Our skin’s abilities never cease to amaze. We can gain weight and watch it stretch, lose weight and watch it revert back to normal. It protects itself in the face of UV damage (tanning) and has the natural ability to retain moisture.
However, as you get older, a number of factors cause your skin to slowly deteriorate, and as the ageing process sets in it needs a helping hand to retain its elasticity and youthful appearance.
And that’s where moisturisers come in.
Moisturiser acts as a protective barrier on your skin’s surface. It locks in the moisture that would otherwise evaporate continuously from your skin and speed up the ageing process.
When we wash our faces, we not only strip our skin of the dirt build up, we strip it of its natural oils.
HOW TO BUY THE BEST MOISTURISER FOR YOUR FACE
When shopping for a moisturiser, you need a handful of skin saving ingredients. Look for humectants to act as a barrier of protection, locking in your skin’s moisture.
Emollients are the lubricating ingredients, which improve the appearance of your skin (particularly if it’s dry).
Antioxidants are a saviour as they help support your skins bounce-back-ability. With antioxidants on top of all of the above, then you’re in good hands.
Moisturiser isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ and trying to pin down the right one is no easy feat. You need to establish your skin type and find something suitable from there.
DRY SKIN
There’s nothing worse than the tight feeling of dry skin. It’s itchy, irritable and looks scaly. If you’re displaying these symptoms you need something to quench its thirst and thwart further moisture loss.
Make sure you’re using a decent face wash and not a bar of soap (or body wash for that matter).
You’ll also need to be more vigilant when it comes to sun exposure and excessive alcohol consumption.
OILY SKIN
Believe it or not, your overactive sebaceous glands are great for your skin’s moisture levels, but we get the need for control when you’ve got to keep towelling yourself down.
Aim for oil-free products and use a gentle exfoliator to keep up cell turnover.
SENSITIVE SKIN
Are you prone to redness or irritable skin? Sensitive skin can flare nastily in the face of unsuitable products, so when it comes to applying a moisturiser you need to find one that’s kind to sensitive skin.
Be sure to look for a moisturiser that’s free of astringents such as alcohol and avoid abrasive exfoliators that will exacerbate redness.
SPF
Not to induce fear, but sun damage is irreversible, so protective measures must be taken even on the cloudiest, rainiest days. Looking for a moisturiser that contains a minimum of SPF15 in cool weather and SPF30 in hotter months will keep your skin in better condition as you age.
Sun exposure dries out skin so find a moisturiser that has the power to both plump and hydrate whilst protecting throughout the day.
THE LIFESTYLE COLLECTIVE 