Your face is front and center. It’s the first thing people notice. And you want to show it off in its best light.
With the right skincare, you can!
But what’s “the right skincare”? If you’ve ever spent way too much time at the skincare counter (I have!), you know how confusing finding the best one can be. Especially when it comes to moisturizers, which is the final layer that should bring balance and brightness to your face.
There are so many options out there, it can make your head spin. Thick creams, wrinkle remedies, creams with sunscreen, night cream, day cream, light lotions, and the list goes on.
The best place to start is with the type of skin you have. Determine this first, then match your moisturizer to whatever you need it to do. You likely fall into one of these categories: oily, dry, a combination of the two, sensitive or mature. (Your skin can be sensitive in addition to one of the other types.)
Keep in mind, it also depends on what season it is and on the climate you live in. Skin changes a bit when we go from a hot summer of being exposed to sun, to the winter months spent mainly inside heated spaces. You might have to switch your moisturizer to match the season. Dry skin can get drier, and oily skin can get oilier, depending on the conditions around us.
So how do you know what you need and when? Here’s a handy guide to help you out.
Oily Skin
If you tend to have a shine, prominent pores, or are prone to breakouts, your skin is the oily type. Your skin is overproducing natural oils called sebum, which can be caused by genetics, environmental factors, and lifestyle.
Using the wrong skincare can add to the problem. Overwashing or exfoliating can cause your glands to produce even more oil to make up for you trying to strip it away. Not using moisturizer can be just as bad since when your skin dries out it will produce oil to compensate.
Best Bet: Use a lightweight moisturizer with oils that aren’t too thick. Jojoba oil is great for oily skin because it’s most similar to our natural oils, so your skin will stop trying to make a lot of its own.
Try our Ultra Light Day Cream or Fragrance Free Ultra Light Day Cream – with jojoba oil - to keep oiliness at bay.
Dry Skin
Harsh soap, the sun, desert-dry air, hot water, cold weather, genetics…they can all add up to dry skin. People of any age can have dry skin, though it’s more likely as we get older. You may have flakes or rough patches, or even irritation and itchiness. However you slice it, it’s a challenge to keep the moisture in.
Using products with alcohol, rubbing your face with a towel, and overwashing can contribute to the problem. And with too much damage, dry skin can also be prone to blemishes.
Best Bet: You’ll want to use a thicker face cream that includes nutrient-rich oils, and also contains ingredients to protect skin from losing moisture.
Try our Energizing Moisture Cream, with avocado oil and shea butter for hydration, and aloe vera to keep moisture in.
Combination or Normal Skin
If you notice you’ve got a little bit of both types – oily skin in your T-zone (your nose, chin and forehead) and dryness in your cheeks – it might be harder to find one moisturizer that addresses both.
In this case, you can try using one moisturizer all over your face and see how your skin reacts, or you can use a lighter lotion in your T-zone and a heavier cream for the dry spots.
Best Bet: Our Energizing Moisture Cream is great for dry to normal or combination skin, and our Ultra Light Day Cream works well for oily to combination skin. One of these might work well on it’s own.
Sensitive Skin
Skin that’s prone to issues such as redness, rashes, irritation, itchiness, eczema or sunburn is in the sensitive category. To keep skin calm, you want to avoid ingredients that can aggravate any of these conditions. This includes fragrance, alcohol, chemical sunscreens, and sulfates. Always check the label, and keep in mind that “unscented” products could have irritating chemicals that cover up a scent.
Best Bet: Use a fragrance-free moisturizer with ingredients you can pronounce. Still, pay attention to your skin’s reaction and adjust if needed.
At Nurture My Body, sensitive skin is our specialty! Our products are made with all natural, toxin-free, and organic ingredients with sensitivities in mind. This includes allergies to gluten, dairy and nuts, which you can shop for by category. Stick with the fragrance-free versions of any of our moisturizers.
Mature Skin
With aging comes lines and wrinkles. And oftentimes, dryness. Loss of collagen-making capacity in our skin is mostly to blame for this, and we will all unfortunately experience it. A moisturizer with nourishing oils and antioxidants is what you need to combat these signs of aging.
Mature skin can also be oily and prone to breakouts, so you’ll want to consider a lighter lotion if you have this less-common type.
Ingredients like green tea, vitamin C, rosehips, sea buckthorn, sage and wheat germ are all excellent for fighting wrinkles.
Best Bet: Look for the above ingredients in a cream or lotion for a youthful glow.
Our Vita C Cream and our Regenerating Cream are excellent choices for mature skin. (Both come in fragrance-free versions too!)
Moisturizing is one of the most important steps in your skincare routine, if not the most important. Getting it right is essential to putting your best face forward. Always remember to look for the purest products with the least potentially harmful ingredients to avoid negative reactions. The perfect one is out there, and we’re happy to help you find it.