The building blocks of great skin are simpler than you might think. One, we need to start everyday off by protecting our skin from harmful free radicals, toxins, and ultraviolet radiation by applying an SPF before you put on your makeup. And two, we need to hydrate our skin with an exceptional moisturizer regardless of our skin type. Dry, oily, sensitive, or a combination, all skin types can ultimately benefit from the right moisturizer. Moisturizing the skin on your face can help prevent things like dry, flaky skin, and can even help to keep signs of aging at bay for as long as possible.
You might have heard of the three common categories of ingredients that all good moisturizers have, which are occlusives, humectants, and emollients.
What do those mean and why should you care? The simple facts are:
- Occlusives form a protective barrier over the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin on your face) and they prevent the skin from losing moisture.
- Humectants help attract water molecules from the environment into your skin while simultaneously holding onto that water and storing it for future needs.
- Emollients soften and soothe the epidermis but do not actually add moisture.
Ok, now that you have the basic fundamentals of moisturizer ingredient categories, let's dive even deeper.
You might consider yourself up on the latest beauty and skin care trends, but honestly there is so much misinformation out there that it can seem overwhelming. Well, to help you make an informed decision, below are the six ingredients you should look for in your next moisturizer.
The Six Ingredients to Look For
Jojoba Oil
A liquid or oil made from the seeds of the Simmondsia chinensis plant. The oil acts as an eco-friendly occlusive ingredient when used in skin care. Jojoba oil is a natural soother and can help chafing on severely dry skin, as well as reduce the appearance of redness on sun damaged and irritated skin. It basically soothes and calms skin while locking in moisture. Jojoba oil is non-comedogenic, which means that it will not clog your pores like some other occlusive oils.
goPure Beauty’s Vitamin C Moisturizer includes this nourishing ingredient as part of its formula. This moisturizer is great because it protects and brightens the skin with the added antioxidant benefits that come from the super ingredient vitamin C, as well as soothes and calms the skin because of the addition of the jojoba oil.
Glycerin
Or “glycerol,” comes from vegetable oils and animal fats. When used in moisturizers, glycerin acts as a humectant, which means that it plucks water molecules from other layers of the skin (there are three) and the environment around you and stores them in the outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis. When used in combination with occlusive ingredients, glycerin can trap water into the skin delivering continued hydration.
Glycolic Acid
A type of hydroxy acid and considered a humectant. It is derived from plants like sugarcane, pineapple, and sugar beets, and acts as a natural hydrating exfoliator for the skin on the face.
Glycolic acid, most importantly, has anti aging capabilities because it can reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and gives you a more youthful, firm appearance.
goPure’s Actives Glyco-Peptide Anti Wrinkle Moisturizer is one product that contains glycolic acid, and is loved by many because of the visible results you can achieve when using it daily. It gives you a rush of hydration, which results in skin looking firmer, younger, and more lifted. The glycolic acid in this specific moisturizer rejuvenates skin and gives dull and flaky skin a warm glow while also smoothing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Shea Butter
You may have heard it called a “plant lipid” or some other fancy term, but shea butter essentially is a fat derived from shea tree nuts. Shea butter is a natural source of antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamins, which are all key nutrients to have when it comes to moisturizing your face.
Shea butter acts as an emollient to soften and soothe dry skin and helps reduce skin irritations like dry skin, redness, and blemishes. Some moisturizers with shea butter can lead to clogged pores and even breakouts, so it’s important to check if the product is non-comedogenic or not.
goPure’s Vitamin C Moisturizer combines the powerful antioxidant powers of vitamin C with the nourishing power of shea butter to give you deep penetrating and long lasting hydrating results. This moisturizer ranks “0” on the comedogenic scale which means it will not leave your pores clogged and is not prone to causing breakouts on the skin!
Peptides
These are said to be the foundation and the building blocks of good skin. Your skin needs adequate proteins to maintain a healthy structure and appearance, and the peptides are the amino acids that are responsible for the protein formation. One such protein peptides are responsible for producing is the always sought after collagen protein.
Collagen is what gives your face structure and elasticity and improves the overall appearance of your face. Unfortunately, as women age we begin to lose collagen in our face which can produce the effects of premature aging, and result in a sunken or sagging look.
So, we like peptides because they have the ability to help make up for this decrease in collagen production by improving the firmness of skin, which ultimately results in a more youthful appearance. One of the best peptides you can find in a moisturizer is called Matrixyl.
- Matrixyl is a leading peptide ingredient when it comes to fighting premature signs of aging. Matrixyl works at combating the appearance of aging skin by reducing uneven skin tone, smoothing and restoring skin texture, and plumping and firming sagging skin. It is an active ingredient capable of appearing to fill fine lines, and is most powerful at reducing the visibility of crows feet and wrinkles on the forehead.
- Dermaxyl is another super peptide that results in less visibility of wrinkles and fine lines. It is also said to improve the look of other characteristics of aging, and can reduce the appearance of dark spots and sun damage with its fatty acid characteristics.
These two miracle peptides can be found in our Actives Glyco-Peptide Anti Wrinkle Moisturizer. The combination of the active ingredients deliver superior hydration and visibly brighter and tighter skin.
Botanical Hyaluronic Acid
Last but certainly not least! Derived from the Cassia plant, this is what nourishes, hydrates, and protects the skin.
Hyaluronic acid is a sugar that is found in our skin naturally. It is a humectant that holds onto water and keeps the skin hydrated. It is ultimately what gives your skin that desirable youthful glow, while plumping and filling out fine lines on your face. It is as important as collagen is to our facial structure, but unfortunately, just like collagen, as we age our bodies start declining the production rate.
That is why using a moisturizer that contains the botanical version of hyaluronic acid is so important. A moisturizer with hyaluronic acid can bring moisture to the surface of your skin and lock it in, to keep your skin moisturized throughout a long day. If you have a hard time finding a moisturizer with this specific ingredient, consider using a serum like goPure’s Hyaluronic Acid Serum, and apply it before you put on your moisturizer.
~
Hopefully this skin care lesson has increased your knowledge of what exactly you need to look for when choosing the right moisturizer for your specific skin type.
Always remember it's about nourishing and protecting your skin. Try to keep these things in mind when buying skin care products, and don’t ever feel like you need to spend a fortune to get the best results!
Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325801
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-618/jojoba
https://www.wellandgood.com/hyaluronic-acid-molecular-weights/
https://www.skincity.co.uk/blog/2014/03/emollients-occlusives-humectants-explained/
