Face Moisturizer
Questions about face moisturizers? Get answers here.
Do I really need a different kind of moisturizer for the area around my eyes?
You can get by without one if your skin isn't sensitive and your
moisturizer doesn't irritate your eyes. Of course, you can also go
jogging in your walking shoes. By which I mean that there are some good
reasons to use an eye cream. It usually contains fewer potentially
irritating preservatives important because the skin around the eyes is
thinner and more sensitive than elsewhere on the face, says Howard
Sobel, MD, clinical attending physician in dermatology at Lenox Hill
Hospital in New York City . Eye cream formulas are likely to be a
little lighter than some heavy face creams, which help the skin retain
water and might make the eye area puffy. And eye creams that contain
physical sunblocks (Zn oxide or titanium dioxide) rather than
chemical sunscreens (like avobenzone or oxybenzone), which are found in
many facial moisturizers, are less irritating to the eye.
What's the best kind of moisturizer to use on combination skin?
About
70 percent of people have combination skin, says Sobel, which means
that they have an oily T-zone and are normal to dry around their
temples and on their cheeks. If you're one of those people, use a
water-based moisturizer (water will be one of the first ingredients
listed) and use it only where you need it. But don't forget to apply a
sunscreen all over your face.
Moisturizers
always seem to make me break out. Can I trust that a product won't clog
pores if the label says it's noncomedogenic?
Noncomedogenic
moisturizers, which are water-based, are much less likely to clog pores
than oil-based products, says Sobel. But there are other ingredients
that can cause irritation, like lanolin, propylene glycol, and the
lightener hydroquinone. If you tend to break out, look for a product
that's hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested; the fewer ingredients,
the less potential for problems. Many moisturizers are now formulated
specifically for acne-prone complexions.
Should I use a sunscreen in addition to a moisturizer in the summer?
I'm
going to assume that your daytime moisturizer has an SPF of at least
15. I hope it does, because that's what you need to protect your skin
against typical parking-lot-to-the-store, walking-the-dog sun exposure.
Increased exposure wandering around the parking lot or, better yet,
walking your dog on the beach requires either a moisturizer or a
separate sunscreen with a broad-spectrum SPF of at least 30. If your
skin is oily, you can skip the moisturizer in hot, humid weather and
use a gel sunscreen, which is less likely to clog pores, says Marianne
O'Donoghue, MD, associate professor of dermatology at Rush University
Medical Center in Chicago .
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