Choosing the right moisturizer for your skin type can be quite daunting, especially when we change from one season to the next. It's a general rule to use a heavier moisturizer in the winter and/or at nights and a lighter moisturizer in the warmer months and/or daytime. That being said, the grey area here is choosing the right consistency that has the right level of moisturizer to keep your skin happy and balanced. Here I have given you 5 ways to tell whether your moisturizer is right for your skin type.
Does your skin still pull or feel slightly tight 5 minutes after application?
This could be indicating that your moisturizer is not rich enough or contains enough emollients such as oils and butters to nourish your skin. A lot of people who has combination skin or even oily skin tend to choose moisturizers that are oil free but their skin may still be lacking some of the nourishment that oils and butters such as apricot kernel oil and shea butter provides. Sometimes people with these skin types needs two moisturizers from the same skincare brand that they can either apply in different areas of their face or mix together to customize the right level of moister their skin needs.
Do you get breakouts?
This will indicate that your moisturizer is too rich for your skin type. During winter, a richer moisturizer is needed because of the inherent dryness of the skin. Come spring and summer, the oils in our skin are much looser and is able to provide a natural moisture to the skin so a lighter moisturizer is enough to satisfy the skin. When we still use the same moisturizer year round, you may find in the summer months that you break out more often because the excess oils from the moisturizer coupled with the one we produce naturally is too much to be absorbed by the skin so it begins to clog the pores resulting in more breakouts. Switch to a lighter formula or use less product applied to damp skin to water down the moisturizer.
Do you still feel excess products on your skin 5 minutes after application?
This could indicate you are either applying too much product or that your moisturizer is too rich for your skin. Someone with more dryer skin type may have this feeling when they apply a richer skin cream that may not clog their pores but will just sit on the skin. Even though your skin may be drier, it still can only absorb so much. Also, read the label on the products and check to see what kind of oil(s) is used. Some oils such as mineral oil and borage seed oil, is not readily absorbed by the skin because of their higher molecular weight so end up just sitting on the surface longer. Use less product or warm up the product in the palms of the hands before applying to the skin.
Do you experience redness after application?
If you are a true sensitive skin type, your skin is not able to tolerate certain ingredients found in a lot of skincare products. Fragrances, dyes, certain acids such as salicylic or glycolic acid, parabens and silicones may cause redness and sometimes even a stinging sensation when applied to the skin. Read labels carefully before purchasing and always, if possible, try a sample before buying the full bottle.
Do you experience more oiliness or dehydration?
A lot of people who have acne prone skin from overproduction of oils tend to either skip moisturizer or use ones that contains salicylic acid and alcohols which can dehydrate the skin. When oily skin is dehydrated (lacking water), the skin begins to produce more oils which then leads to more breakouts. Use salicylic acid products to spot treat breakouts and use a oil free to a medium weight moisturizer for all over use.
