As Fresh As the Morning Dew

Let's chat moisture, folks.

There are a lot of misconceptions about moisturizers. Some people believe that without oil content, a moisturizer can't possibly work. Other think the opposite. What is the truth to this question?

Moisturizer... moisture... has to do with water content. Oil has nothing to do with hydration, but does meet a need in terms of lubrication and moisture retention, and to function properly, your skin needs both!

In order to clean deep within the pores, to break down the dirt and debris trapped in those tiny pockets of oil, we have to strip the skin of its oil content during cleansing. For someone with dry skin, they lack oil production and therefore also lack moisture retention. So, their skin readily accepts any moisture from the products used on it after cleansing, although without products that contain some oil, their skin will never hold onto that moisture.

For someone with oily skin, once their skin has been cleansed, their skin immediately begins to produce oil again. In this case, moisturizing is key. If the skin is trying to overproduce oil to protect the moisture balance, without applying moisturizer can lead to what can effectively be referred to as a grease slick!

The skin produces oil to keep the dry, flattened protein cells that make up our outer most layer of epidermis, called the corneum, pliable. This oil on the surface of the skin also helps to keep moisture from evaporating, and thus protects the skins moisture balance. If we don't drink enough water or spend a lot of time in a hot, dry climate, even oily skin can become dehydrated. The reproduction of skin cells and cell health does not require oil, but water.

So, how do you choose the perfect mositurizer?

If you have dry skin, meaning that you have very little oil production, you want to use a rich emollient. A heavy-weight creme that contains both oil and water. The skin will absorb the water, while the epidermis will stay lubricated and soft as it keeps this new dose of moisture from evaporating.

For somone with oily skinm stay away from heavy cremes and choose lighter moisturizers that are oil-free. You produce enough oil. What your skin needs is moisture, and this dose of moisture will keep your skin from overproducing oil to make up for a lack of water.

People with combination skin should choose a moisturizer that meets the need of the majority of thier skin. Combination types often lean more towards oily or dry rather than being an even split. So, combination skin types tending toward oily skin should use the oil-free moisturizer... the lighter cream. The combination type tending toward dry should use the heavier creme... the emollient.

Remember that healthy skin is well moisturized and lubricated. There has to be a balance of both oil and water for proper skin function!

We're almost to the last step: SPF!