Moisturizers: How to Quench Your Dry Skin Thirst During Harmattan

Moisturizers – An Important Ingredient In Your Daily Skin Care Routine

If you have dry skin or maybe winter has left your skin itchy, dry and flaky, a moisturizer can help.  As you probably know, the top layer of skin is dead, and the layers below supply it with the moisture — water, oils and salt — that it needs. Moisture is constantly lost through evaporation even under the best conditions. When you bring in winter winds, low humidity, and dry indoor heat the skin’s water loss is greatly increased.  That is why moisturizers applied to the skin play such an important role.

There are two types of moisturizers:

Emollients – These work very much like your skin’s natural oils by forming an oily barrier on the skin’s surface that seals in some moisture and blocks evaporation.

Humectants – These attract and hold water on your skin’s surface.

For people who have dry skin, the most common problems to be expected is premature skin ageing and the appearance of wrinkles. Dry skin results from lack of moisture and is commonly experienced during the cold season. To address this problem, one can make use of moisturizers available in the market. It is better to make use of those products that are fragrance-free and has fewer amounts of preservatives used to limit the chemical content that might cause irritation. Note that humectants and emollients are contained in moisturizers and these components are responsible for absorbing water to increase the moisture of the skin and replacing lipids. Moisturizers also come in two kinds, those that are oil-based and those that are water-based. People with oily skin may still opt to make use of moisturizers during the cold season, and they should choose the water-based kind.

Which moisturizer is best for you to depend on your skin type, and the ingredients in the moisturizer? And, most times, it has very little to do with an expense. It’s a choice that you make after evaluating all factors.  In fact, there have been studies which concluded the most effective moisturizers were the least expensive ones.

One thing to consider is this: the simpler, the better. The more ingredients in a moisturizer you use on your skin, such as perfumes, emulsifiers, colouring, thickeners, etc., the greater the chance you will have some kind of allergic reaction if your skin is sensitive.

Preserve Your Skin’s Moisture – Tips and Suggestions

1. Use warm water as opposed to hot for bathing or showering, and limit the time spent to 10 to 15 minutes a day. Use mild soaps which you dilute with water before applying to your skin. Excessive bathing, especially in hot water, and the use of strong soaps wash away the natural oils that are there to help keep water in the skin.
2. If you bathe rather than a shower, use a little bath oil in the water.
3. Apply a moisturizer to the skin all over your body immediately after bathing or showering. In this way, the skin’s moisture is sealed in. Apply light films of moisturizer rather than one heavy coating.
4. Dry hand thoroughly after washing. Apply a good hand cream.
5. Give elbows and knees special attention during winter months. Exfoliate gently with a natural luffa sponge, and apply a moistening cream.
6. Always wear gloves in cold weather to limit the evaporation of moisture from your hands.
7. In cold weather, cover your face with a scarf.
8. Protect lips with a lip balm when out in the winter months. Avoid licking them which causes chapping and cracking.
9. Eat a nourishing, well-balanced diet for your inner as well as outer health.
10. Drink 8-10 glasses a water a day. Drinking adequate water daily is also important for glowing, healthy, moisturized skin.