By Stephen Cauldry
For most skin care consumers, attempting to decode the ingredients on the back of a skin moisturizer product can be a little overwhelming. Luckily for those of us lacking a degree in chemistry, all moisturizers are pretty much structured in the same manner. Moisturizers imitate the skin's own moisturizing capabilities by utilizing ingredients that either block the loss of water or attract water from the dermis layer to the skin's surface.
Ingredients found in moisturizers can be broken into two categories: occlusive agents and humectant agents. Occlusive agents create an oily barrier on the surface of the skin in order to lock in the skin's moisture. Paraffin, beeswax, cocoa, and petrolatum are common occlusive ingredients used in moisturizers. Occlusives can be very heavy and cause breakouts in acne-prone individuals. Some moisturizers replace the use of occlusive agents with silicones which produces the same oily feel but without the pore-clogging properties of oil.
The second type of ingredients, humectant agents, increase water content by attracting moisture from the underlying skin tissue. Many humectant agents, such as lactates and urea, found in the top moisturizers occur naturally in the skin. These agents can hold up to 1000 times their weight in water making them extremely effective at increasing water content to the surface layer of skin.
Occlusive and humectant agents are not the only ingredients that make up a good moisturizer. Emollients fill in tiny creases between surface skin cells making the skin softer and smoother. Preservatives are essential to thwarting the growth of bacteria and minimizing the risk of product contamination. Emulisifiers allow normally, non-mixable solutions to blend rather than separate into layers like oil and water commonly would. Solvents dissolve ingredients making them absorbable. And finally, fragrances are added to mask foul odors and give the product a pleasing aromatic scent.
Moisturizers fall into two groups: water-in-oil and oil-in-water formulas. These moisturizers are also known as night and day creams, respectively. Day creams are light and easily absorbed. Night creams are heavier and more oily than their counterpart allowing it to stay on the skin surface for a longer period of time.
Developing a good moisturizer is a matter of employing the proper balance of the above mentioned ingredients. A recommended option to applying a seemingly infinite number of skin care cosmeceuticals is an anti aging cream called LifeCell. This all-in-one treatment is not only a moisturizer but an age-spot reducer, corrective eye treatment, lip-plumper, and make-up base. Now that you have the knowledge, dare to read the active ingredients label before purchasing your next moisturizer.
Discover LifeCell, the needle-free skin care treatment that prevents cell damage linked to fine lines and wrinkles. Which anti-wrinkle cream blew away the competition...hands down? Read our anti aging wrinkle cream reviews. Discover the truth about collagen creams and why they are more hype than reality.
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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 7:36 AM
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