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Moisture in the skin helps it look young and supple. Our skin loses
water constantly through exposure to the air and the elements.
Remember the simple equation - the more water your skin loses,
the drier it gets. The rate of water loss is accelerated through climatic
conditions, air conditioning and physical exercise. The biggest
incriminator is the sun. Add to this the fact that with the change in
our environment, the intensity of the sun's rays has increased
drastically over the past decades. This tends to dry our skin even
more.
Age also plays a part in this water loss - the older your skin is,
the less able it is to hold in the moisture effectively. That is why we
perceive dry skin to be aging skin, and moisturized skin as young skin.
Moisturizers protect your skin's top layer by holding in water and
smoothing surface dryness. Think of a moisturizer as a bodyguard for your
skin, guarding against any moisture or water from escaping the surface. They also prepare your skin for makeup, which glides on more easily
and looks prettier on a smooth complexion. But most important,
moisturizers make your facial skin more supple and healthy. Today
it has become essential to use moisturizers at all ages, especially
after twenty.
KINDS OF MOISTURIZERS
There are numerous brands of moisturizers available, each with a
variety of ingredients in them. What are the different kinds of
moisturizers and which is right for you? There are three basic
categories of moisturizers - those meant for dry, normal and oily
skins. In addition, you will come across moisturizers with a lot of
special ingredients. The following discussion is illustrative of the
kinds of moisturizers available to help you choose the right
moisturizer according to your requirements.
Moisturizers for Dry Skin
Moisturizers formulated specially for dry skin prevent water loss.
They contain oily substances that 'sit' on the skin's surface and
prevent evaporation. Remember, dry skin lacks water, not oil, so
most oily substances moisturize dry skin by preventing evaporation.
Women over the age of forty - five, whose skin tends to be drier, may
find that oil-based moisturizers work best because they are thicker
and richer than oil-free products.
Moisturizers for Normal Skin
These formulations contain tiny droplets of oil dispersed in water
with the help of an emulsifying agent. When these moisturizers are
properly applied to the skin in a thin layer, the oil and water combine
and get absorbed into the skin. The oil lies inside each molecule,
surrounded by water, so that when you put on the emulsion, you
feel the water first. These moisturizers are drier and less greasy on
your skin than those meant for dry skin.
Moisturizers for Oily Skin
Good news for the shiny-faced: you may not have to use a
moisturizer at all, because your skin's natural oils may protect it
from water loss. But even oily skin can have dry patches during
seasons like winter when the oil content may be adequate but since
the water content is less the skin might still feel dry. You should use
an oil-free moisturizer to tackle this kind of dryness. Oil-free
moisturizers contain ingredients that work like oil to help seal
water into your skin, without an oily feel and without causing
breakouts. Though they're not quite as thick and rich as oils, these
ingredients will effectively hydrate your skin. They work especially
well if you're prone to acne or tend to get breakouts during your
menstrual cycle, because many oil-enriched products may occlude
pores, leading to zits.
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