Dry skin is a recurring ailment that plagues many people at some period during their life. Indeed, a good estimation is that, at any given time, 23 percent of people are laboring under the inconvenience of dry skin to a greater of lesser extent. If you currently belong to that twenty-five percent you will looking to find which moisturiser can help alleviate your dry skin the best.
Do not think that the various different moisturising brands generally have similar ingredients and similar properties. This is not the case. So, which is best for you?
Personal skin care products and their properties are different from product to product, and for good reason It is simply not possible to formulate a moisturising cream that all skin circumstances and types respond to equally. There is simply not a “one size fits all” solution in the world of skin care.
Society is not made up of unvarying individuals, though. What may be an ideally suited moisturising product for one person will almost inevitably not be the best one for another person.
Further, each one of us has our own unique health circumstances. Dry itchy skin is just one frequent skin condition.
Modes of employment will differ from person to person. One person may be working in a factory environment where the environmental air is laced with microscopic industrial by-products. This person will have totally different skin care requirements when compared to another person who finds themselves in the big outdoors for most of their working time.
Even the changing seasons that naturally ebb and flow as the year progresses from spring to summer and then from fall to winter will effect the efficacy of different moisturising products. Some products will perform better in warm, dry summer weather whilst other barrier creams work best when faced with the chill breezes of wintertime.
When selecting a moisturising barrier cream you you need to be aware that they are basically divided into three groupings. Namely, creams, lotions and the recently introduced mousse. So, what are the main differences that divide these groupings? Also, for each grouping, what are their principle benefits and drawbacks?
Creams are normally petroleum jelly based.
Petroleum jelly hails from the 19th century oil wells of the United States. Later, perhaps in an attempt to hide its origins, it was branded Vaseline. The origins literally spring from an unwanted by-product, rod wax, that congeals around the top of the pump rods in traditionally built oil wells. This rod wax takes the leading role of a barrier cream that was first patented by chemist Robert Chesebrough in 1872. The name Vaseline was adopted because, during his experimentation with rod wax, Robert Chesebrough stored the various formulations in common household vases. Hence, “vase – line” – “elaion” being the Greek word for oil.
It is this petroleum jelly that results in the vast majority of moisturising creams being heavy, sticky and slippery. Whilst bestowing upon your skin a substantial protective layer, creams are sometimes considered inconvenient when manual dexterity is of importance as they can cause your hands to become slippery. Thick creams may also clog up the skin pores. This makes them particularly unsuitable to use on the face if you have an acne condition. Sticky barrier creams can also, in addition, cause other problems. For instances when spread on the hands for tasks that involve donning gloves for a long period. In these circumstances, the glove material can rub the cream residue into uncomfortable clumps around your finger joints.
Thick and greasy moisturising barrier creams are often thought to be most suited for wintertime use when dry skin can be a major concern.
Lotions, on the whole, use a lesser amount of petroleum jelly or none at all. Thus, the less gummy and tacky consistency of lotions make them easier to rub over your skin. Apart from water, or aqua as it is often listed as, their chief constituents will invariably be an oil such as Olive oil or the oil of the Sunflower. Indeed, the origins of Olive oil as a extract used in the realms of skin care dates back more than 5,000 years. It was widely employed by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans for a variety of purposes.
Perhaps the chief downsides of using a lotion is that, after applying, a tacky residue often remains. The main oil ingredient also leaves some people with a “less than clean” feeling. In addition, people with a naturally oily complexion will be reluctant to add yet even more oil to their skin’s surface.
Thus, moisturising lotions are widely thought to be more appropriate for use during the warmer times of the year.
The recent introduction of mousse based products has recently revolutionised the skin care industry. Many people hold the opinion that mousse based products have superseded traditional creams and lotions. It is true that mousse based products are very light and easier to apply than their cream and lotion counterparts. Resulting directly from this, mousse based products usually spread more smoothly and consistently over the epidermis. For this reason, a smaller quantity is needed per application. This results in your epidermis being able to breathe naturally and perspire normally. People with dry skin, or skin that is sore or chapped may also find that a mousse is less painful to apply as it does not need vigorous rubbing in.
However, most mousses are aerosol based which has previously been associated with ozone destroying CFC chemicals – although this is no longer the case. Further, aerosols will most likely use Butane and this has a history of being associated with teenage substance abuse.
Mousse moisturising products have been found to be suitable for year long use.
Whichever moisturising product you eventually settle upon, never forget to apply it regularly. Your skin will love you for it.
