How to Find The Right Face Moisturizer
To give you a better idea of how moisturizer works, we’ll start with a brief overview of how your skin works.
The Skin You’re In
Epidermis Fast Facts
- Outermost layer of skin
- 90% of the epidermis is composed of keratinocytes—cells that produce (you guessed it) keratin. This fibrous protein makes up your hair, skin and nails. It’s a durable cell, less prone to damage than other types of cells your body produces.
- The main job of the epidermis is to act as a barrier against environmental damage by heat, UV radiation, water loss, bacteria, and viruses. Wait, did someone say water loss? That’s right—water is so important to your skin function that one of the epidermis’ main jobs is to prevent dehydration.
- Your epidermis is thinnest on your eyelids, and thickest on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet. Its average thickness on your body is 0.1mm—about as thick as one sheet of paper.
- Almost all ingredients in any cream, moisturizer, or topical treatment work on the epidermis and do not penetrate to the dermis.
How the Epidermis Works
The innermost epidermal cells gradually move up to your skin’s surface in a process called “keratinization,” while the outermost, oldest cells slough off in a process called “desquamation.” (Literally, “scaling off”—“squamous” comes from the Latin for “scaly.” But don’t get creeped out: in anatomy, this term simply refers to a layer of very thin, flattened cells.) In humans, the keratinization-to-desquamation process takes about 40–56 days.
If the skin is dehydrated, your skin cells stop sloughing off. Instead, they cling to the skin’s surface like the last people to leave a party. This cell accumulation can make skin feel rough, and less likely to reflect light.
Dermis Fast Facts
- The middle layer of your skin.
- The dermis is primarily made up of cells called fibroblasts, and what the fibroblasts produce: collagen, elastin, heparin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid.
How The Dermis Works
As your skin ages, the number of fibroblast cells starts to decline, and the remaining fibroblasts get lazy—so their overall production of proteins (collagen, elastin and other youth-enhancing-elements) slows down. This leads to the usual culprits: fragility, fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, etc. Most topical ingredients don’t penetrate to this layer, with two notable exceptions: retinol and estrogen.
The Right Moisturizer
64% of your skin is composed of water. That fact should re-emphasize just how important hanging onto that H20 is. But anyone who has casually strolled down the beauty aisle in a CVS or Sephora in search of “the right moisturizer” has probably felt overwhelmed at some point by the sheer volume of products—so here are some key things to know, no matter what your skin concerns are.
Day Moisturizer vs. Night Cream
Day Cream
No matter your skin type, your day cream should always, always, always contain SPF 30 to 50. It doesn’t matter if you have dark skin, or tan easily, or whatever else. Consider this sobering fact: **Sun exposure causes most of the skin changes that we think of as a normal part of aging. Yikes.
Beyond SPF, the two things that every day cream should have are:
- light, but effective, moisturizing agents to keep skin hydrated
- antioxidants to fight UV and environmental stress.
All-star moisturizing agents: hyaluronic acid, ceramides, sodium PCA, glycerin, glycerol, silicones, petrolatum, salicylic acid, and alpha hydroxy acids.
All-star antioxidants: green tea extract, grape extract, resveratrol, vitamin C, vitamin E (these 2 vitamins work even better together than they do alone), ferulic acid, quercetin, willow herb extract, feverfew extract, and licorice extract.
Night Cream
Sleep is when the body undergoes its natural repair processes—so applying a night cream before bed piggy-backs on this process to maximize skin benefits. Apply your night cream (and any anti-aging serums or under-eye creams) about 15 minutes before lying down—that way, it can all be fully absorbed before you’re in dreamland
All-star ingredient: The single most effective ingredient you can add to a night cream is retinol. As mentioned, retinol is the only ingredient other than estrogen that penetrates through the epidermis to the dermis, stimulating collagen and elastin production. Retinol can also help regulate oil production and clear up acne, brighten skin by speeding up cell turnover, and reduce hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles. Those with sensitive or dry skin, or any inflammatory skin condition (rosacea, eczema, etc.), should start with a lower concentration of retinol, or consult a dermatologist before use.
Read Ingredient Lists
Because the cosmetics industry in the U.S. is so loosely regulated, skip the marketing-ese on the front of the packaging and go straight to the ingredient lists. In a 2017 study, the three most common allergens in several best-selling body creams were: fragrances, parabens and tocopherol. The skin on your face is more sensitive, so definitely try to avoid these. N.B.: Fragrance can be very hard to avoid—some companies sneak fragrances into “fragrance-free” products as preservatives. It can be tricky, but at least now you know what to look for.
Is There An Easier Way?
You’ll save time and money, but most importantly: you’ll see real results in your skin. We’re finally at a point where we can use science to personalize skincare, so it’s easier than ever to achieve a glowing complexion. Click here to learn more and get started—and say goodbye to those down-the-rabbit-hole trips to the skincare aisle.
Ready to experience personalized skincare? Take your Personalized Skin Care Quiz today.