The quick way to find out the quality of a skin moisturiser.
If you’ve been reading our articles for some time, you’re probably able to guess what the answer is. That is, turn the bottle around to look at what’s in the skin moisturiser. As we’ve said before, regardless of how pretty a label is, the ingredients list will tell you everything you need to know.
It’s a good idea to follow this approach with all your beauty products, not just your skin moisturiser. Get into the habit of finding out what’s in the products you’re using on your body (just like you do with understanding the origins of your food).
As for your skin moisturiser, we’re going to group the must-have ingredients into three groups: antioxidants, skin replenishers, and emollients.
Antioxidants.
You may be quick to assume dry skin is just a lack of antioxidants. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, sun exposure and environmental factors can dry out your complexion. And unless you’re using an antioxidant-rich skin moisturiser, that dryness will be hard to ignore.
You need a skin moisturiser that encourages cell renewal, smoothness and elasticity. This is where antioxidants come in, shielding the outer layer against deterioration that, left unloved, leads to visible signs of ageing. Check the back of your skin moisturiser and see how many of these antioxidants it has in it:
- Green tea extract
- Grape extract
- Resveratrol
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Epigallocatechin-3 gallate
- Superoxide dismutase
- Ferulic acid, quercetin
- Willowherb extract
- Feverfew extract
- Licorice extract.
Replenishers.
There are certain natural ingredients that enrich your face and body by hydrating it (and making sure it stays there). You’ll notice a soft, smooth and supple complexion, thanks to a replenishing skin moisturiser.
Look for these hydration-boosting, skin moisturiser ingredients.
- Hyaluronic acid
- Ceramides
- Glycerin
- Glycerol
- Salicylic acid
- Alpha hydroxy acids.
Emollients.
Last (but certainly not least), the emollients in a skin moisturiser. We know one of the leading causes of ageing is dehydration. Not if emollients have anything to do with it. As anti-ageing skin moisturiser scientists, we include emollients in our range for their softening and protective qualities. Want that silky, radiant texture? Choose a skin moisturiser with emollients in it.
So, what are emollients? Any of the following ingredients.
- Non-fragrant plant oils
- Shea & cocoa butter
- Fatty acids
- Coconut & sunflower oils
- Oleic & linoleic acids.
When you’re re-stocking your bathroom cupboard for skin moisturisers, cleansers and serums, keep this in mind. No matter how pretty a skin moisturiser is packaged, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.