There exists a plethora of skincare products in the market, must we add one more layer? Especially the thicker and sticky ones like moisturizers or creams? If I tell you that moisturizers or creams are important to keep the moisture and elasticity of the skin, help reduce fine lines, wrinkles and age spots, will it change your mind? I’m saying it for you. Yes! We must.

When looking for the best cream, you have to know what your skin type is and the ingredients that work well for it. If at this point you are still unsure of what it is, there are a lot of quiz or apps that will help you find out, my most trusted one is the Picky App as they have an extensive array of products that’s categorized for every skin type. It can even choose the holy grail product for your skin type! Moving on, you must also find creams that are noncomedogenic so it won’t block your pores.

Not all moisturizers are equal

Light moisturizers are categorized as such if their dominant ingredient is water. If it has a high protein concentration, it will be labelled as “moderate” and if the dominant ingredients are lipids or fatty substances then they are labelled as “heavy”. Moisturizers that are lighter and oil free works best for oily and acne-prone skin and thicker consistencies with humectants and lipids are better for dry skin.

Day and night creams are different in a sense that at night, the skin needs a cream that can penetrate deeper into the layers of the skin to help repair it from the inside out. For the day cream, you definitely need something light that helps protect your skin from the external aggressors in the environment.

Day creams might have some SPF or sun protective factor but sometimes it’s not enough so you have to put an added layer of sunscreen. Vitamin C also helps in brightening skin, evening out pigmentation and increases cell melanin to help protect the skin from the sun.

For night creams, best look for products that are gentle but have the following active ingredients to make the most of your beauty rest at night: do retinols! Alpha hydroxy acids or beta-hydroxy acids, Hyaluronic acid, vitamin e and resveratrol. Other notable ingredients might be ceramides, glycerin and lactic acid which are components similar to the ones found in the skin.

Some general ingredients to avoid especially if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin: perfumes, fragrances, essential oils, retinoic acid, methylparabens or parabens, salicylic acid.

WHEN TO USE MOISTURIZERS

It is best to apply moisturizers in both your morning and evening routine, and it’s best to do it after washing your face when your skin is still damp. By applying it right after washing, you get to replace the natural facial oils that was stripped by washing, but at the same time, you get to lock in any excess water lingering on the skin’s surface, this will boost the effects of the moisturizer and will result in softer, healthier looking skin.

For men who frequently shaves, applying post-shave creams can also protect your skin from irritation, prickliness or razor bumps.

Generally, your skin needs at least 28 days for the superficial skin cells to turn over, meaning that majority of the skincare products you have need to be used consistently for a month or so before you’ll actually see it’s real results. Don’t fret about using creams in your routine, you can only lose so much and have a lot to gain. Trust me, your sixty year old self will thank you for this.