There are thousands of moisturizers on the market, and dozens or even hundreds will be available at your local pharmacy or grocery store. Choosing the wrong moisturizer can result in excess oil production, itchy dry skin, and other problems — while choosing the right one will result in healthy, hydrated skin that looks plump and smooth.
Choosing an anti-aging moisturizer is not a one-size-fits-all process, and each individual needs to consider their skin type as well as the climate and season in which they are living.
To help demystify things, we’re going to explain how to decode your skin type, what ingredients to look for in moisturizers and what types of moisturizers work well for which skin types.
Understanding Your Skin Type
The first key to choosing the right moisturizer for your skin is to understand your skin type. Oily skin types usually need different moisturizers than dry skin types, and sensitive skin types need to be extra careful of ingredients that could potentially irritate their faces.
If you’re not sure what your skin type is, that’s totally okay! Thankfully, there is a simple test that you can do to determine your skin type. To get started, wash your face completely clean using a gentle foaming cleanser. Once you are done, gently pat your face dry and leave it alone for at least 30 minutes.
You don’t want to put any products on your skin, which will mess with the results and potentially make your face seem like a different skin type than it really is.
Once the half hour is up, come back to the bathroom and observe how your face is doing. Dry skin types will have skin that feels dry and tight, while oily skin types will look and feel shiny.
If you have some dry patches and some oily patches, then you almost certainly have combination skin, while sensitive skin types will have patches that look red or irritated. If none of these descriptors apply to you, then you probably have normal skin.
Understanding Moisturizer Types
Moisturizers come in many different textures and weights that are appropriate for particular skin types and seasons. Creams are the heaviest weight and are typically a preferred skincare product for dry skin, especially during the winter.
Lotions fall in the middle in terms of thickness and are suitable for a wide variety of skin types and seasons. Finally, gel moisturizers are the lightest weight and are preferred by oily skin types, especially during the summer.
Combination skin types may wish to get two different moisturizers — a gel to apply to the dry patches of their face and a cream to apply to the oily patches of their face. They can also split the difference and go with a lotion, which has a mid-weight texture. And if you’re one of the lucky people with normal skin, you can use pretty much whatever moisturizer you want!
As we just indicated, most people like to vary their moisturizers with the seasons. As an example, people with oily skin might use a gel moisturizer in the summer and a lotion in the winter, while people with dry skin would use a lotion in the summer and cream in the winter.
Some people also like to use two different moisturizers during the day — a lighter one in the morning and a heavier one at night. This comes down to personal preference as well as the climate where you live.
Choosing the Right Moisturizing Ingredients for Your Skin Type
When it comes to selecting a moisturizer for your skin type, you need to carefully read the ingredients list in addition to looking for a particular texture. How heavy a moisturizer is does matter for your skin type, but it only tells part of the story.
There are three types of ingredients that you need to consider when choosing a moisturizer: oils, humectants and occlusives. Oils help to supplement your skin’s natural sebum production, nourishing your skin.
Humectants help to draw water into the skin from the surrounding air, making it look plump and dewy. Occlusives such as petroleum jelly sit on top of the skin to form a physical barrier that keeps both water and oils from leaving your skin.
1. Oils
Dry skin types often benefit from moisturizers that contain oils because their skin usually doesn’t produce enough sebum on its own.
However, that same moisturizer can cause clogged pores, acne breakouts and shiny skin in people who already have an oily skin type that produces excess sebum. People with oily and combination skin should steer clear of moisturizers that contain oils.
2. Humectants
Pretty much all skin types can benefit from some level of humectants since extra water in the skin doesn’t result in clogged pores the same way excess oil can. Dry skin products tend to include humectants more than oily skin products, but most people can use these ingredients without issue.
That being said, people living in extremely dry climates should be careful with humectants since there is often more moisture in their skin than in the air, which means the humectant pulls water from your face instead!
3. Occlusives
Occlusives are heavy-duty moisturizing ingredients that are typically only needed by very dry skin types and/or during the winter. Using too many occlusive ingredients can result in clogged pores and acne breakouts since it seals the pores.
It can also potentially result in irritation because it causes any treatment serums applied beneath it to penetrate the skin even more deeply, so sensitive skin types should be especially wary of these ingredients.
Since moisturizers are such a foundational part of a skincare routine, we want to hear about your experience finding the perfect one for your skin type! Do you vary your moisturizers by season? Do you use two different moisturizers each day, or keep it simple with one? Are you still on the hunt for the perfect moisturizer for your skin type? Let us know in the comments!
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