Do I really need to use moisturiser?

Moisturiser has become part of nearly every womans daily beauty regime, whether its face of body, hand or feet.  There are wonderful ranges of moisturisers available will all sorts of smells and apparent benefits. The question is, do we really need to use and many and as much moisturiser as we do?

Our skin is exposed to the elements day in day out, along with air conditioning, central heating and various chemicals that are floating around. While our skin is designed to be able to cope with wind, rain & sun, modern living presents it with a whole new set of challenges that it isn't quite able for. It is a widely promoted fact that any face cream should have some level of SPF in it, preferably no lower than factor 15. The sun really does take it's toll on skin, and can burn, dry out and cause wrinkles on skin if over exposure occurs. A good moisturiser used on the face will help restore moisture levels and slow down the aging process a little by keeping the skin softand supple. Over moisturising the face, or using a skin care cream that is too heavy for your skin can result in spots or pimples, which isn't the desired effect, so if you have skin that is not particularly dry then go for a light moisturiser, even an oil free one so your skin has the benefit of some added moisture without getting overloaded and suffocated. The same applies to night creams, as these tend to be very intense and rich. Personally I don't think it is necessary to use night cream as this is the time your body regenerates, so I feel it is good to leave your skin clean and "naked" so it can rid itself of any impurities and toxins overnight.

Body moisturisers are a nice part of a beauty routine, as the action of applying it means you are giving yourself a mini massage at the same time, promoting circulation to the skin. Again, there are so many different types of lotions out there is can be difficult to find the right one. Once you have determined your skin type, i.e. dry, normal, sensitive, then you can go about finding the moisturiser you like. Some can be very heavy and feel a bit greasy on the skin, others are too light and often leave you feeling like they haven't really done much for your skin, finding the balance between the two extremes can take a bit of trial and error but will be worth it in the end. There are now also shower gels that have body lotion in them, for those that don't have the time to slap on some moisturiser before they rush out the door, however these tend not to leave the same soft feeling on the skin as a separate cream does. If you are short on time, a great way to minimise time spent moisturising, and also use less cream, is to rub it on while your skin is still wet - it glides on easily and quickly and seems to cover much more skin that it would on dry.

Maintaining the moisture balance in your skin is important, especially if you want nice soft, smooth skin. Moisturisers are a quick easy way to ensure your skin stays soft and supple, and can be a nice part of a daily routine.