Makeup Articles - Moisturizing

Long gone are the days when moisturizer was nothing but a simple pot of cold cream (although many a dermatologist will tell you that simple cold cream is all your skin requires). Today, thanks to revolutions in skincare technology, creams at both ends of the market contain ingredients that are anti-ageing, anti-pollutant, anti-ultraviolet and antioxidant, to name but a few. No longer then humble potion knocked up in someone’s kitchen, today’s skincare has huge scientific laboratories and scores of researchers working behind it. We now not only understand the composition and function of human skin, but can also simulate it, making it possible to deliver active ingredients right into its deepest layers. The sceptic once sneered at the idea that creams could penetrate so deeply; today the Food and Drugs Administration in the USA keeps tight checks on all ingredients, in case something that is strong enough to be classed as a prescription drug is passed off as a simple face cream.

While there is a moisturizer in every texture and for every skin type, they always fall into two main categories: these are humectants and occlusives. The humectants variety draws water up from inside the dermis to hydrate the superficial layers, or attracts it from the surrounding atmosphere. There are oil-free water mulsions for oily skins (look for products labelled non-comedogenic as these help prevent unsightly break-outs) and water-in-oil formulations for drier skins. Whatever your skin type, a good tip is to make sure that your face is slightly damp before you apply moisturizer - this will make it go further, and remove the temptation to slap on great globules of unnecessary product.