Your Guide to the Best Moisturising Ingredients

Tags

aggressors, area, cells, ceramides, complexion, crows feet, dermatitis, dry, environmental, exfoliant, exfoliates, eye, face, Glycerin, humectant, hyaluronic acid, hydrate, hydrating, hydration, hyperpigmentation, irritants, Lactic Acid, lipids, moisture, moisturise, moisturised, moisturising, pigmentation, pollution, protect, Psoriasis, retain moisture, skin, skin’s barrier, skincare, soft, supple, urea, wrinkle

Photo by Jessica Felicio on Unsplash

Skincare is one of those things which can be entirely subjective – a product which one person swears by could be far less effective for someone else. This is usually down to the key ingredients in each product and how our skin reacts to those ingredients. With that in mind, we thought we’d take a look at some of the best ingredients for hydrating your skin, to help you to choose which might be best for your skins’ individual needs.

Hyaluronic Acid

Most people have heard of hyaluronic acid, but people continue to be surprised that it’s a moisturising ingredient (maybe because of the common perception of what an acid usually does?). When you apply a hyaluronic acid serum to your skin, it acts like a sponge by attracting moisture to boost hydration on the surface of skin. Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer is a 3-in-1 treatment which harnesses the power of hyaluronic acid to offer maximum hydrators to resurface, smooth and brighten the skin without causing irritation or redness.

Ceramides

Ceramides are lipids that help form the skin’s barrier and help skin retain moisture, while also helping the skin protect against environmental aggressors like irritants, and pollution. Dermalogica Overnight Repair Serum is packed with ceramides which mimic the natural fats found in our skin to help lock in moisture and stop skin from drying out.

Glycerin

Glycerin is actually a bit of a special ingredient as it actually traps moisture from the environment around you, allowing your skin to absorb it, giving you a softer, more supple complexion. It’s often used in hand creams or areas which need an extra boost, but is also found in Elemis Daily Defence Shield SPF30, which protects the skin from environmental micro particles and harmful UV rays, as well as leaving the skin feeling nourished, soft and supple.

Lactic Acid

Lactic acid is a ‘best of both worlds’ ingredient in that it act a both a mild exfoliant, as well as an humectant. This means that it gets rid of dead, dry skin cells at the same time as locking moisture in. It can be found in Dermalogica Biolumin-C Serum, which also exfoliates and reduces unbalanced pigmentation while nourishing the skin with moisture.

Urea

Urea might not sound like something you want to rub on your face, but it’s actually synthetic urea which features in skincare and it can be used to treat even the worst cases of dry skin, dermatitis and psoriasis. Urea works in part by loosening dry skin, and Dermalogica Age Reversal Eye Complex is made to target the eye area by reducing wrinkles, crows feet and puffiness which occur due to dehydration.

Post-Menopause Skincare

Tags

acne, collagen, depletion, dryness, elasticity, hormone, hormones, melanoma, menopausal, Menopause, oestrogen, post-menopause, protection, sensitivity, serum, SPF, thinning, wrinkle

When we think about the havoc that our hormones can wreak upon our skins, we usually associate that with puberty, periods and maybe pregnancy. However, for the older ladies among us, the menopause can also leave us with unwanted effects to our skin and the depleting hormones can cause no end of skin problems. We’re taking a look at some of the most common skin issues associated with the menopause and giving you suggestions of how to deal with them.

Reduction in Elasticity

As you age, your skins ability to produce collagen is reduced, which leads to a marked increase in the elasticity of your skin and skin which is more wrinkled and sagging. We recommend the Decleor Anti-Ageing Starter Kit, which contains everything you need to start to rejuvenate your skin, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and encourage natural collagen production.

Dryness

Ageing skin also loses the ability to retain water in the same way that younger skin does, which means that using a good moisturiser is vital, post-menopause. Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance is the perfect moisturiser for dry and prematurely ageing skin as it contains an ultra-rich blend of phytonutrients, vitamins and humectants that helps restore vital moisture.

Increased Risk of Melanoma

Although we aren’t yet sure why, research has uncovered a link between oestrogen depletion and an increased risk of melanoma, which means it’s even more vital to use protection against the sun. Decleor Ultra Protective Anti-Wrinkle Cream SPF50 Face is specifically formulated to protect ageing skin from the sun’s harmful rays and will provide both sanctuary and repair whilst actively reducing fine lines.

Acne

Believe it or not, just in the way that the sudden increase of hormones can cause acne, so can the sudden depletion and many menopausal women report cases of acne, which can obviously be distressing. Getting a good cleansing and moisturising regime in place is really important for keeping acne under control so using a system of products like the Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Kit would be a sensible move.

Sensitivity

When you start to succumb to the menopause, one of the knock-on effects is that the skin starts to thin which can lead to areas of sensitivity. Decleor Rose D’Orient Soothing Oil Serum is a natural elixir which is designed to immediately cool and soothe sensitive skin, reducing redness and stopping the face from feeling dry and tight. Only a few drops are needed and you’ll feel back to normal in no time.