Dry skin is a recurring condition that plagues many people at some period during their life. Indeed, a good estimation is that, at any given time, twenty-five percent of people are laboring under the inconvenience of dry skin to a greater of lesser extent. If you currently belong to that 25 percent you will want to know which moisturiser can treat your condition most effectively.
Do not tempted by the common mis-belief that different moisturising brands generally have similar ingredients and identical properties. This is not true. So, which one will likely be the most effective for you?
Skin care moisturisers differ a great deal from brand to brand, and for sound reasons. It is simply not practicable to create a moisturising cream that all skin conditions and types respond to equally well. There is simply not a “one size fits all” solution in the sphere of skin care.
People come in all shapes, sizes and ethnic origin. What may be the most effective moisturiser for one person will almost inevitably not be the most suited for another person.
In addition, everybody is subject to varying circumstances.
Split Skin is just one frequent skin condition.
Employment conditions and environment will differ from person to person. One person employed in an industrial factory with dusty, dry air will have greatly different skin moisturising requirements in comparison to people who spend most of their working day amongst the plants in an outside environment.
The weather plays a role in any skin care routine. A moisturiser that is formulated to be suitable for the warmer months of the year is most probably not the most suited moisturising barrier cream to use during the fall or winter.
When deciding to purchase a moisturising product you should understand that they are loosely segregated into three main groupings Namely, creams, lotions and the newer innovation of the mousse based products. So, what are the main differentiating factors that define these groupings? Also, for each grouping, what are their principle benefits and drawbacks?
Cream based formulations are, in the most instances, dominated by their chief ingredient, which is petroleum jelly.
The father, metaphorically speaking, of petroleum jelly – or, as most people know it, Vaseline – is the dregs of the oil industry. The origins literally spring from an unwanted by-product, rod wax, that congeals around the top of the pump rods in 19th century United States oil wells. This rod wax takes the leading role of a barrier cream that was originally patented by British chemist Robert Chesebrough in 1872. The brand name that Chesebrough choose for his new formulation was Vaseline. An apt name since the voluminous amounts of rod wax that Robert Chesebrough stored were poured into simple household vases. Thus, “vase – line” – “elaion” being the Greek word for oil.
It is this petroleum jelly that results in the overwhelming majority of moisturising barrier creams being thick in consistency, sticky and greasy. Whilst providing a substantial protecting layer for your skin, creams may not be convenient to use, particularly on the hands, as they are incline to leave your skin slippery. Thick creams may also clog up the skin pores. This makes them mostly unsuitable to use on the face if you have acne. Sticky barrier creams can also, in addition, cause other problems. For example, when used on the hands for jobs that require donning gloves for an extended time. In these cases, the inside of the glove can work the barrier cream residue into clumps around your joints.
Heavy moisturising creams are usually described as being most suited for winter use.
In comparison, lotions contain much less petroleum jelly, or none at all, in their formulation. Thus, the less gummy and tacky consistency of lotions make them easier to rub over your skin. Apart from water, or aqua as it is often labelled, their main constituents will invariably be an oil such as Olive oil or the oil of the Sunflower. Indeed, the origins of Olive oil as a extract used in the realms of skin care dates back more than five thousand years. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all used Olive oil in various ways to improve and enhance their skin.
Perhaps the chief downside of using a lotion is that, after application, a general feeling of stickiness often continues for a prolonged time. The high oil content can be slow to dry and this leaves many people with an unpleasant slimy feeling. In addition, many people already have naturally oily skin and these people generally will not want to use a product that increases the oiliness of their epidermis.
Hence, moisturising lotion skin enhancers are generally regarded as more suited during the hotter months of the year. See this skin care video for an illustration of skin ailments.
Mousse based products are a recent innovation in the field of skin care and moisturisers. Many believe that mousse products will eventually supersede traditional creams and lotions. Certainly, a mousse product will be naturally very light and easy to apply. Resulting directly from this, mousse based products usually spread more smoothly and consistently over the epidermis. For this reason, a smaller quantity is needed per application. Mousse moisturisers also have less tendency to clog up your skin pores and thus allow your skin to perspire normally. People with dry skin, or skin that is sore or chapped may also find that a mousse is less painful to apply as it does not need vigorous rubbing in.
However, many mousses will be aerosol based which has traditionally been linked to ozone destroying CFC chemicals – this, however, ceased to be a problem with technological advances that were implemented some 10 years ago. Further, aerosols usually employ Butane as a delivery agent and this has been connected to the issue of teenage substance abuse.
Mousse moisturising products are suitable for year long use.
Whichever moisturiser you finally opt for, remember regular application is the key to success. Your skin is yours for life, look after it and it will serve you well.
