Choosing A Moisturiser

Winter and dry skin - for some people the two are synonymous - and, for many of those people, dry skin poses the biggest problem. But, what is the best moisturisers to choose when the cold threatens to blight your life? This is a question that few as many believe that all moisturisers are fundamentally the same.

This is belief is definitely false and the question is definitely worth asking.

Moisturisers differ a great deal from brand to brand, and for sound reasons. It would be practically economically non-viable to design and manufacture a moisturising product that proved suited to every circumstance for every skin type. There is no "one size fits all" solution when it comes to skin care.

Society is not a homogeneous unit, though. What may prove to be an ideally suited moisturising product for one person will almost inevitably not be the most suited for another person.

Thankfully, the human race is a conglomerate of unique individuals, each with their own set of unique circumstances.

Employment conditions and situations will vary from person to person. One person employed in an industrial factory with dusty, dry air will have greatly different skin moisturising requirements to another person who sees most of their working day surrounded by plants in the great outdoors.

The weather plays an important part in any skin care routine as well. A moisturiser that is appropriate for the Spring or Summer is unlikely to be the most effect moisturiser to use during the colder winter months.

When selecting to purchase a moisturising product you should understand that they are loosely segregated into 3 main groupings. Namely, creams, lotions and the newer innovation of the mousse based products. So, what are the main differentiating factors that divide these groupings? Further, for each grouping, what are their main benefits and drawbacks?

Creams are invariable dominated by their main ingredient, which is petroleum jelly.

The father, metaphorically speaking, of petroleum jelly, or Vaseline as it more commonly known, is the dregs of the oil industry. This derives from the unwanted waste product, rod wax, that gathers around the head of the pump rods in traditionally constructed oil wells, hindering their efficiency. This very same rod wax was the foundation of a barrier cream that was originally patented by chemist Robert Chesebrough in 1872. Indeed, at the time, Chesebrough claimed that his product was something of a wonder "cure all", suggesting that it should be ingested regularly to ward off and protect against all kinds of bodily ailments. The trade name that Chesebrough choose for his new formulation was Vaseline. A somewhat perfunctory name since the copious amounts of rod wax that Robert Chesebrough stored were held in everyday household vases. Hence "vase - line" - "elaion" is the etymological Greek root for "oil".

It is this petroleum jelly that is responsible for the majority of moisturising creams being heavy and greasy. Whilst offering a substantial coating for your skin, creams may not be the best choice, particularly on the hands where they can leave a slippery residue. Heavy moisturising creams also have the tendency to clog the pores or your skin. These characteristics also make the use of heavy moisturising creams inadvisable on any area of skin that displays symptoms of acne. Sticky cream products can also cause other problems. For instances when used on the hands for tasks that involve wearing gloves for an extended time. In these circumstances, the glove material can rub the cream residue into clumps around your finger joints.

Thick and greasy moisturising creams are often thought to be more suited to winter use when dry skin can be a major concern.

In contrast, lotions use very little petroleum jelly, or none at all, in their formulation. This gives them a consistency that is lighter and easier to smooth over your skin. The next ingredient, in terms of percentage content, will usually be a natural oil product. Sunflower or Olive oil are popular choices. Indeed, the origins of Olive oil as a substance used in the realms of skin care dates back more than five thousand years. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all used Olive oil in various ways to improve and enhance their skin.

Perhaps the main drawback of using a lotion is that, after applying, a feeling of stickiness often endures. The high oil content can be slow to dry and this leaves many people with an unpleasant slimy feeling. In addition, many people already have naturally oily skin and these people generally will not want to use a product that increases the oiliness of their epidermis.

Hence, moisturising lotions are generally regarded as more suited to use in the warmer months of the year.

The recent introduction of mousse based products has recently revolutionised the skin care industry. Many believe that mousse products will eventually supercede traditional creams and lotions. It is true that mousse based products are very light and easier to apply than their cream and lotion counterparts. Consequently, a mousse based product smooths more evenly across the epidermis. For this reason, a smaller quantity is needed per application. This results in your epidermis being able to breathe naturally and perspire normally. People with dry skin, or skin that is sore or chapped may also find that a mousse is less painful to apply as it does not need vigorous rubbing in.

On the negative side, most mousses come as aerosols which has traditionally received a bad press as they were linked to ozone destroying CFC chemicals - this, however, ceased to be a problem with technological advances that were implemented some ten years ago - although this ceased to be the case with widespread legislation that was enacted 10 years or more ago. Further, aerosols usually employ Butane as a delivery agent and this has been connected to the issue of teenage substance abuse.

Mousse barrier and moisturising brands are widely used by people as a year round solution to their dry skin problems.

Whichever moisturising product you eventually settle upon, never forget to apply it regularly. Your skin is yours for life, look after it and it will serve you well..