For this week on product talk, I am going to discuss moisturizers.
First thing to know…everyone should wear one. Moisturizers offer different things but the one thing they all do, is protect the skin. The name itself is a little misleading in my opinion. Most people think that if you are feeling really dry, then just add moisturizer to fix it. This isn’t necessarily the case. You need actual hydration, like water, to hydrate the skin. Moisturizers lock in hydration. So if you are applying serums on damp skin and then immediately applying your moisturizer, you will be locking in that hydration and protecting your skin.
Now those that have oily skin or even those with acne tend to shy away from moisturizers. Please don’t. When you have oily skin, you need hydration. Your skin produces oil because it feels dehydrated and since it cannot produce water, you get oil. If you do the steps I said before…apply serums on damp skin and then immediately apply your moisturizer, then your skin will have hydration and therefore will begin to balance itself out. This is not going to be a quick fix. It’s something you have to do everyday. It’s also why I love grapeseed oil so much. It deeply hydrates your skin at night and in time, helps to balance the oil your skin is producing.
So now you know that everyone should wear a moisturizer but now I’m going to help you find one that works for you. I of course have my recommendations I am going to talk about but here are some tips.
- Figure out your issue. Do you have dry skin? Oily skin? There are different moisturizers for different skin types and someone with dry skin will not like a moisturizer for oily skin.
- Avoid moisturizers that contain mineral oil or petrolatum (another word for petroleum jelly). Definitely pore clogging ingredients. I’ll also throw in coconut oil since that is still a thing I hear about all the time. And yes, I know that some people use it and don’t have a problem…at least one they know about. It can irritate the skin and cause issues down the road. An important thing to know is that coconut oil doesn’t even penetrate the skin, it just lays on top. So if you are looking for hydration, this one won’t do it for you.
- Once you pick one out, then here is a test you can do to see if it is appropriate for your skin. Apply it and wait 5 minutes. If you can still feel it, it’s too heavy for your skin.
- For those that love a moisturizer that does a lot of things like a BB Cream, remember that skin care and makeup should always be separate. Anything that can correct the skin needs to penetrate. A BB Cream is only going to sit on the surface because it’s also a moisturizer. It’s not possible for it to do both, penetrate and sit on the surface.
- Tinted Moisturizers- I think the idea of these are great but here is my suggestion. Find a moisturizer you love that is appropriate for your skin and also a foundation that also meets your needs. Then make your own tinted moisturizer. You get what you want and need from each product without compromising. And as an extra tips, apply your regular moisturizer first (and then hopefully your spf) and then your tinted moisturizer. Skin care first, makeup second. Also, if you have dryness or crevices in your skin, as most people do, the tinted moisturizer will lay more evenly on your skin if you apply the regular moisturizer first. And just as a side note: don’t bother with spf in your foundation. You have to wear 7x the amount you would (hopefully) normally wear to get that number on the bottle. If you always remember skin care first and makeup second, it will help you make a lot of decisions.
- Moisturizers with SPF- This is fine. I prefer it separated but it’s not the end of the world.
- Sometimes you need to change up your moisturizers for seasons. Those with dry skin don’t seem to need to as much (I know I don’t) but if you have oily skin, sometimes you feel like you need something lighter in the summer.
- Moisturizers are important and should not be skipped. They do offer benefits for the skin but are not the skin changers that people expect. That’s why we have serums.
Now I will discuss the moisturizers I use and retail.
SS Light Aloe Moisturizer– I love this moisturizer for my teens, acne and oily skin clients. It’s very lightweight. Aloe is great for helping to heal the skin.
Benefits: Improves surface hydration
Encourages proper moisture levels
Normalizes water / oil balance
Soothing and Calming
Improves Skin Function
SS Ageless Skin Moisturizer– This one is a step up from the Light Aloe. It gives the skin a little bit more so usually when the skin improves, my clients will move from the Light Aloe to this one. It’s also just a good basic moisturizer. And it’s only about $15 so you can’t lose.
Benefits: Ageless Skin Moisturizer Benefits:
Improves Surface Hydration
Encourages Proper Moisture Levels
Soothing and Calming
Improves Skin Function
SS Hydrating Moisturizer– This one is for dry skin. It has aloe, shea butter and rose hip which all helps to heal, strengthen and soothe dry, inflamed skin. I used this one for years before I became obsessed with another. At only about $23, this one is great for dry skin and isn’t expensive.
Benefits: Binds moisture to the skin to reduce wrinkle depth
Boosts collagen to improve appearance of wrinkles
Soothes and heals chapped and irritated skin
SS Cacteen Balancing Moisturizer– I like this one for my sensitive skin clients. Gives the skin what it needs without anything in it to possibly irritate it.
Benefits: Provides anti-inflammatory-like benefits Normalizes water/oil balance Soothes and calms
SS Peptide Restoration Moisturizer– This is a good anti-aging one. It has antioxidants and peptides to help with the growth of epidermal cells. Feels great on the skin. I like this one but I do have 2 others that are my favorites to recommend for anti-aging.
Benefits: Skin repair and wound healing
Reduces wrinkles
Reduces inflammation
Antioxidant/anti-aging
LM Essence Moisturizer– Lightweight and hydrating moisturizer. It’s an anti-aging one but more lightweight than most. Our skin gets drier as we age so this is the beginners anti-aging moisturizer.
LM 24 Hr. Age Defying Cream– I can’t say enough about this moisturizer. It’s what I use now and I am in love with it. I love the way it feels and I love the way it makes my skin glow. Definitely for normal to dry skin. Really great to use on the neck and chest! This one is a little pricey and honestly, if I didn’t love it so much, I wouldn’t retail it. I always am aware of what things cost but this is a special product. This is worth it, in my opinion.
LM Bio Cell Rejuvenating Cream– Another fantastic moisturizer from Le Mieux. While this one actually costs less than the Age-Defying Cream, it is the one to use for anti-aging so I recommend this to clients usually 50 years and up. It’s creamy and silky and makes your skin look and feel amazing. It’s got lots of amino acids and peptides to help you age gracefully. It even has hyaluronic acid in it!
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