“Sometimes, all you really need is a good moisturizer and a mild cleanser, and you can take years off your face,” say experts. When skin is dry, every wrinkle is accentuated, making you look older.
If you’re in your 20s or 30s, doctors say, moisturizers will give you some of the protection you need to keep skin from prematurely aging.
“In your 20s and early 30s, a good moisturizer can take the place of a lot of products“.
So what exactly is a “good” moisturizer? – “It’s a product that will do anything from gently adding moisture, to sealing in the moisture you’ve achieved, to helping your skin produce more moisture—and which type you choose should be based on your skin’s individual needs.”
If skin is normal to dry, look for moisturizers containing alpha hydroxy acids. They can help skin produce more moisture on its own. Such products include Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Daily Moisturizer and Anew Advanced All In One Cream by Avon.
Products such as AmLactin XL—the over-the-counter version of the prescription cream Lac-Hydrin—not only contain alpha hydroxy acids, but also a new ceramide technology to seal in moisture.
“You put on when you skin is slightly damp, and it locks in all the water,”.
If skin is very dry, products using a technology called vesicular emulsion can be a great help.
“This technology uses microscopic spheres that are alternating layers of moisture and water that slowly release throughout the day, so you get continual moisturization,”. Products using this type of technology include Atopalm and Curel.
If skin is oily, look for a light, gentle moisturizer—but don’t skip this step.
“Oil is not moisture, and even if you have excess oil, you still need moisture,”. Recommended products include Aveeno with Colloidal Oatmeal, Vanicream Light, Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer or Cetaphil Moisturizer.
