Moisturizer is a must-have in any skincare routine. The skin on your face and body needs to be moisturized. Not only will the right moisturizer help protect your skin from losing moisture, but it can also help prevent premature aging and wrinkles. Choose a moisturizer that works best for you and your lifestyle! Many forms work for any lifestyle, such as creams, lotions, gels, or oils. There are also different factors you should consider when choosing a moisturizer. For example, the level of moisture needed for your skin type, what ingredients to avoid if you have sensitive skin, and what product works best with routine skincare products. Read on to learn how to choose the best moisturizer for dry skin!

The Importance of Moisturizer

You might think that moisturizer is just for people who have dry skin. But the truth is that all skin types can significantly benefit from the use of a moisturizer. While it may seem like an unnecessary product, moisturizing your skin can do wonders for your complexion, and there are many more benefits than you might realize. Here are reasons for you to use a moisturizer every day:

• Prevents Dryness: When your skin becomes too dry, it can become irritated and flaky. This can cause redness and itching and even lead to peeling or cracking of the skin. Preventing dryness with a moisturizer will keep your skin supple and smooth, so you avoid all these uncomfortable symptoms.
• Soothe Sensitive Skin: if you have sensitive skin, which can be prone to irritation and redness. Using a moisturizer will protect your sensitive skin from becoming too dry and irritated: you won’t have the same problems with redness or itching that you might experience without using a moisturizer.
• Reduce inflammation; Your skin can react to temperature changes, stress and allergies by becoming inflamed, red, and irritated. Moisturizers contain ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid that help reduce these symptoms of inflammation.
• Protects the skin from toxins and UV lights: When you apply moisturizer, it forms a physical barrier on the surface of your skin. This barrier protects your skin from damage caused by UV light and environmental toxins.
• Repair damaged skin cells: Moisturizers help heal damaged skin by maintaining moisture levels in the outer layer of the epidermis (the stratum corneum). This helps damaged cells recover faster and aids in preventing infection.
• Treat wrinkles: A daily moisturizer is recommended for people who suffer from fine lines and wrinkles. Moisturizers plump up the skin by adding water to it, which helps reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

Types of Moisturizers

When you read a moisturizer’s label, you see words like “hydrating” and “replenishing,” but what do they mean? Moisturizers are classified by their ingredients, so knowing what’s in them can help you decide which type is best for your skin. Here’s a primer on the three most common types:

• Emollients: These are the most common moisturizing ingredients. They work by smoothing rough or dry skin. Petrolatum, lanolin, and mineral oil are examples of emollients.
• Humectants: These ingredients draw moisture from the air to your skin. Examples include hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Because they don’t have to penetrate deep into the skin, humectants can be effective at low concentrations and in products that don’t stay on your skin very long, such as toners and cleansers.
• Occlusives: These ingredients form a protective layer on the surface of your skin that prevents water loss. Petrolatum and dimethicone are examples of occlusives. Occlusives can be very thick, so some people find them uncomfortable to wear during the day. They also can make oily or acne-prone skin worse by clogging pores.

How to Pick the Best Moisturizer for Your Skin?

Moisturizers are the cornerstone of any healthy skin care regimen. However, choosing the right moisturizer can be confusing with all the different options available. Here are a few tips to help guide you in selecting the right moisturizer for your skin:

• Think about Texture: The right moisturizer should feel smooth and non-greasy on your skin. Try applying a small amount of product to the inside of your arm and observe how it feels after a few minutes.
• Skin Type: Dry skin should use a heavier cream moisturizer with ingredients such as shea butter or petrolatum, but oily skin should opt for lighter products based on water or silicone or gel-based formulas that don’t clog pores.
• Check its scent: It’s a good idea to opt for fragrance-free moisturizers because they’re less likely to irritate your skin. Some people with sensitive skin can develop contact dermatitis, a type of rash, from certain fragrances in their skincare products.
• Use SPF: Make sure you pick a moisturizer with SPF to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays, even when it’s cloudy outside. Opt for SPF 30 or higher and reapply it throughout the day as directed.
• Read labels: Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides in moisturizers. Hyaluronic acid helps keep skin moist by retaining water molecules, while ceramides are lipids that help keep your skin smooth and hydrated. It also helps to look for labels that say noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic, which means the product won’t clog pores or cause acne breakouts.

What’s the best moisturizer for sensitive skin?

If you have sensitive skin, you may find that certain products such as soaps, detergents, and some cosmetics cause irritation or other reactions, including redness, stinging, itching, or burning. Other people who have sensitive skin may not tolerate the changes in temperature or humidity that occur seasonally.

Look for moisturizers containing petrolatum, glycerin, or hyaluronic acid as the main ingredients for extremely sensitive skin. These ingredients should provide your skin with enough hydration without irritating.

If you have sensitive skin and have battled acne in the past, moisturizers are formulated specifically for your unique situation. Look for facial moisturizers labeled “noncomedogenic,” which means they won’t clog pores and lead to breakouts.