Treat Your Skin Well

Latest Moisturizing Products And Benefits

(CBS)  In the winter, skin takes a beating with indoor heating that dries it out and cold, windy weather that chaps and damages it.

Moisturiuzer was designed to protect the skin from these effects but not every moisturizer is ideal for everyone. Early Show Beauty and Wellness Contributor Dayle Haddon says it really depends on what type of skin you have.

How To Chose Moisturizer:
Your skin type (normal, dry, oily, combination) determines which type of moisturizer you should use.

There are two main types of moisturizers - the first type (occlusives) contains oil or silicone. They deposit a layer of oil or silicone on the surface of the skin tolock in moisture. The other type (humectants) is often oil-free. These keep moisture in the skin by preventing it from evaporating.

Normal or dry skin needs a barrier to keep water in - this is why occlusives or products with silicone work well with dry skin. Look for a moisturizer that locks in moisture.

Normal-to-oily skin and acne-prone skin needs humectants or oil-free moisturizers. Products with oil will increase oiliness in the skin, clog pores and cause makeup to smear. A dermatologist can recommend the best treatment for very oily skin. Dermatologists have observed a dramatic increase in the number of adult women patients with acne over the past 20 years. Women with acne-prone skin should select a moisturizer for oily skin - it addresses the same problems.

For combination skin, which is dry at the periphery of face and oily in the T-zone (center/nose and forehead), use a slightly drying toner (without alcohol) only on the T-Zone, then apply an oil-free moisturizer over the whole face.

Moisturizers also come in different formulations and consistencies, based on how much moisture your skin needs. If your skin is normal or oily, use the lightest formulation - a lotion. There are also creams and ointments. Normal skin can take a lotion or a cream. Use a cream or ointment for dry skin.

Night creams are heavier because you don't have to apply makeup over them, so they can contain more oil. Night creams are not necessary (in fact, some dermatologists recommend against them, saying skin needs a chance to breathe), but some women like to apply it before going to bed to seal in the moisture overnight.

Ingredients And Benefits:

Sun damage is the No.1 factor in premature aging of skin. Dermatologists recommend an SPF of 30 that blocks both UVA and UVB rays - also known as broad-spectrum protection. Some women mistakenly think they need sun block only in the summer, but the sun is just as damaging in the winter. If your moisturizer has an SPF of less than 30, you should still use a sun block too.

Some dermatologists do not recommend alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), since they treat only the top layer of the skin. But if that layer, which consists of dead skin, doesn't fall apart naturally, it will give the skin a rough, dry look. AHAs take that dead skin apart, revealing the healthy skin beneath. However, over-the-counter AHAs are usually not in high enough concentrations to be effective. Higher concentrations are available by prescription only. It's extremely important to remember: when using an AHA, always use a sunblock.

Retinoids, like prescription-only Retin-A, contain vitamin A and work in a different way from AHAs. Rather than just exfoliating surface cells, it works inside your skin so that cells are renewing and behaving optimally. However, like AHAs, they are most effective in prescription formulations.

Anti-aging and miracle claims on products that contain retinol or AHAs may be suspect, since in order to be effective those ingredients must be either stabilized or in too high a concentration to be sold without a prescription, so it's wise to visit a dermatologist.

Drugstore Vs. Prestige Brand:

To date, there is no proof that a miracle cream can give you perfect skin. While drugstore products may not all contain the same pricey ingredients as high-end brands, vitamins and anti-oxidant ingredients usually cannot be stabilized or delivered in a moisturizer anyway. Can there still be a benefit from a more expensive cream? Perhaps - but in the long run, it's how you treat your skin, not products, that keeps it youthful.

Overall:
The most important thing to remember about moisturizers is that a good moisturizing product can improve the texture of your skin by protecting it, especially in winter. So be sure to pick one that's right for your skin type.

Recommended Products:

Normal-to-Dry Skin

• Eucerin Protective Moisture Lotion SPF 25
  This is a basic moisturizer for normal skin. It's a safe and effective product that is very affordable. Contains an SPF. Dermatologist-recommended.
  
  
• L'Oreal Age Perfect Day Cream
  Ideal for maturing skin. Very nourishing for skin changes, like reduced firmness, dryness, and fine lines, that can accompany the aging process.
  
  
• Creme de la Mer Moisturizing Lotion
  Top of the line! Designed by a former NASA physicist who suffered severe chemical burns. It has a cult following. Devotees say it keeps their skin looking young and smooth and diminishes the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
  
  
• Clinique Moisture On-Call
  Designed to relieve symptoms of dry skin. Contains emollients like Shea butter and Jojoba oil to lend skin a velvety texture.
  
  
• Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream
  Formula is an orange ointment, instead of a lotion or cream formula. Was initially intended as a repair ointment to soothe skin, so it's thick and gives a dewy finish.

Normal-to-Oily Skin

• Cetaphil Oil-Free Lotion
  Dermatologist-recommended. Contains an SPF.
  
  
• Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish Cream
  This product can be used to treat and prevent blemishes that can accompany oily skin.
  
  
• Kiehl's Sodium PCA Oil-Free Moisturizer
  The sodium PCA ingredient draws in and holds moisture in the skin without oil, so you can use it with oilier skin.
  
  
• Lancome Vitabolic Deep Radiance Booster Daily Care
  It's a very rich product that promises to deliver Vitamin C to the skin, which gives it a radiant boost. Is said to improve and protect texture with Vitamin C, Ginseng and Ginkgo. Vitamin C fends off free radicals, which damage the skin.
  
  
• Bliss Low-Fat Oil Absorbing Lotion
  Contains oil-absorbing ingredients to reduce appearance of oil on skin. Contains grapeseed extract, which is thought to slow the degrading of elastin in the skin and prevent free-radical damage.