There’s no easy way to find the best moisturiser for your skin type. You only have to go online and start searching to see the sheer number of products for sale and the multitude of opinions that people give. ‘Easily the best moisturiser I’ve used’ says one review. ‘Helped control my breakouts’ says another. It’s important to know that what might be right for one individual’s skin might work very differently on another.
I’d like to present you with some facts to help you to make an informed decision as to which moisturiser to opt for, while hopefully helping you to save some money along the way.
Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be able to assess a product on its basic ingredients and tell whether it’s right for your skin type.
To help to choose the best moisturiser for you, you first need to know that different moisturisers work in different ways: Some trap water in the skin, some help skin to retain water, some improve the integrity of the skin barrier, some help the skin to attract water, and others boost the functional capabilities of the skin.
Oil, petroleum and lanolin products act by trapping water in, and are called occlusives. Occlusives can leave a greasy sheen on the skin and may cause breakout acne or blocked pores, called milia. So, if you already have acne, an occlusive-based option might not be the best moisturiser for you. Also, occlusives are known to cause allergies and inflammation in the skin, and may even cause long-term harm to the skin, although they can help people with very dry complexions by locking in moisture.
Emollients, in contrast, fill the gaps between the cells, helping the skin to retain water. Most emollients soften the skin and would be the best moisturiser if you have skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis.
Humectants, on the other hand, are different to occlusives and emollients. Once applied to your skin, they attract water. If there’s lots of water in the air in your environment, then a humectant-based option might be the ideal option for you. However, in low-humidity environments this means they can draw water from the dermis and actually dry the skin out.
This sets up a wet-dry cycle and an example of a humectant is hyaluronic acid. Once applied, the skin is dampened and it soon feels hydrated. However, as time passes, if the air is dry, the product will attract water from the dermis and sap your skin of moisture. This can make your face feel dry, so you apply more, and the cycle repeats. This means that in a humid environment, a hyaluronic acid-based product would not be the best moisturiser for you.
Other problematic humectants are alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). If overused, this range can cause your skin to become thinner, making it more prone to sun damage if used without appropriate sun protection. Furthermore, some acid humectants may strip the skin of its natural lipid barrier, allowing bacteria and toxins from the environment past the skin barrier, causing inflammation and redness.
Occlusives, emollients and humectant moisturisers, (or combinations of them), make our skin feel supple and smooth for a time, but they don’t treat the underlying cause of skin dehydration, which is reduced cell function. Once you’ve worked out which moisturiser is perfect for you, (one that has the right active ingredients), your skin may not dry out, though to keep it healthy and glowing, you may want to consider a treatment to boost how the skin cells work.
At No4 Clinic, my team believes that the best skincare/skin treatment restores cell function to optimal levels, to the stage before they were affected by age-related degeneration. Using a treatment in combination with the best moisturiser for you will mean your skin can be kept looking youthful and radiant.
If the bottom layer of the epidermis is healthy, the cells will renew every 3-4 weeks or so. This means you will most likely have a healthy skin barrier, because when mature epidermal cells die, they release skin protecting lipids. If other cells in the skin are functioning well, (especially our fibroblasts), then this means lots of collagen production is going on, which maintains skin suppleness. Simultaneously, lots of hyaluronic acid production will be happening too and this signals hydrated skin, which will leave it looking plump and glowing!
Even with the best moisturiser, getting your skin to the best it can be is an art and this largely depends how your skin looks and behaves. To really know what product or treatment will improve your skin function, I recommend getting a professional consultation from our resident expert skin therapist, Su Jones. She can look at ways to get your skin in tip-top condition, in conjunction with the best moisturiser for you. Then follow up with myself, Nichola Maasdorp, to see how I can support you with treatments for your skin!
Get in touch today to book a consultation. You can simply fill in a form on the website, call my team on 07595221484 or email [email protected].
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See you soon!
Skincare is a minefield. From double cleaning and retinol to glycolic acid and niacinamide, there are so many factors to consider and so many common skincare mistakes to avoid. And with the rise of internet know-it-alls claiming to know everything about skincare… it’s a real issue for me. I often end up dealing with the fallout, with patients coming to my clinic with a plethora of concerns they’re desperate to address.
Take my patient Mary*, for example. Mary sadly fell victim to new products wreaking havoc on her skin. Mary made some incredibly common skincare mistakes, which left her skin dry, dull and lacklustre.
Keep reading to find out more about how I helped Mary’s skin!
*Mary’s name has been changed to protect her identity.
I asked Mary to bring along her skincare products for me to look at and I was shocked at what I saw! She came in with a huge bag of products and was hoping I’d be able to tell her what else she needed to improve her skin. Anyone who knows me, or has come to see me, knows that I won’t always tell you what you want to hear. The reality for Mary was that there were no magic creams or lotions that were going to help her. But her existing products were certainly at the root of her issues and she had unwittingly subjected herself to several common skincare mistakes.
One incredibly important thing that I tell patients like Mary is that they need to scale back their routines in order to restore their skin to optimal health. Our skin has a barrier that needs to be protected, but when Mary was double cleansing, she was drying out her skin.
In younger people, this may not have been as much of a problem, but as Mary had aged, her levels of oil production had slowed down, which meant her skin was now much drier than it once was. This common skincare mistake is one that perimenopausal women tend to make.
You need to listen to your skin as you age because changes in the body can have a detrimental impact on your skin.
There are many common skincare mistakes you need to avoid throughout your life, but one to consider as you age is the fact that you can’t treat your skin the same as you did in your twenties when you’re well into your forties. As oil production slows down and spots become a less frequent occurrence, you should lean towards a gentle cleanser that will help you keep your skin’s natural barrier intact. My personal favourites are by CeraVe and ALLSKIN | MED as they don’t dry the skin out at all.
To help you even further with your menopausal skin, it might be time to invest in a tailored skincare routine that has been designed by an expert. By getting a thorough consultation and a skin scan, you can gain a better understanding of what your skin needs, whilst also learning more about products within your budget.
When you visit my clinic, you will be able to benefit from Su’s expert advice. She will teach you about the common skincare mistakes you’re making and how to avoid them going forward. Su is an absolute expert and her honest and informative advice during a skin consultation will show you the extent of any damage you’ve accidentally caused before getting you back on the right track.
She will then look at the products you’re using alongside your lifestyle and diet, as this will give her a more holistic understanding of your relationship with your skin. As part of your consultation, Su will also put together a tailored skin improvement plan and treat you to a condensed but equally effective version of one of our favourite treatments - HydraFacial. She will also give you a sample product that she thinks will benefit your skin before you commit to any purchases. When you follow this plan, you will be left with healthy, youthful and glowing skin - what more could you ask for?
There are no short-term goals here! The focus is on long-term prevention and management because we don’t want you to learn the hard way, like Mary.
To get in touch, fill out a form on our website, call us on 07595221484 or send an email to [email protected] today.
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See you soon!
