As women, we are always on the lookout for the best face moisturizer or a product that will give us the glow of our dreams. It feels like a never-ending journey.
But did you know that a lot of face creams are made with very similar ingredients and that choosing one shouldn’t be based on the individual claims of what a moisturizer can do? Instead, you should be looking at some of the key facts about face moisturizer and how you use the products.
Doing this will ensure that you always get the best results and that your skin will be incredibly well cared for.
1. Moisturize Morning Or Night?
We are often taught that you should use different creams in the morning than you would at night. This often sees us with an array of pots and tubes strewn across the dresser and a rather confused-looking face staring back at you in the mirror.
In truth, you could use the same moisturizer at any time of day, but there are benefits to using a specific day and night cream. One of the main differences between day and night moisturizers is that those designed for use in the day will contain an SPF. Moreover, day creams are often a lot lighter, making them ideal to use underneath your makeup.
Night creams, on the other hand, tend to be much more concentrated and thicker as your skin will have time through the night to absorb the goodness.
Some people are reluctant to use a moisturizer if they are using makeup as they claim that it makes the skin oily. In fact, even if you have oily skin, it is important to moisturize. According to Clinique, just because oily skin has excess sebum, areas around this could still be relatively dry. The best thing to do is to find a moisturizer that is suited to your skin type.
So, with all of that in mind, you could be forgiven for thinking that you could skip a step and not bother with moisturizer at one end of the day. Is there any truth in this?
We would recommend keeping a good skincare routine and taking the time to moisturize your face after your morning shower and before bedding down for the night. This will help to make sure that your face is consistently moisturized and glowing.
2. Best Moisturizer Ingredients
When you see ads for lotions and potions for your skincare routine, you are often told about the natural ingredients or the ‘pretty things.’ This might include rose oil, lavender extract, or tea tree, to name a few. But the more scientific-sounding ingredients are rarely talked about.
When you look at the label on your face moisturizer, you will likely notice a variety of ingredients that you have never heard of. This can make it difficult to know which are good for your skin and which should be avoided.
But we have got you covered with our list of the best moisturizer ingredients that your face simply cannot live without.
Idebenone
Believe it or not, idebenone is actually a man-made chemical that was initially designed for the treatment of things like liver disease and Alzheimer’s disease. So, why on earth is it in your face cream?
This is where it gets interesting; idebenone is seen as something of a wonder ingredient and beauty experts have raved about its effectiveness.
In short, this is an antioxidant ingredient that is known to help your skin fight off pollution and those nasty free radicals that can be so damaging to your skin cells. As a result of this, your skin will resist premature damage and therefore stay younger-looking for longer.
- It strengthens skins' energy so that makes your skin elastic and noursihes the skin through 100ppm of Idebenone
- It moisturizes and increases elaciticity by containing EGF, Peptide, and Avocado Oil
Last update on 2023-05-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Aleurites Moluccana Seed Oil
It might sound like a bit of a tongue-twister but this oil, that is extracted from the Kukui nut tree is something of a miracle skincare ingredient. It is widely used in products; everything from bath soaks to face creams and hair care products to shaving balms.
The main reason that this is so well-loved in the skincare industry is because of its intense skin-conditioning properties.
Hyaluronic Acid
Anyone who is anyone in the beauty world has talked about hyaluronic acid in recent years since this amazing ingredient has come to the forefront of skincare. But did you know that while this ingredient is used in many face moisturizers, it is actually produced by your skin as well?
Naturally, hyaluronic acid is used as a way of keeping your skin and other tissues moist and lubricated. When it is used in a face serum or cream, the benefits are several. Primarily, it is known to keep the skin more supple. When the skin is hydrated, this can mean that fine lines and wrinkles appear reduced; something that we are all aiming to achieve.
For this reason, you will often find this ingredient in anti-aging formulas. But hyaluronic acid also has other properties including the ability to promote faster healing of the skin.
Microalgae Oil
Microalgae oil is a formula that is made up of a variety of marine algae; this includes fish oil which is an incredible source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
When this is used in a skincare product, it can brighten the skin almost instantly thanks to its ability to boost circulation.
Not only this but it can also hydrate the skin which improves its appearance, causing you to look younger. But what is most notable about this is that it is an entirely natural product meaning that it is highly unlikely to do any damage to your skin.
3. Ingredients To Avoid In Face Moisturizer
There are some things that you do want to put on your skin. The idea of a skincare routine is to make sure that you are protecting and taking care of this important organ; yes, the skin is an organ. Putting chemicals and other nasties onto the skin can certainly do more harm than good.
Did you know that 60% of whatever you put onto your skin will be absorbed? This means it will get into your body and can wreak havoc on your health. Some ingredients have been known to cause problems such as eczema, hormonal problems, issues with the reproductive system, and even cancer.
One of the most concerning things is that the FDA does not regulate what goes into skincare products. This means that manufacturers are free to use whatever they please.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the worst face cream ingredients that you should be avoiding at all costs.
Phthalates
When you look at the ingredients list on the back of your face moisturizer pot, you might not see this as one of the listed ingredients. But that is because cosmetic companies often cleverly disguise it as being a ‘fragrance.’
Phthalates are chemicals that are typically used to make plastic more flexible and certainly do not belong in skincare.
Parabens
Parabens are a group of chemicals and have been talked about more freely in modern cosmetics with many beauty bloggers and reviewers opening up about the dangers of using these in skincare products.
On the ingredients list, you might see these chemicals appearing as methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl. So if you see any of these names, it is best to give the product a wide berth.
The reason that parabens are so bad is that these are there to act as a preservative and serve no purpose to your skin. However, they have been linked to hormonal problems.
Aluminum
We all know what aluminum is; we are sure you have wrapped food in it and probably have some sort of device made from it. But what is it doing in your face cream? Not anything good, that’s for sure.
But while lightweight metals are found in a variety of skincare products, they are known to interfere with the endocrine system. They do this by mimicking estrogen which can throw our bodies off balance. It’s best to avoid this ingredient entirely.
4. Vegan Face Moisturizer
In modern times, more and more people are following a vegan lifestyle and this is excellent news because research shows that a vegan diet can improve your health. For example, there is a suggestion that those following a vegan diet are less likely to die from heart disease.
Anyone who is vegan will want their lifestyle to extend far beyond their diet and this includes finding cosmetic products that are conducive to this.
Products that contain animal ingredients may be harsh on the skin but vegan face moisturizers can be far more soothing. However, you should be mindful when purchasing vegan cosmetics as there may be some hidden ingredients that are not so vegan after all.
Most commonly, these are things like guanine which is extracted from fish scales, lanolin which comes from sheep wool, and carmine which is taken from the cochineal bug.
There are some incredible vegan skincare products out there but one of our favorites is this face moisturizer from Algenist Genius:
- Vegan Collagen Cream - An advanced moisturizer that visibly strengthens the most fragile skin texture and softens facial contours, minimizing the appearance of fine lines to unveil skin's youthful radiance.
- Patented Anti-Aging Breakthrough Ingredient - Exclusive, naturally-sourced Alguronic Acid from algae is included to visibly minimize the appearance of wrinkles and boost benefits of other active ingredients.
- Nourishing Microalgae Oil - Hydrates, nourishes, and visibly restores skin's radiance, nurturing skin for a softer look.
Last update on 2023-05-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The cream is designed to hydrate the skin and promote collagen production, keeping your skin looking younger and feeling healthier. It contains Aluguronic acid which can drastically reduce the appearance of fine lines and give you a renewed youthful radiance.
But what we love most about this face moisturizer is how fast-acting it is. As many as 95% of people who tried the cream claimed that they saw visible results in as little as 10 days!
5. DIY Face Moisturizer
If you follow beauty vloggers on YouTube or read any beauty blog, you will likely have stumbled across the idea of making a DIY face moisturizer. Of course, this is a perfectly viable thing to do and a lot of people enjoy experimenting, but it does take a lot of time and effort.
In order to achieve an at-home face moisturizer, you will need a lot of ingredients. There are hundreds of recipes but many of them include things that you might already have around the home such as olive oil, beeswax, almond oil, and aloe vera gel. However, some will also require you to invest in other ingredients such as shea butter and a range of essential oils for scent.
There is no denying that you can make a wealth of exciting, natural skincare products yourself but the process can be time-consuming and messy. Furthermore, by the time you have sourced all of your ingredients, you may have spent more money than you would investing in a high-end face cream.
Last update on 2023-05-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API