Are you a ‘moisturiser addict’? 🤔🧴

Before we begin to go into detail I want to make it clear that moisturisers DO have an important role in skincare.....however they are often abused and used incorrectly which means they can be doing your skin more harm than good.

So let’s go into more detail 🧐....

The skin is designed to provide its own hydration system, cell renewal system and outer barrier function. When you apply a moisturiser everyday you are effectively ‘tricking’ your skin into thinking it has a well hydrated surface layer. This in turn causes the cells below to think they’ve done their job effectively which ‘switches off’ your skins natural hydration and repair mechanisms. You are providing it with a synthetic version and taking over its role. It will sit back, put its feet up and go to sleep!

As you can imagine this inadvertently means you are exacerbating the very issue you were trying to treat in the first place....as well as creating further issues such as weaker, highly sensitised skin, which will age quicker and look less healthy.

When the skin starts to lose its natural functions and take a break from its role, you can start to experience the following....

⁃ Skin ‘sensitivity’ (which is really a term for skin ‘weakness’), due to loss of effective function rather than an actual ‘skin disorder’ (see my previous blog on skin sensitivity for more on this topic!).

⁃ Flaky, dry, dull, rough skin - as it loses its ability to naturally shed and replace its cells. It also loses moisture as it compromises effective barrier function.

⁃ Worsening of common skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, pigmentation.

⁃ A slow down of deep cellular activity which is the root cause of ageing, hence you actually speed up the ageing process.....😩

When would a moisturiser be beneficial?

A moisturiser should fit into your skin care regime as a temporary boost of hydration when you have experienced a transient reaction of dryness/sensitivity/redness/inflammation. It can help to deliver an extra surge of moisture over a short time to provide relief, then should be discontinued.

For example, someone who has started using retinol may experience transient dryness, stinging, flaky skin. In this instance a hydrator or calming product can work fantastically well. Some treatments we perform on the skin can also leave it temporarily compromised and a hydrator here can be of great benefit to speed up the goal of improved skin functions.

Where the majority go wrong is that they become reliant on moisturiser as the skins main way of achieving hydration. It’s used daily and results in the skin not functioning properly without it - it’s effectively ‘addicted’ to it. Those of you who get that dry, tight feeling after washing your face daily will know this addiction all too well!

When you adopt a good skincare regime to address cleansing, repairing, and protecting your skin, it will begin to restore its basic functions and ‘wake up’. In turn the feeling of need for products such as moisturiser will naturally become redundant as your skin will hydrate itself.

Some people do like the luxurious feel of a moisturiser, and if you are one of those people (🙋🏻‍♀️) there are other products that will feel similar.....but will have far more benefit to your skin. Serums are often very good for providing this. ZO®️ Growth Factor Serum is one of my personal favourites as it feels decadent, makes my skin feel soft and silky, yet at the same time it’s providing me with beneficial properties of promoting collagen and strengthening the barrier function. Oh....and it smells divine!

So next time you reach for the tube of moisturiser, pause and reconsider. It may be the very thing that is causing the issue you are trying to resolve. Go deeper and address the skins function instead, as this is what will really provide the benefit. For a complimentary skin consultation please contact the clinic to discuss your personal requirements at www.emmayorkclinic.com.

You have one skin for life....invest in it wisely 🤓.

By Emma York