5 Tips For Choosing The Right Moisturizer

Hello lovelies!

Moisturizing your skin is essential to have a glowy and youthful skin.

However, with all the brands existing on the market today, we may all feel overwhelmed and choose a moisturizer that’s not adapted for your needs.

Are you in this case? Then, I have good news: choosing the right moisturizer shouldn’t be difficult and overwhelming for you.

In this article, I will share some tips for choosing the right moisturizer for you!

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Understanding Your Skin: The Foundation of Moisturizing

Before you choose a moisturizer, you must know your skin type. Why? Because your skin type will determine the ingredients you need and what’s right for you. Thus, you will obtain the best results for your skin .

Indeed, the right moisturizer will give you a youthful skin, with that glow you envy from celebrities! Indeed, not everyone has the same moisturizing needs. What suits your girlfriend won’t suit you.

For instance, if you have dry skin, you’ll need thicker moisturizers than a person with normal skin. Also, if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, you will have specific moisturizing needs.

If you want to identify your skin type and your specific needs, read this article. This will be the first step to help you choose the right moisturizer for you!

Key Ingredients to Look for in a Moisturizer

Depending on your skin type, you will look for ingredients that are good for you. Here are some ingredients to help you make the best choice for your own needs.

Hydrating powerhouses: hyaluronic acid and glycerin

Please ladies, pay attention to these two ingredients! These two humectants can moisturize all skin types, leaving it smooth and even.

Also, they have the power to lock in moisture without stripping your skin. However, glycerin is more commonly used than hyaluronic acid and is derived from plants.

Though these ingredients are super moisturizers, you must be careful, especially if you live in dry climates. Indeed, heat and humidity can degrade glycerin very quickly, despite its effectiveness.

As for hyaluronic acid, it can cause skin dryness in drier climates. Therefore, I’d always recommend you use these two super humectants in winter.

Emollients: ceramides and fatty acids

If you look for anti-aging properties in your moisturizer, look for these ingredients! Ceramides and fatty acids are lipids naturally present in your skin.

They will fill the gaps between your skin cells. Also, they form a protective layer to help dehydration and protect your skin against external aggression.

Consequently, ceramides and fatty acids are perfect to smoothen and soften your skin. That’s why I recommend these ingredients for dry and/or mature skin. Also, if you take extra care of your skin, you may look for these ingredients in your moisturizer.

I’m targeting women who use anti-aging moisturizers as a preventive way to avoid getting early wrinkles.

SPF is your best friend

Do I need to remind you why you need SPF in your moisturizer? I hope not! Indeed, many dermatologists (including mine) recommend the use of a moisturizer with sunscreen year long.

SPF will protect your skin from free radicals and from unwanted sun exposure, whatever your skin type is. Moreover, SPF will protect your skin against premature aging.

Don’t hesitate to look for a moisturizer that has SPF if you don’t want to use a separate product. Your skin will thank you!

Antioxidants and peptides for a youthful skin

Have you seen peptides everywhere, especially in brands like The Ordinary? And it’s normal! Indeed, peptides are amino acids that act as building blocks for collagen, elastin, and keratin. These proteins are the main foundation of the appearance of your skin.

Therefore, peptides improve the texture, resilience, and strength of your skin. On the other hand, skin will lose its integrity and firmness without peptides. Then, you may see premature wrinkles and a less plump appearance on your skin.

However, you shouldn’t use peptides on their own. To complement their action, you must look for antioxidants in your moisturizer. Indeed, they will help your skin to fight against free radicals and the harmful effects of air polluants.

How do you recognize antioxidants? Look for ingredients such as vitamins A/C/E, green tea, pomegranate, or licorice root.

Navigating the Market: Tips on Selecting the Right Product

Now that you know what your skin type is and which ingredients you need, it’s time for you to select the right product for you. I’ll give you some tips to select the right moisturizer for you!

Learn to decipher product labels

Have you heard that you must learn to decipher product labels on your food products? Well, you should know that the same thing applies to your beauty products!

Indeed, you must learn the real meaning behind all the buzzwords used in the cosmetics industry. Here are some examples of ingredients in your moisturizers:

• Humectants: ammonium lactate, butylene glycol, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, propylene glycerol, sodium PCA, sorbitol, urea…
• Occlusives: beeswax, caprylic/capric triglyceride, clyclomethicone, dimethicone, mineral oil, paraffin, propylene glycol dioleate…
• Emollients: cyclomethicone, dimethicone copolyol, glyceryl stearate, isopropyl palmitate, lanolin, propylene glycol linoleate…
• Antioxidants: ascorbic acid, butylated hydroxytoluene, citric acid, EDTA, glycolsphingolipids, lactic acid, retinol, salicylic acid, tartaric acid, tocopherol acetate…

Now that you know, you’ll be more equipped to buy your moisturizer! However, if you don’t know an ingredient, or if you want to if the ingredient is innocuous, you can use specific apps. For example, I do use a beauty app called Yuka to decipher all the ingredients of my beauty products.

If you have such an app, don’t hesitate to use it and you’ll know if your moisturizer is really effective or not.

Avoid common irritants and harmful ingredients

Sometimes, less is more when you choose your moisturizer. Actually, you must even avoid some ingredients that can potentially irritate your skin. This is especially true if you have a dry and sensitive skin.

Here are some ingredients you must avoid when you choose your moisturizer:

• perfumes
• colorings
• too many acids, especially alpha-hydroxy acid, glycolic acid, retinoid acid, and salicylic acid
• steroids
• lactic acid
• urea
• ingredients that works on the body but can be comedogenic for your face (lanolin, mineral oil, wax, shea butter…)

Please note that this is true for dry and sensitive skin. If you need more guidance on your skin type, read this article or visit your dermatologist/beautician.

Leverage product reviews and dermatologist recommendations

Ah, this is something I always do for my own beauty products! Before choosing your moisturizer, check reviews on the Internet. They will certainly help you, especially if it has a high rating. However, I advise to pay attention to negative reviews because they may raise an issue that you have yourself.

Now, I know that some brands can pay people to push positive reviews on their products. And that’s problem because you can’t trust a brand fully. Therefore, if you don’t trust Internet reviews entirely, go to your dermatologist and ask him/her about the moisturizer you think about.

Your budget and taste matter

Now, you must always consider your own taste and budget before choosing a moisturizer. Your taste matter, especially for the packaging. Indeed, using a moisturizer is not only a necessity, but also a daily pleasure.

Actually you must be pleased to get nice products in your bathroom when you use them. Why do you think that many brands spend too much time on working on their packaging?!

Moreover, don’t buy a moisturizer you can’t afford. Indeed, I always recommend you use the best quality you can afford. Sometimes, you can have affordable products that you can find in the drugstore that are more effective than products with a high price tag.

Let me take you an example from my own experience. For many years, I’ve used Génifique Line by Lancôme. I had money, and the products from the Génifique Line are terrific.

However, I went redundant in 2019, meaning that my budget was tighter. I couldn’t afford to buy my usual Génifique anymore. So, I remembered that my favorite brand for my body moisturizer also had a face line. I chose the Palmer’s Fade Cream and I’ve never been so satisfied!

Actually, this cream really made my skin change for the better. Also, it has all the ingredients I like (antioxidants) for a low price tag. So, I’ve adopted it for 6 years now.

If you had something to learn from me, it would be to learn what works best for your skin within your budget. Don’t be like women who prioritize their appearance to their basic duties. if you have to choose between a high-end moisturizer and food for the week, buy food!

The Role of Lifestyle and Environment in Your Choice

Don’t rely only on your moisturizer to get that glowy skin! Of course, your moisturizer helps, because it’s not everything. First of all, you must understand that the area where you live has an impact on your skin hydration.

Indeed, if you live in areas that are highly polluted, you may experience skin issues. Consequently, I recommend you do everything to minimize the impact of air polluants on your skin. I invite you to read this article if you want to have more information on this topic.

Moreover, your overall lifestyle is very important to maintain your skin. That’s why I always advise you to eat the right foods, to exercise regularly, and to adopt mindful habits. And don’t forget to drink lots of water to keep your skin plump and supple!

Finally, your choice of moisturizer depends on the seasonal changes. Indeed, you may needed heavier texture in winter and lighter texture in summer. So, take this in consideration when you choose your moisturizer.

Putting It All Together: Establishing a Skincare Routine

Have you chosen your moisturizer already! Good for you! But there’s one thing you should know. Well, I hope you know it, otherwise I invite you to read my blog entirely!

Your moisturizer is not a product that you use on its own. Indeed, you must include it in a regular skincare routine, and balance it with other products. Use your moisturizer after cleansing your face and before your sunscreen if you use a separate product.

Also, if you use specific treatments like a serum for instance, you can use your moisturizer after them. I invite you to read my ultimate guide to skincare if you need more information about this topic.

Moreover, you must be consistent and patient to watch the effects of your moisturizer on your skin. My dermatologist usually says that you must use a product during three months to measure its whole effects on your skin. So, be consistent and disciplined in your skincare routine!

A final tip I want to share with you is to test your moisturizer before using it on your face. Indeed, you don’t want to spend your money on a product and discover that you’re allergic to some of its ingredients!

Besides reading the labels as I suggested above, I recommend you to perform a patch test. Put some moisturizer on your wrist. If you have itches and red patches, forget about this moisturizer and put it on the shelf!

Conclusion: what are the best tips for choosing the right moisturizer?

To choose the right moisturizer for you, you must know your skin type and educate yourself on the active ingredients of your products. Also, you must choose the product within your budget, and learn how to use it in your daily skincare routine and your environment.

Once you have mastered all these tips, choosing the right moisturizer will be as easy as 123!

Well, that’s it for today? What do you think of my tips for choosing the right moisturizer? Which tips do you apply in your daily routine? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Take care, lovelies!

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