1. Hydrate your skin – this is the most obvious as it is called a moisturizer for a reason. However all moisturizers are not created equal. After application your skin should feel soft and supple, which should last throughout the day. If only the experience is nice, but your skin is dry within the hour, you’re not giving your body what it needs. A proper moisturizer should leave skin balanced and improve it’s texture over time. If you don’t see results within 2-3 weeks, move on.
2. Contain Occlusives, Emollients and/or Humectants – Most moisturizers rely on one or a combination of these three properties to promote moisture. Occlusives seal in moisture, Emollients are oils and lipids that help repair skin and Humectants attract and retain moisture.
3. Match your skin type – It’s important to determine if your dry, oily, normal, sensitive, combination or mature. Based on the characteristics of your skin you can choose products accordingly. For instance, if you’re skin type is oily, opt for light-weight, oil-free products that are also non-comedogenic (which is a fancy way of saying it won’t clog your pores). For all skin types (especially sensitive), opt for fragrance free face products (body products can be more lenient), unless the fragrances are natural and derived from a plants and/or herbs. Stay away from synthetic fragrances as there’s no product enhancement from adding these chemicals to your skin and can cause irritation.
4. Be part of a healthy skin routine – You never want to apply moisturizer to non-cleansed skin. For starters it won’t work as effectively and can trap in dirt. Cleanse, tone, serum, moisturizer is the standard order for face. (Add a weekly exfoliant and face mask as well). As for your body products opt for a body wash that ‘s soap-free and doesn’t strip your skins natural oils (like Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash) and add a body moisturizer (like Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion) within minutes of getting out of the shower to lock in moisture.
Extra Note: Moisturizers should also go beyond just hydrating. With modern technology and science, there are so many formulas on the market specifically formulated to do everything from even skin-tone to anti-aging. Look for moisturizers that contain antioxidants and vitamins to reverse damage, retinols for anti-aging, peptides to rebuild collagen and SPF if you don’t already use a daily sunscreen.
AVEENO® Daily Moisturizing Lotion: Give your skin a naturally beautiful fresh start. This nourishing lotion improves the health of your skin in just 1 day! It contains ACTIVE NATURALS® Colloidal Oatmeal and is blended with rich emollients to help protect and soothe dry skin.
{Disclosure: Compensation was provided by AVEENO® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of AVEENO®.}