Hands are also exposed to more frequent hand washing, which can cause dryness and roughness. Thicker formulas, like creams or butters, can help counteract this by giving the skin more hydration. The exception is the lips, where butters are a great option. Their viscosity lends itself to that area. For dry skin, thicker formulas tend to be best.
Depending on the level of dry skin you have, different products may do the trick. If you have medium dry skin, you can use a cream. Plus, it smells like golden pie crust and toasted coconut flakes.
Look for products like the OKAY African Shea Butter , which is formulated with percent raw African shea butter, or the Tree Hut Shea Body Butter , which contains organic shea butter, cocoa butter, sweet almond extract, and safflower seed oil. Body butter contains more oil, while lotion has the most water content.
Whatever your skin type, Jaliman says that light exfoliation is key to help the moisturizer penetrate the skin. According to the National Eczema Association NEA , ointments are the preferred moisturizer for eczema, because they have the highest oil content.
Creams come in second, while lotions are third. Gmyrek agrees. Furthermore, research has shown that most moisturizers show beneficial effects in reducing flares and severity of eczema.
Moisturizers are believed to improve the effectiveness of treatment of psoriasis. Active ingredients, like vitamin E, help decrease severity. However, more studies are needed to confirm this. Parabens have recently been the subject of much debate because of their possible link to breast cancer.
Parabens, the most widely used preservatives in the cosmetic industry, can be found in lotions, body washes, sunscreens and other skin care products [source: U.
Food and Drug Administration ]. However, neither the National Cancer Institute nor the U. Food and Drug Administration has found evidence that parabens in skin care products cause cancer [source: National Cancer Institute ]. Many people with oily skin avoid using moisturizers because they think it'll just make their skin oilier. However, the oil on your skin seals in moisture -- it doesn't replace the moisture you lose, especially as you age [source: Bouchez ].
In addition, many people with oily skin also have acne -- which occurs when oil and dead skin cells clog pores -- and acne treatments can often dry out skin [source: WebMD ]. If you want to maintain a clear complexion and keep your skin moisturized, use an oil-free, noncomedogenic moisturizer [source: WebMD ].
Noncomedogenic moisturizers won't clog your pores and are less likely to cause acne breakouts than regular moisturizers. Their name comes from the word "comedones. When comedones become inflamed, they can turn pink or red and fill with pus -- these are the pimples normally associated with acne. Noncomedogenic moisturizers may also be called nonacnegenic moisturizers, especially if they're specifically designed to treat acne [source: SkinCareGuide.
Noncomedogenic moisturizers have a lighter feel than regular moisturizers, and many are oil-free, so they won't leave additional oil on your skin. Most labels will advertise if a moisturizer is noncomedogenic or oil-free. If you have acne, doctors recommend using all noncomedogenic products, including moisturizers, cleansers, shampoo, makeup and sunscreen. Moisturizers help keep skin smooth and healthy, but they also provide protection from harmful irritants in the environment.
Read on to learn how moisturizers protect your skin. Whiteheads are hair follicles that have become clogged with oil and dead skin cells -- they're covered by a thin layer of skin, which gives them their white appearance.
Blackheads, on the other hand, are impacted pores in which material pushes out through the follicles -- the bacteria's reaction to oxygen causes the black color [source: WebMD ]. In a way, all moisturizers work to protect your skin: They add moisture to the stratum corneum, and they form a thin barrier designed to retain that moisture.
Still, there are some moisturizers that are more effective at creating that protective barrier. As the outermost layer of your skin, the stratum corneum protects your skin from irritants such as chemicals, free radicals and the sun's ultraviolet rays.
This part of your skin works hard to protect you, and using a protective moisturizer can help keep your stratum corneum healthy [source: Elias ]. Protective moisturizers often contain occlusive emollients, antioxidants and sunscreens. Occlusive emollients are ingredients that add a layer of oil to the top of the stratum corneum to prevent water loss and protect skin [source: New Zealand Dermatological Society ]. Antioxidants fight free radicals, the unstable molecules that occur from sun exposure and pollution that can destroy skin's collagen [source: Bouchez ].
Protective moisturizers typically contain sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15 to protect skin from the sun's UV rays [source: Clark ]. These rays can cause sunburn, wrinkles and skin cancer. Keep reading to learn about specialized moisturizers you can use to treat wrinkles, stretch marks and other skin problems. If you have severe skin damage because of a condition like eczema, you may soon be able to repair the stratum corneum by using an emollient called ceramide.
Although more testing needs to be done, studies show that treating skin with a barrier-repair emollient containing ceramide can actually repair the skin [source: EczemaNet ]. Whether you want to fight wrinkles, fade stretch marks or fake a sun-kissed glow, there's a moisturizer for you. Although lotion might seem like a relatively-new invention, people have had skin — and problems with that skin — for as long as people have lived on Earth.
It's only natural that even prehistoric peoples would've looked for solutions to dry skin. Scientists believe that Mesolithic civilizations from 10, B. Archeologists have also uncovered evidence that the ancient Egyptians made homemade lotions from ingredients such as animal fat, olive oil, and spices. Around the 15 th century, people began to make lotions that smelled good by including ingredients like beeswax, rose water, and frankincense.
It wasn't until the late 19 th century that lotions began to be manufactured commercially with products such as mineral oil, petroleum jelly, and lanolin. Today, moisturizing lotions come in a dizzying number of varieties touting all sorts of special ingredients with amazing benefits. Unfortunately, there's very little science to back up most of these claims or tell you which lotion to use.
On the bright side, however, scientists will tell you that most moisturizers do work. In fact, they basically all work in the same way by adding a bit of water to the skin along with coating substances to hold it in.
Some of those coating substances are known as occlusives, because they help hold water in by blocking it from evaporating. Popular occlusives include petrolatum, cetyl alcohol, lanolin , dimethicone, cyclomethicone, lecithin, mineral oil, stearic acid, and paraffin. Other moisturizers may contain substances called humectants, which work by attracting water. Common humectants include glycerin, panthenol, vitamin B, sorbitol, and honey. When the air is especially dry, however, humectants can make skin even drier by pulling water out of the lower levels of the skin rather than the air.
To combat this effect, moisturizers with humectants almost always contain occlusives to hold moisture in the skin. Moisturizing lotions might also contain a variety of chemicals known as emollients. Emollients tend to sink deeper into the skin and make it feel smooth. Some ingredients work as both emollients and either occlusive or humectants. So which moisturizing lotion should you use? Experts recommend trying a variety of products and simply sticking with one that you like.
How well a particular lotion works with your skin and whether you like its smell and feel are subjective judgments that vary from one person to another. When you find a lotion that you like that works for you, stick with it! Are you ready for some hands-on experimentation with lotion? Ask a friend or family member to help you explore the following activities:. Great advice, Bryan! Have you checked out our other Wonders about science?
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