Anatomy Of An Anti Aging Moisturizer
Attempting to decipher the ingredients on the back of a skin moisturizer product can be a little overwhelming. Luckily for those of us lacking a degree in chemistry, all moisturizers are pretty much structured in the same manner. Moisturizers mimic the skin’s own moisturizing capabilities by utilizing ingredients that either block the loss of water or attract water from the dermis layer to the skin’s surface.
Moisturizer Ingredient Categories
Ingredients found in moisturizers can be divided into two categories: occlusive agents and humectant agents. Occlusive agents create an oily barrier on the surface of the skin in order to seal in the skin’s moisture. Paraffin, beeswax, cocoa, and petrolatum are common occlusive ingredients used in moisturizers. Occlusives can be very heavy and cause breakouts in acne-prone individuals. Some moisturizers replace the use of occlusive agents with silicones which produces the same oily feel but without the pore-clogging properties of oil.
The second type of ingredients, humectant agents, increase the skin’s water content by attracting moisture from the underlying skin tissue. Many humectant agents, such as lactates and urea, found in the best moisturizers occur naturally in the skin. These highly retentive agents can hold up to 1000 times their weight in water making them extremely effective at increasing water content to the surface layer of skin.
Other Moisturizer Components
Occlusive and humectant agents are not the only ingredients that make up a good moisturizer. Emollients fill in tiny creases between surface skin cells making the skin softer and smoother. Preservatives are essential to preventing the growth of bacteria and minimizing the risk of product contamination. Emulisifiers allow non-mixable solutions to blend rather than separate into layers like oil and water commonly would. Solvents dissolve ingredients making them absorbable. And finally, fragrances are added to mask foul odors and give the product a pleasing aromatic scent.
Choose The Right Formula
Moisturizers fall into two groups: water-in-oil and oil-in-water formulas. These moisturizers are commonly known as night and day creams, respectively. Day creams are light and easily absorbed. Night creams are heavier and more oily than their counterpart allowing it to stay on the skin surface for a longer period of time.
Developing a good moisturizer is a matter of using the proper balance of the above mentioned ingredients. A recommended alternative to applying a seemingly infinite number of skin care products is an anti aging cream called LifeCell by South Beach Skincare. This all-in-one treatment is not only a moisturizer but an age-spot reducer, corrective eye treatment, lip-plumper, and make-up base. You can see how LifeCell faired in our best anti aging wrinkle cream review. Better yet, click here to read a special report about the benefits of using LifeCell. Now that you have the knowledge, dare to read the active ingredients label before purchasing your next moisturizer.