Looking for a new facial moisturizer?
Well, walk into any department or drug store and prepare to be dazzled because the days when Noxema, Coty and Estee Lauder ruled the roost are long gone. These days, you will find a dizzying array of facial moisturizers to choose from, each claiming to contain the latest miracle ingredient, the newest antioxidant, the best way to stave off aging forever… with prices to match.
So what’s a girl to do?
Learn as much as you can BEFORE you go to select your next facial moisturizer.
What follows are a few secrets we’re willing to share with you to get you started…
1. No one single ingredient is going to fix everything that ails your skin all by itself. Your skin is as complex as you are so just slapping on the latest antioxidant that you read about in a magazine is not going to move the needle. Even if you are maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly and drinking enough water (and don’t even think about smoking and drinking), as you age you simply have less blood flow delivering nutrients to your skin. That means that you need more than one product to get the job done. Your new facial moisturizer must be a part of a system of products that work together. Find one that works for you and stick with it which brings us to …
2. Give it time to work. The magic “10 days” to see results is marketing baloney. Six months minimum of dedicated use with small tweaks is what’s required to see a change, especially in maturing skin. Find a facial moisturizer you like … and stick with it!
3. Know your needs, especially if you are hitting some birthday milestones. Listen, we all loved Bonne Bell astringents, lip balms and moisturizers but those days, my friend, have passed into history.
4. Make sure what you’re buying is fresh! For serums and facial moisturizers, six months is a good shelf life estimate. And check that little logo on the jar that shows you how long the product is good after you open it. Once oxygen gets to it, it starts to die … just like your skin.
5. Always apply your facial moisturizer right after your shower or bath while your skin is more permeable. Put on your serum first if you’re using one, then layer your facial moisturizer on top. Exfoliators also increase permeability so take advantage of your weekly slough to make the most of your products.
6. Find a facial moisturizer that will help your skin keep water in and keep pollutants out. Silicones do this well and even give moisturizers a silky feel but, unfortunately, they slow the absorption of any available nutrients in your product. Steer away from silicones and find a facial moisturizer that contains hyaluronic acid, natural active peptides, essential fatty acids, niacinamide and other vitamins. Feed your skin and it will thrive!
7. Stay away from facial moisturizers that contain harsh chemicals such as parabens, fragrances, mineral oil, dioxane, triclosan and toluene. In the long run, these fillers and preservatives will do more harm than good … parabens even monkey with the hormonal system and are implicated in the formation of cancer cells.
8. Play find the chemical when you read labels and don’t let the words “organic” and “natural” turn your head. Remember, poison oak and red hot lava are “organic” and “natural” and we wouldn’t want those showing up in our facial moisturizer, would we?
9. The best facial moisturizer on the planet is water. Yes, the kind you drink, but also the kind that you EAT and that means eating as many fruits and vegetables as your mom always wanted you to. You can buy the most expensive facial moisturizer there is and it will be ineffective if you don’t stay hydrated. Best bets: watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, zucchini … even chicken and fish. Boring but true.
10. And finally, remember that no facial moisturizer will work unless it is applied to the skin, so don’t just buy a new facial moisturizer, USE IT!
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