After trying to fit all there is to know about moisturizers in one long article, I decided that it’s best to split the article in 3 sections. This article will deal with answering the question – ‘What is a moisturizer and what good is it for me?’. The second article will discuss moisturizers specific for your skin type and what ingredients you should look out for. The third part will focus on Ingredients – what to avoid, and my opinion on the controversial topic of specialized moisturizers.

This 3-part article is by no means exhaustive. And in the future, I will be writing articles on subdivisions of the general term ‘moisturizers’. For example, in this article, I will be talking a little bit about lightening products and acne products, but these among others deserve a whole article dedicated just to them. However, it’s essential to get the basics right first, before moving on to more advanced stuff. In addition, this article will be dealing with just face moisturizers.

Well, let’s begin with what exactly is a moisturizer?

The term moisturizer can be misleading…. The ‘official’ definition of a moisturizer according to the eMedicine Dermatology is:- A moisturizer is an agent, which usually comes in a form of a cream, which is designed to make the top layer of the skin softer and more supple by increasing its hydration.

However, that is restricting moisturizers to just creams and just to hydrate. So for our purposes we will define a moisturizer (as termed by Paula Begoun, in her book Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me) as simply a formula with healthy state-of-the-art ingredients. I prefer this, because all skin types need healthy state-of-the-art ingredients, and they can come in any form – cream, fluids, lotion, balm, gel, serum, liquid. Hence, someone with oily skin still needs a ‘moisturizer’, or rather a state-of-the-art ingredients formula, as defined above.

What will a moisturizer do to my skin?

State-of-the-art ingredients in a formula will:
 Soften, smooth and soothe dry skin
 Protect the skin from free-radical damage (product acts as a barrier between your skin and the ‘harmful’ environment)
 Maintain or improve your skin’s own barrier function (can decrease skin sensitivity)
 Keep water in the skin cell (helps to plump up the skin – a form of anti-aging)
 Reduce irritation or inflammation
 Provide a smooth base for subsequent makeup application
 Feed special treatment ingredients into the skin, including special formulas for oily and mature skin.
 Optimize healthy cell production, due to cell-communicating ingredients
… and this, all in an elegant, silky base.

Moisturizers Part 2: The Best Moisturizer for My Skin Type

Moisturizers Part 3: Ingredients to Look For and Ingredients to Avoid