All About Face Moisturisers
What Are Face Moisturisers?
Skincare is one of the simplest, and yet, most complicated things to do right. In addition to the many options available in terms of products, the steps to good skin care can be daunting for some. But with some basic knowledge about your skin and armed with the right products, you can have healthy and beautiful skin.
Moisturising is one of the most important and basic steps to good skincare. And it’s about more than just slathering on a lotion or cream. In order to extract the maximum benefits from the moisturiser you are using, you need to ensure it suits your skin’s needs and has the required ingredients that address and benefit your skin in particular.
Applying moisturiser correctly boosts hydration in your skin, prevents flaking and dullness, and creates a protective layer of moisture for your skin. Moisturised skin is healthy and ages slower, keeping wrinkles and other skin issues at bay.
How To Moisturise Your Face Correctly?
If your facial skin feels dry and tight, especially after washing, then you need to up your moisturising game. Dry skin not only feels tight and uncomfortable but is also the doorway to a host of other issues, like acne, flaking, peeling, etc.
The first step to proper moisturising is to identify your skin type. Skin that is dry has very different needs from skin that is oily. Identifying the skin’s specific needs will help you choose the products that target and address them.
Combination skin
Combination skin can be recognized by assessing the skin in the T-zone - the area of your nose, between your eyes and eyebrows, and forehead. If your T-zone is oily, but the rest of your face is dry then you have combination skin.
One of the most common mistakes that people make is to moisturise combination skin in one go. You need to clean and moisturise the different areas of your face appropriately. The oily part of the face should be moisturised as oily skin, and the dry part as dry skin, in order to ensure the whole face is taken care of.
Dry skin
Although cleaning if the first step of any skincare regime, you have to be extra careful and gentle with dry skin. Washing the face too often can strip away natural oils even more, and dry the face. Use a gentle, moisturising facial wash, as that will seal in the skin’s natural oils, and replenish lost hydration. Make sure you use warm, not hot, water.
Apply a moisturiser immediately after showering, to seal the benefits deep into the skin. Replenish moisturiser during the day, especially if you are working in the sun or in an air-conditioned environment, as they will dry the skin further.
With dry skin, it is better to use a cream-based moisturiser, as it can deliver more nutrients and essential oils into the skin.
Oily skin
It is a myth that oily skin does not need to be moisturised. Oily skin is not necessarily well-hydrated. If you have oily skin, you need to wash your face firmly, but gently, and more often, with an appropriate facial cleanser. Choose a product with soothing properties, to combat irritation for oily skin.
Choose a water-based moisturiser that has been formulated for oily skin. Lotions work well on oily skin, as they are lighter in texture, but can still deliver the required nutrition to the skin.
Normal skin
If your skin is well-balanced, then you can follow a simple moisturising regime. Choose a product that soothes and brightens the face, while still delivering the required hydration into the skin. Make sure you only use a gentle facial wash, and pat dry with a soft towel.
Benefits Of Moisturising Face
The effects of improper hydration are easy to see on the face. This is what moisturising does for you:
Keeps wrinkles at bay - When the skin barrier is compromised, there is an inflammation that starts, and deepens over time. The ongoing inflammation leads to a breakdown of collagen, and accelerates the ageing process of the skin, leading to the appearance of wrinkles. Proper moisturisation keeps the skin hydrated and delays the appearance of wrinkles.
As you age naturally, wrinkles will appear, but the well-moisturised skin is a lot softer and more supple, so wrinkles are not as deep and extensive as with dry skin.
Brightens the face – A hydrated face is a healthy face. Skin that is dry looks and feels flaky, and gives you a pale and dull complexion. Moisturised skin is plump and healthy, which shows as a glow on the face.
Fights acne – If your skin is hydrated, it is healthy enough to fight off acne-causing bacteria. Use a light moisturiser to ensure your skin does not become too greasy though.
Makes make-up better – It is very difficult to hide imperfections on the face, and make-up can work a lot better if applied on skin that is already soft and supple. Also, healthy and moisturised skin protects the face from any harmful ingredients in makeup.
What Can You Use To Moisturise Your Face?
There are many ways in which you can deliver hydration to your facial skin throughout the day. Some of these include:
Face moisturisers – A part of your morning and evening routine, a good facial moisturiser will replenish lost hydration, and form a protective layer on the skin that will last you all day and all night.
Moisturising Face wipes – A quick wipe during the day, especially if you have oily skin, can help keep the skin clean and fresh. A moisturising wipe cleans the face without wiping away natural oils, so keep them handy in your purse.
Face cleansing pads – You need to clean your skin firmly, but with a gentle action. Cotton face cleansing pads are gentle on the skin and will wipe away all the dirt and impurities from the face, leaving it clean and fresh.
Over-Moisturising Your Face
Is there such a thing as too much moisture?
The short answer is, yes. You can overuse a moisturiser, and cause more harm than good, to your skin. When you apply a moisturiser, it should be fully absorbed, and not leave a layer of oil or grease on the skin.
If you over-moisturise, the extra product will not benefit your skin. In fact, it will clog the pores and cause the skin to produce extra oil, which is not good.
Over time, the skin will stop producing moisture altogether, which can also slow down the other processes that make your skin function normally.
The best way to moisturise properly is to clean the skin well, exfoliate once a week to get rid of dead skin cells, and massage in the moisturiser till it is fully absorbed.
