It's amazing where our money goes. An estimated $500 million is spent annually on moisturizer, the single most widely used cosmetic preparation on the market.
This is not surprising considering the countless beauty articles, magazine and television advertisements contrived to convince us that we will harm our skin if we don't use a moisturizer. But it doesn't stop there. It would seem that every skin-care and cosmetic product must have a moisturizing effect. Not so.WHO SHOULD USE MOISTURIZER? Moisturizer is simply a fancy name for skin-care lotions and creams. All types of skin can benefit from a moisturizer at some time, but not all types all the time. There is no set age to begin using a moisturizer. Moisturizer is recommended whenever your skin looks dull, dry and flaky or feels dry and tight.
Normally healthy skin needs moisturizer after bathing. Dry skin loses water from its surface more rapidly than other types of skin and needs more moisturizer more often. Sensitive skin usually feels better when moisturizer is used on a regular basis.
Oily skin needs less moisturizer less often, but even oily skin can become dehydrated or require moisturizer in typically dry areas - around the eyes, on eyelids, at the sides of cheeks and on the neck. Even though the face is oily, hands and legs may be dry.
Younger individuals have more active sebaceous oil glands and therefore have less need for moisturizer. But as the body matures, sebaceous oil production declines. Acne also declines - at least it's supposed to. With less oil to prevent the evaporation of water from the surface layers, skin becomes drier, and older individuals need to use more moisturizer more often.
Regardless of age or skin type, when the relative humidity is below 60 percent or the air is in motion, the upper layers of skin tend to lose water into the air. Moisturizer helps prevent this loss, particularly in winter as a protection against the wind, weather and central heating.
Some people have skin that simply doesn't retain water well and demands moisturizer to prevent continual dryness. Anyone whose skin is exposed to hot water, harsh detergents or industrial chemicals that strip away the body's protective oil needs to use a moisturizer to replace natural oil.
WHO SHOULD NOT USE MOISTURIZER? Individuals with active acne breakout, blackheads or whiteheads should not use a moisturizer in those areas. Heavy, cream-type moisturizers can actually cause blemishes. Lighter moisturizers can aggravate the problem and make it worse. Even so-called "oil free" or "non-comedogenic" moisturizers are questionable.
Acne, blackheads and whiteheads develop due to excess oil production. Blemished skin is already oily and doesn't need more oil added to the surface. Pores are often large, and moisturizer only makes pores appear larger. If oily skin appears dry, periodic thinning with an abrasive material may help.
With warmer temperatures and higher humidity in the summer months ahead, most individuals have less need for moisturizer. The solution is to use less of your usual product or switch to a lighter preparation.
WHAT MOISTURIZER SHOULD YOU USE? Frankly, it doesn't matter what moisturizer you use. All moisturizers do essentially the same thing - form a film to hold water in the top layers of skin and slow evaporation. No moisturizer penetrates or is absorbed into the skin to any significant degree.
Regardless of what the product is called, all moisturizers are so similar that they are literally interchangeable. Use whatever feels good on your skin - has a texture and scent that appeals to you.