Moisturizers help keep skin healthy by plumping up skin cells, sealing moisture inside the cells, and coating the gaps between skin cells, all of which prevent water loss (Rona Berg, Beauty: The New Basics, Workman Books, 2001). Water loss -- that is, having dry skin -- can cause skin to crack or flake, breaching the body's outer defenses against infection and illness.
In fact, according to Dr. Nina G. Jablonski, "The skin's effectiveness as a barrier against...ultraviolet radiation, ozone, air pollution, pathological microorganisms [viruses and bacteria], chemical oxidants, and topically applied drugs, depends primarily on the integrity of the stratum corneum [outermost layer of the skin]" (Skin: A Natural History, University of California Press, 2006).
Clearly, keeping one's skin moist is an essential part of maintaining healthy skin. That being said, does everyone really need to apply moisturizer? If so, what type of moisturizers are best for dry, combination, or oily skin? Can moisturizers help prevent wrinkles?
Not Everyone Needs A Separate Moisturizer
"Not everyone needs or should use a moisturizer, especially women with oily, combination, or acne-prone skin", declares Paula Begoun in her book The Complete Beauty Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Smart Beauty (Rodale Press, 2004). Begoun explains that applying moisturizer to oily or breakout-prone skin can cause blackheads, clogged pores, and dull skin (excessive moisturizer prevents skin cell turnover, leading to dullness).
However, everyone does benefit from using sunscreen, which is an essential ingredient for preventing skin damage and even skin cancer (Berg, 2001). Paula Begoun notes anyone can reap the benefits of wearing sunscreen, anti-irritant lotions, and so on, if one "reconsider[s] the type of products [one uses] that contain these kinds of ingredients", and chooses the most appropriate product for one's skin.
Mineral Oil In Moisturizers
Berg warns that "the vast majority of mass-market cosmetics manufacturers use petroleum and mineral oil in their moisturizers, because they are cheaper" than plant-derived ingredients such as shea butter. Petroleum-based ingredients are often indicated by "ethyl", "butyl", "methyl", "propyl", and many similar terms, Berg notes, allowing customers to determine whether a moisturizer contains mineral oil.
Because mineral oil may cause breakouts in people with oily skin, appropriate products may be more difficult to find, or more expensive (see below).
Best Moisturizers for Dry Skin
Creams are ideal for for dry skin because, as Rona Berg wryly puts it, they are "a little water mixed into a vat of oil" (Beauty: The New Basics, Workman Books, 2001). Using a thick moisturizer like a cream might be helpful if one's skin consistently feels dry, tight, or uncomfortably taut by midday or the end of the day.
However, Paula Begoun cautions that "it is critical to make sure the dryness of [one's] skin isn't caused by [one's] cleansing products", as overzealous cleansing of the skin can actually cause dryness that is best treated by switching facial cleansers, not by using moisturizer.
In her book Beauty: The New Basics (Workman Books, 2001), Rona Berg recommends specific creamy moisturizers for dry skin for a range of budgets, including Kiehl's Ultra Face Moisturizer, Nivea Cream, and Oil of Olay.
Best Moisturizers for Combination Skin
Lotions are more appropriate than creams for combination skin ("normal" skin) because they contain more water than oil, and excess oil may prompt combination skin to break out. Rona Berg recommends several moisturizers for normal skin, ranging in price from Aveda Tourmaline Charged Hydrating Cream to L'Oreal Plentitude Active Daily Moisture Lotion.
Best Moisturizers for Oily Skin
The best choice for oily skin are moisturizing gels. Gels "don't pack as much moisturizing power as creams, but because they are light and don't clog the pores, they're a sensible choice for oily skin", instructs Rona Berg (Beauty: The New Basics, Workman Books, 2001).
Berg suggests many appropriate products for oily skin, including Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer with SPF 15, and Shiseido Pureness Moisturizing Gel.
Always Use Sunscreen to Prevent Skin Damage
Why is sunscreen essential? Dr. Nina G. Jablonski flatly states that "Most of the chemical reactions that UVR [ultraviolet radiation] causes in the body are harmful...a sunburn is only the most immediately palpable and visible negative effect of UVR exposure...at the molecular level, UVR can damage DNA" (Skin: A Natural History, University of California Press, 2006). Damaged DNA impairs cells' ability to grow and divide, and as more and more such impaired cells build up in the skin, skin cancer can result.
Sunscreen helps block or absorb ultraviolet radiation before it reaches the skin and damages skin cells. It is important to choose a sunscreen that is protective against UVA as well as UVB, as both hurt the skin (UVB causes sunburn and skin cancer over time, while UVA causes skin cancer and premature aging of the skin).
Therefore, it makes sense to choose a moisturizer that includes sunscreen, or, if one does not have oily skin, wearing a sunscreen in addition to a moisturizer.
Does Moisturizer Help Prevent or Treat Wrinkles?
No moisturizer can prevent wrinkles; however, sunscreens (which may be included in moisturizers) certainly do prevent wrinkles and premature skin aging if they are used assiduously (Berg, 2001).
All moisturizers reduce the appearance of wrinkles by plumping up the skin, making the skin look smoother, but moisturizers do not treat wrinkles or make them smaller (Begoun, 2004).
Moisturizers Can Be Useful Tools for Maintaining Healthy Skin
Keeping the skin moist is an essential part of any skin care regime. Choosing a moisturizer should be determined by one's skin type. Moisturizers that contain sunscreen are ideal, because sunscreens are a necessary ingredient for long-term skin health.
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