Many people are unaware how much of an impact moisturizer has on your skin. This is particularly true when it comes to individuals with particularly oily skin, as they may avoid moisturizing in an attempt to prevent adding more oil to the skin. However, moisturizing is an important component of your regular skin care routine and can have a substantial impact on the overall appearance and health of your skin. Here are a few things you need to know about what happens when you moisturize your skin.
Moisture Barrier
The skin has a natural moisture barrier that serves to protect the skin from damage and keep it in good condition. However, this natural moisture barrier can be damaged by UV rays, excessive cleaning, and external pollutants. When the moisture barrier is damaged, the skin will ultimately sustain a loss of moisture and an increase in oil production. This can lead to the appearance of aging, the development of acne, and damage to the skin.
Choose the Right Moisturizer
It is important to use the right kind of moisturizer for your skin’s specific needs. For example, those with oily skin tend to refrain from using moisturizer due to the oil levels of their skin. However, it is still beneficial to use moisturizer. Just ensure that it is oil-free, lightweight, and non-comedogenic. Non-comedogenic moisturizer means that the moisturizer won’t block the pores. It is important to implement moisturizer in the right way, as well. In the morning, you should use a facial moisturizer that contains sunscreen to prevent UV ray damage to the skin. In the evenings, you should use a moisturizer that is tailored specifically for your skin type.
When do you Need to Moisturize
When you moisturize, it is important to wash your face prior to doing so. Otherwise, you are likely to simply trap debris in your pores. This should generally be done in the morning and in the evening. There are certain conditions in which you may need to moisturize more frequently. For example, cold weather often dries out the skin. This is especially true when heating inside of the property removes moisture from the air in the home. Dry environments, such as desert climates, and traveling in airplanes may also cause the skin to dry out. During these scenarios, it may be beneficial to moisturize your skin more frequently than you normally would. This is particularly common during the winter.
Skin’s Natural Oil
The skin produces a natural oil to remain healthy. This oil is called sebum. It is produced by small sebaceous glands that are located inside of each individual hair follicle. The natural oil, sebum, works up and out of the follicle, which causes it to collect dead skin cells and dirt throughout its journey. Sebum then forms a sort of protective armor around the skin in order to guard against both bacteria and viruses. Whenever you wash your face, you are essentially stripping the sebum from the skin. This leaves the skin vulnerable to damage that can cause the appearance of aging. Using moisturizer after washing your skin can help to fill in for the absence of sebum and serves to protect the skin.
Moisturizer
It is important to ensure that you wash prior to moisturizing. Grime can accumulate on the surface of the skin, which can become trapped when applying a moisturizer over the layer of skin pollutants. Moisturizing appropriately can also help to improve the effectiveness of your moisturizer. In most situations, it is most efficient to moisturize within 3 minutes of bathing to effectively protect your skin. It is additionally important to refrain from overusing your moisturizer. When you use moisturizer too frequently, your skin will likely rely on the moisturizer, which will impact its ability to produce natural oils on its own. Refrain from moisturizing more than in the morning and evening unless it is necessary.
Benefits of Moisturizing
There are many benefits to moisturizing your skin on a regular basis. Regular moisturizing helps to maintain your skin’s natural moisture barrier. This can prevent damage to your skin, both from the natural skin barrier and the protective efforts of the moisturizer. When you massage your skin while you apply moisturizer, you stimulate the blood circulation and new cell generation of your skin, which can further help to improve the health of the skin. These are just a few of the benefits that come along with moisturizing your skin on a regular basis.
How to Protect your Skin
Though moisturizing can substantially help to protect and improve the health of your skin, there are many other steps that you can take to keep your skin in good condition. Take cooler showers to prevent damage that may occur from warmer temperatures of water. Ensure that you pat dry your skin, rather than rubbing it dry. This can prevent lodging pollutants into the surface of the skin or causing damage to it. Drinking enough water and staying hydrated helps to flush pollutants from your skin and helps it to retain moisture. Ensure that you use only mild soaps and detergents that are less likely to cause substantial damage to your skin. Adding a humidifier to your bedroom can help to ensure that your skin doesn’t dry out throughout the evening. It is important to wear sunscreen on a regular basis to prevent damage from occurring to your skin due to UV rays from the sun. Take care not to overwash and strip too many natural oils from your skin.
When you moisturize your skin, you help to prevent damage to the skin and ensure that the moisture barrier remains intact. Here at Intermountain Aesthetics MD Spa, we are passionate about providing you with the information, guidance, and services that you need to keep your skin in superior shape. If you are uncertain regarding the best moisturizer for your skin, we can provide you with some insight and guidance. To learn more about how to keep your skin in great condition, contact our team at Intermountain Aesthetics MD Spa today!
