Moisturizers - Lotions And Potions: Skin Health

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Moisturizers

A good moisturizer is one of the foundations of an effective skin care regimen for dry, older skin. Moisturizers can soothe dry skin and make wrinkles less noticeable, even though the effect is temporary. But with so many to choose from, how do you pick one?

Petroleum jelly is one of the best and most inexpensive products, especially when used right after bathing to seal in moisture. But most people dislike using it on their face because of its greasy look and feel. Likewise, thick, greasy-feeling emollients and ointments are best left for other parts of the body. Instead, creams and lotions usually are the facial moisturizers of choice for a couple of reasons. They contain water (ointments are all oil), so they don't feel as greasy. And many creams and lotions are humectants, an oil-free class of moisturizer that binds water to skin, so the smoothing, softening effects may last longer.

Most moisturizers contain water, glycerin, petrolatum, stearic acid, propylene glycol, and lanolin. Some contain botanical ingredients, such as jojoba oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, and linoleic acid, which help maintain the skin's outer layer of keratin and natural oils that keeps skin supple. Manufacturers use other ingredients, such as cetyl alcohol, palmitic acid, and dimethicone, to give moisturizers a creamy, velvety, or translucent look and feel, and to help shore up the "mortar" that keeps skin soft and smooth.

Many moisturizers also contain sunscreens and cosmeceuticals, which may help prevent or even correct fine wrinkles, uneven skin pigmentation, and other signs of aging and photoaging.

Last updated:	July 20, 2007