How To Choose The Right Moisturizer For Your Skin Type

A good moisturizer is a daily must to keep your skin soft, supple, and hydrated. It attracts moisture to the surface of your skin, locking it in, so it’ll never become dry and flaky. It also helps create a barrier that protects it from the harsh elements and keeps it healthy.

But finding the one that works wonders for your skin is often a process of trial-and-error. Pick the wrong one and you may experience breakouts, flakiness, and greasiness! How to avoid that, and choose the right moisturizer for you? The trick is to identify your skin type and what it needs. Here’s how:

#1 – Dry skin
Dry skin is flaky, red,itchy, and feels tights. Sometimes, it can even start to peel. If you suffer from dry skin, you need a rich moisturizer with hyaluronic acid that can attract water from the environment into the skin, and oils and butters (such as olive oil, mineral oil, and shea butter) that can lock it in. CeraVe PM provides a lot of moisture without being slick or shiny. It’s also great for sensitive skin. Another favorite is Avene Skin Recovery, this cream is brilliant. It provides the right amount of moisture and soothes my irritated skin. It treats my fine lines but doesn’t flood my spotty skin with grease. Bye bye dryness!

#2 – Oily skin
Olive skin produces way too much oil. That’s what makes it so shiny, greasy, and prone to breakouts. If your skin is oily, pick a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer with glycerin and hyaluronic acid. They are humectants that help moisturize your skin without adding more oil to it. Make sure it contains salicylic acid too. It keeps oil production under control, so you won’t have to blot your face so much during the day!

#3 – Combination skin
Combination skin is characterized by an oily t-zone (forehead, nose, and chin) and dry cheeks. Your best bet is to use a moisturizer for dry skin on your cheeks and one for oily skin on your t-zone. I know it’s more time-consuming and expensive, but your skin will thank you for it, I promise! A great moisturizer for combination skin is Kiehls’  Ultra Facial Moisturizer.  It is light but hydrating and doesn’t feel like it just sits on your face all day.

#4 – Sensitive skin
Sensitive skin is often irritated. Sometimes, it seems like everything you put on it causes a negative reaction! Finding a moisturizing for this skin type can be quite tricky. The best products are free of preservatives, fragrance, and contain only a bunch of moisturizing oils and humectants. The more ingredients in there, the higher the chance one of them will cause havoc on your skin. So, make sure the ingredient list is short and sweet. A lifesaver for sensitive skin is La Roche-Posay Toleriane! It’s rich, fragrance-free, no preservatives, no parabens, no lanolin and best of all less than $25,-!

#5 – Normal skin
Normal skin is healthy skin. It’s free from dryness and shine, and not so prone to irritations. If that’s you, congratulations! Most moisturizers will work very well for you. Just pick one with a lightweight texture that keeps skin moisturized without leaving behind a greasy residue. Are you using the right moisturizer for your skin type?

By Giorgia Guazzarotti