Finding the perfect moisturizer can be a long and drawn-out process, which some of us have been muddling through for years. It's even confusing when your mind is oversaturated with ads for hundred of brands of creams and lotions. How can you identify which one your skin will like best? Instead of crossing your fingers and committing to months of returning products that don’t work, arm yourself with knowledge before heading out into the wilds of the skincare world. Our dermatologists have put together a guide to help you find the perfect natural moisturizer- one that you AND your skin will love!
Choose a product that’s suited to your skin type
It is important to select a product that meets the specific needs of your skin type. Therefore, before you start shopping for a moisturizer, it’s essential to understand the needs of your skin. Skin generally falls into one of four basic types, with some overlapping symptoms. Those with sensitive skin should be extra careful. Before choosing your moisturizer, identify your skin type and accompanying symptoms. Here’s a quick refresher on skin types:
Understanding your skin type may help you find the right solutions to help achieve your skincare goals. If you’re unsure how to determine your skin type, we’re here to help! There are two ways to help you determine your skin type at home.
The Bare-Face Method
An easy way to determine your skin type is to carefully study your bare skin. You can start by washing your face with our mild foaming cleanser. Then, gently pat dry with a soft towel and refrain from applying any skincare products. After 25-30 minutes, observe your skin. What does it look like? Does it appear shiny on your cheeks and t-zone? You might have oily skin. Or, does your skin feel tight and have flaky areas? Your skin is likely dry. If you see an unbalanced mix of oiliness and dryness, you most likely have combination skin.
The Blotting Sheet Method
Another way to determine your skin type at home is to press a clean blotting sheet on various spots of your face. Then, hold the sheet up to a light to see how much oil was absorbed. Your skin type will generally be dependent on how much oil is visible, meaning the more oil on the paper, the more likely you have oily skin. If there is little to no oil visible, you most likely have dry skin. If the blotting sheet reveals minimal oil from your forehead and nose, your skin is probably normal or combination.
Choose the texture that best meets your needs
Moisturizing products can play two roles:
- Hydrating your skin because of its water content
- Nourishing your skin because of their essential fatty acids
Their texture varies according to the ingredients they have, including the proportion of water versus essential fatty acids. Below is a quick reference for you to understand better how many textures of moisturizer they are there and how feel on your skin.
Choose a natural moisturizer
Natural ingredients that make up the base of moisturizers, for instance, cucumber water and coconut oil, are far more hypoallergenic than any of their synthetic counterparts. They’re also easier to predict and analyse, to understand how they’re reacting with your skin. What’s more, it’s often difficult to determine which ingredient is causing a flare up or irritation when it comes to synthetic formulas. That’s because there are often dozens of under-the-radar chemicals that go unlisted in synthetic formulas. Generally, they’re included under the umbrella term “fragrance,” and it’s impossible to pinpoint exactly which chemicals have been included. At the end of the day, choosing natural means being 100% clear about which ingredients are going on your face. And one way to do it, by using ingredients checker websites. We recommended Skincarisma, Beautypedia and ThinkDirty.
Ingredients you should avoid
It’s important to pinpoint triggers that could cause adverse reactions in your skin. And it’s not a good idea for you to try a variety of sample products on your skin because it could take a lot of trial and error. It`s even possible for you to have an allergic reaction. Therefore, if you know you have sensitive skin, it’s best to begin your search by making a red-lined list of ingredients to avoid right off the bat. Moisturizer ingredients that sensitive skin types should generally avoid include:
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
- Retinol
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Astringent essential oils
- Silicone
Each of the above ingredients has been known to cause adverse reactions in sensitive skin. They’re also likely to irritate when combined with other active ingredients, which could be hiding in your cleansers or serums.
One product for your face, another for your body
The skin on your face has different needs than that on the rest of your body. Face care products contain ingredients that target face-specific issues like wrinkles and dark circles beneath the eyes, and that is unnecessary for other areas of the body. Meanwhile, body formulas are usually heavier than face moisturizers, with thicker emollients to protect and hydrate. They tend to contain a lot of butter, oil, and film formers, which are chemicals that seal in the moisture. Body lotion tends to address concerns like firming, cellulite, or spider veins. Therefore, if you use body lotion for the face, it might clog your pores and cause your skin to break out. And it does not really make any sense if you use face moisturizer on your body because nobody wants to pay more by using face moisturizer for body care.
With this collection of tips, your skin should be glowing, dewy, and moist in no time! Regardless of whether or not you’re dealing with dry skin, oily skin or combination. If you want to know more, we are here to help you! SkynFyx is a platform that provides completely free skincare education. SkynFyx is run by skin doctors and you can chat with them from the comfort of your home.
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