrrolidone carboxylate. Lotions have more of water content and hydrate the skin. Creams have concentration of oil in less of water.
Keratolytics
Keratolytics are highly concentrated humectants like glycolic acids, lactic acid or urea. These moisturisers are advised for problematic skin like one having eczema. It break downs the keratin, the skin protein, which makes the skin soft. Moisturising ingredients easily penetrate the skin to hydrate it.
How to select best kind of Moisturiser?
To choose a moisturiser, first you have to determine your skin type. You may have oily, dry and normal skin. Whatever you apply on the skin gets into bloodstream by absorbing into the skin.
For normal skin, well balanced, water based moisturisers having little oil are perfect. For dry skin, oil based moisturising lotions or creams are recommended. Humectants are also good for retaining moisture on dry skin.
Oily or greasy skin does not need moisturiser but with ever going research, there are many oil-free moisturisers are there in the market. You can apply it on oily skin for hydration and skin protection. There are lighter less greasy moisturisers are available for combination skin.
Avoid harmful chemicals
The most important concern is to avoid harmful chemicals. You have to check the label for ingredients. For instance many skin care products derived from petroleum are carcinogenic.
Avoid Strong fragrances:
Avoid moisturisers having strong smells and fragrances. Most of the fragrances are allergic and cause skin reactions. Most of the chemicals used for fragrances are toxic to the skin and body.
