The rest of the product then sits atop your face and forms a thin layer of oil, bacteria, and other ingredients. This layer will then clog the pores and whenever cores get clogged, pimples and zits form. So, yes, moisturizer can cause acne but it only typically happens whenever you over-moisturize your skin.
Excessive moisturizer use can cause pimples or breakouts on the skin. Your skin absorbs what it needs and the extra product just sits on top of your face. This greasy layer attracts dirt and bacteria, which then gets accumulated in the pores and causes acne.
Basically, not moisturizing your acne will have the opposite effect of what you'd think. "When the skin is dry, it can be more irritated and make acne look and appear worse," explains Rachel Nazarian, MD, a New York-based board-certified dermatologist.
You should absolutely moisturize your skin even if you have active acne. It's an absolute myth that moisturizing your face will worsen your acne. In fact, moisturizers are necessary to keep acne-prone skin as relaxed as possible.
When your skin becomes dry, your body makes more oil. The extra oil can clog your pores, which may lead to more breakouts.
“Moisturizing your face helps to protect the skin's barrier from irritation. It also helps to reduce the development of dryness, or helps you to revive your skin from dryness,” says Marmur. Moisturizer creates a barrier between your skin and the climate, including cold, dry air that can further dry out skin.
A moisturizer. That's right. Some moisturizers, which are supposed to keep your skin smooth and hydrated, can clog your pores. So if you have issues with clogged pores and breakouts, you'll want to choose your moisturizers wisely.
Zein Obagi, a Beverly Hills-based dermatologist and founder of ZO Skin Health, says that using moisturizer could actually be detrimental to skin. “When you use moisturizer every day, you run the risk of making your skin older, not younger,” he said to Refinery29.
How Often Should You Use a Face Moisturizer? Generally accepted advice about the use of moisturizers is to apply it twice daily––every morning and every night. It's the most commonly accepted practice because it ensures that the moisture content of your skin remains constant throughout the entire 24 hour period.
If your skin tends to be dry, look for a cream - they tend to have a higher oil content. Moisturizing can reduce the appearance of other blemishes. Freshly moisturized skin has a healthy sheen, which can even out any existing blemishes. Some moisturizers have some tint or self-tanner that can work with any skin tone.
Night is an essential time to renew your mind—and your skin. Adding a lotion before bed creates softer, more hydrated, and better-looking skin the next day. It also helps seal in moisture and repairs the skin barrier that's compromised by dry air and harsh cleansers.
"Skin's oil production peaks at midday, and there is less oil production at night. Therefore, when you lose that protective layer of natural oils, your skin loses more water, so it's important to replenish the water loss with a moisturizer overnight," says Sobel. "While you are asleep the skin goes into renewal mode.
So should you moisturize oily skin? YES, you need to moisturize your skin, even if it is oily and acne-prone. To understand why, let's take a closer look at what a moisturizer really does. Moisturizers don't add water to your skin, but rather help hold the water in the outer layer of your skin to keep it hydrated.
Most other products, like moisturisers and cleansers without these actives, won't be able to cause purging and you should switch to a different product.
“By over-moisturizing, you can cause the skin barrier function to weaken and risk clogging pores,” explains Sobel. Add those together and you get both dry skin and body acne — the allover equivalent of combination skin.
Dr. Garshick says the most immediate signs are clogged pores, blackheads, and excess oil production. She advises moisturizing no more than two times a day, using a product formulated for your skin type.
If your skin feels dry, apply a moisturizer made for acne-prone skin. You'll want to apply the moisturizer twice a day, after washing your face. You also want to avoid using astringents, rubbing alcohol, and anything else that can dry out your skin.
You could develop more wrinkles.
That's right: Leaving moisturizer out of your routine today could lead to deeper wrinkles later on. "When the skin barrier is compromised, which is what we see when it becomes dry, there's actually a low-grade chronic inflammation that occurs in the skin," warns dermatologist Dr.
When you don't use a moisturizer on your body or face, you are likely to see more signs of premature aging. What's happening when the skin gets dry is that it's actually experiencing a low level of inflammation. This ongoing inflammation can lead to a breakdown of collagen. That's bad news for beauty.
There are lots of dubious claims and mysterious ingredients, but yes, by trapping water, moisturizing can help with dry skin. Dry skin by itself isn't a medical worry, although serious cases can result in cracks and fissures that invite infection and inflammation.
Cleansing is usually part of a skin care routine. A standard morning regimen begins with washing your face, followed by moisturizer to hydrate and sunscreen to protect. Before bed, cleanse the skin again and exfoliate once or twice a week to remove lingering grime and dead skin.
If you are using multiple products on your face as part of a “12-step skincare routine,” you may be combining too many different products. Using too many products can definitely cause your skin to breakout. Not to mention that many skin care ingredients can lead to irritation and thus more breakouts.
It's a myth that moisturizer causes oily skin. In fact, if you're using acne treatments such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, you definitely need a good moisturizer to keep your skin from drying out. Without moisturizer, any skin type will dry out.