Step 2 for a beautiful skin: moisturizing !

 February 2nd; 2014 

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The winter season brings colder temperatures and depending on where you live it can bring drier air as well. This weather can cause dehydrated skin, tight feeling skin and even dry flaking skin that is just begging to be moisturized. That’s the reason why I think it is the perfect timing to introduce the step 2 for a beautiful skin. You can find  step 1 "clean your face" here.

Moisturizers work by increasing moisture content of the skin by infusing water from the outside in with humectants or by trapping this water in the skin. As a consequence it increases the volume of the skin who looks softer; it also improves temporarily the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Moisturizers were originally created to treat and relieve dry skin; but reality is more complicated than that. Some people have combination skin or oily dehydrated skin and things get even more complicated if you also have aging, sensitive, reactive, or acne prone skin. So do you need a moisturizer? Well only you have the answer. When you are done washing your face with a mild cleanser do you feel that your skin is dry? Is it dry all over or only at some places? Does your skin feel dry every day or does it change with the temperature or the season? Unlike cleansers you do not need to moisturize your face every single day, so it all depends on how you skin feels.

My skin type does not fit in any basic skincare category that pretty much focus on dry or oily skin. I have combination, dehydrated, sensitive acne prone skin that gets more or less dry/oily  with the seasons. Yes it is complicated… For years I had been advised products that were too harsh on my skin and overtime my skin got damaged, felt tight, and very dehydrated.  I have had to learn by myself what type of skin I have and what works for me. That’s why I am so passionate about skin care. To balance the moisture in my complicated skin I have realized that it is helpful for me to use richer moisturizers at night and after a treatment (mask, exfoliant). If I spend the day outside I don't use the products you see here but I always use a moisturizer with SPF 30. To sum up there is no simple rule here, you have to learn what your skin needs and likes, try different products, brands and sometimes do some adjustments. 

On the pictures I show you what moisturizers I am using at the moment. I really don't need all of them but I am trying to use up my products. I bought 5 of them in winter 2013 (n°1,2,4,5,6) and got the other 3 for free as samples last year as well (n°3,7,8). I am always looking for the best for my skin so I have to admit that I also like to try different things. I am not going to review all those moisturizers here although I can say they are all good.

I am just going to quickly share with you which ones are my favorite to use in the winter.

-N°7:Kiehl's ultra facial moisturizer: I started to use it at night but the weather is really cold right now and it is not moisturizing enough at night for  me so lately I have been using it during the day and it is just perfect.

-N°5+N°6: I have been using the cream hydreane rich from Laroche-Posay for a few years now and I am in love with this product. Pure moisture; does not makemyskin look oily and perfect for very sensitive skin. In winter I use it almost every night. I have used the super aqua serum from  Guerlain for a few years as well. I don't use it everyday but only when the weather is freezing; for me this is the most moisturizing product ever. This one is very expensive but it is also very efficient and you don't need a lot of product.

For me there is no point of having an even skin tone with no visible pores and no acne if it looks dry ashy and flaky. So having enough moistue in your skin is a key step for healthy and beautiful looking skin.

READ STEP 3 HERE

XOxo

Dianna.H

List of the products on the picture: 

1-Dermagor matiderm purity for combination skin

2-Uriage: hyséac restructuring cream

4-Eucerin: aquaporin active, moisturizing light cream

3-Skyn Iceland, pure cloud cream

5-Guerlain: super aqua-serum

6-LaRoche-Posay: hydreane rich, moisturizing cream

7-Kiehl's ultra facial cream

8-Skyn Iceland, arctic hydrating balm