The concept of skin moisturization is to keep the skin adequately hydrated and less dry so as to enhance its appearance and keep it in good shape.
In every skincare routine, moisturizing is a MUST!.
Just the way you drink water to quench your thirst, same also applies to your skin. Regardless of your skin type, your skin needs moisture and hydration to stay on top of the loop, all that matters is using skin-suitable moisturizer that best suits your skin type.
The importance of moisturizing your skin cannot be overemphasized. Infact, a skincare routine is totally incomplete without a moisturizer. (Just like a gun is incomplete without a bullet).
Think about a moisturizer as a drink for your skin, to keep it Intensively hydrated all night and day, and also protect it from environmental aggressors and stressors. Keeping the skin plump, supple and soft.
Therefore in this content, you shall know the importance of skin moisturization and how to moisturize your skin for the best skin-hydration effect.
Importance Of Skin Moisturization.
It Keeps The Skin Hydrated.
Just like how restless and uncomfortable you feel when you’re thirsty, that’s exactly how dry and flaky your skin feels when it’s dehydrated. You know that feeling you get when you must have taken water to quench your thirst?, That’s exactly the feeling your skin gets when it’s adequately hydrated. The feeling are very much relatable. The skin is built on cells and tissues making them living orgasm, and should be taken care of.
A well formulated moisturizer contains humectants, emollients and occlusives to deliver adequate hydration and also prevents moisture-loss which in turn keeps the skin intensively hydrated and prevents tearing or bruising of the skin. When the skin is moisturized, it stays hydrated, supple and plump, making it look healthy and stays in good shape.
It Fends Off External Aggressors.
A good moisturizer not only hydrate the skin, but also helps create a barrier between the skin and external aggressors, pollutants and free radicals that can contribute to skin aging. Just like a packet of biscuits protects the biscuits from external conditions, same applies to your skin. This is because, moisturizing creams are designed to be a more occlusive layer that seals in moisture while also protecting your skin from external environmental aggressors.
It Reduces Skin Aging Signs.
When the skin is deeply hydrated, the effect gives the skin an immediate supple and plump appearance which in turn extends its benefits to reducing the appearance of skin aging-signs such as wrinkles and fine lines. A moisturizer works to improve the appearance of a wrinkle by making the wrinkle less deep. When moisturizer is applied, the skin absorbs the moisturizer, which puffs the skin and lessens the appearance of the wrinkle.
It Helps Potentiate Your Skin Care Topicals.
There is a reason why moisturizers are used at the last step of every skincare routine. Moisturizers helps seals in your previous skincare steps, to help you get the most out of them, while also keeping the outer layer of the skin hydrated and moisturized.
It Helps Balance Your Skin’s Natural Oil Production.
If you have oily skin, you may think it is best to dry your skin out. This is really the worst thing you could do if you want to have balanced, beautiful skin. Instead of drying out the skin, you should aim to balance out your skin’s natural oil production.
When you dry out the skin, you trick your skin’s oil producing glands into thinking they need to produce more oil, which will eventually lead to more production of oil, which can leave you more oily. Therefore get balanced, beautiful skin by replenishing your skin with moisturizer after cleansing.
It Helps Your Makeup Apply Better.
When your skin is hydrated, it is smooth and supple. A flaky, patchy and dry surface will make a cracky and uneven surface when applying concealer, foundation and powders, and make fine lines, wrinkles and blemishes more noticeable. Moisturized skin will improve your makeup application giving it a smooth, seamless surface as its base.
How To Moisturize Your Skin.
When it comes to moisturizers, it’s advised you should use one which is best suitable for your skin type to get the most out of them. Example: people with oily skin may find thick moisturizer heavy on their skin, while people with dry skin finds lightweight moisturizer not-too-moisturizing for them. Which makes it a very first step recommendation to go for skin-suitable moisturizers in order to enjoy hydration without complication.
Step 1. Cleanse Your Face.
The first step of every skincare routine is cleasing. And this step must be carried out with a skin-suitable facial cleanser to avoid complications. The essence of cleansing is to get rid of oil, dirt and dust that has come in contact with your skin during your outing/daily activities, so as to keep the skin pores clean prior to commencing your skincare routine. If you have a makeup on, you should double-cleanse, first with an oil-based cleanser and second with a water-based cleanser to ensure deep and adequate cleansing.
Step 2: Pat Your Face With A Clean Towel.
After, cleansing your skin, pat your face (don’t rub) with a clean towel — without towelling-off completely, as you need to apply your moisturizer on a damp or moist skin to get the most out of it, because the skin is more penetrable or permeable when it’s damp, which gives your moisturizers a higher chances of penetrating deep into the skin to deliver its hydrating-potentials which also gives your moisturizer the chance to lock in that hydration.
Step 3: Apply Your Moisturizer.
Apply 2-3 pumps of your moisturizer on your face, while gently massage till fully absorbed. You can go ahead and apply your sunscreen (if you’ll be going outside) to protect your skin from the dangerous UV rays of the sun.
Possible Questions & Answers.
Q: Are all moisturizers suitable for all skin types?
A: There are numerous types of moisturizers on the market made suitable for different skin types. Example: thick moisturizers are suitable for people with very dry skin, so as to ensure adequate surface hydration while light-weight moisturizers are suitable for people with oily skin, so as not to feel too heavy on the skin while also ensure sufficient skin hydration. Oil-free moisturizers are also suitable for people with oily skin too.
In a nutshell, not all moisturizers will suit your skin type, to get the most out of your moisturizer you have to go for a skin-suitable moisturizer, by so doing, you have to make your own personal research on best moisturizers suitable for your skin, luckily for you we gat you covered. Here are the best moisturizers for oily and dry skin.
Q: What makes the best moisturizer?
A: A good moisturizer must contain 3 skin hydrating and moisturizing ingredients — humectants, emollients and occlusives.
An humectant (for drawing/pulling moisture to the skin), emollient (to relieve dryness, softens dry, rough, flaky skin, making it look and feel better.) and occlusive (to seal in moisture by forming a protective coating on the surface of your skin thereby preventing moisture-loss which increases moisture retention which in turn keeps the skin sufficiently hydrated.
Q: Must i apply moisturizers everyday?
A: Just like you drink water everyday to keep you hydrated, same should be applied to your skin by giving your skin its drink to keep it sufficiently hydrated and to prevent dryness, therefore moisturizers is highly recommended to be used daily with an increased application on winter seasons.