In short, yes. "A daily moisturizer is necessary to maintain your skin's moisture barrier and to prevent environmental damage to your skin," Weinstein explains.
“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.
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.
By skipping a moisturizing face cream for the day, you won't harm your skin... but this can lead to a domino effect of slightly annoying skin woes. "You're not really harming your skin, but it can begin to look unsightly," says Dr. Dean.
1. Dull & Dry Skin. This one is obvious, but if you aren't moisturizing, you will dry out your skin, and it will get even worse if it's winter and cold out, or the humidity is really low. Without moisturizer, your skin will start flaking and appear dry.
Moisturiser cannot by itself make your skin dark or fair . Moisturisers are only meant to give the hydration a skin needs. In very humid climates, it is better to avoid moisturiser as a whole.
They make skin feel moist and relieve itchiness and tightness. But, says Dr Eckel, in reality, moisturisers make the skin 'lazy', so it becomes less able to hydrate itself. This means we need more moisturiser to relieve dryness, creating an expensive, demoralising cycle.
Aesthetic dermatologists have observed that habitual, daily moisturising over a prolonged period can actually age the skin. This induced ageing occurs because the same fibroblast cells which produce GAGs (the skin's moisturiser) also produce collagen and elastin, which help maintain the skin's elasticity.
"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.
Myth #4: Moisturizing prevents wrinkles from forming
Fact: Giving some love to your skin through moisture is a must, but it's not going to necessarily prevent wrinkles from forming. However, it may make them a little less noticeable. Moisturizer, along with sunscreen, is one of the most critical skincare products.
The rate at which we produce collagen and elastin is reduced, and this leads to sagging, and lines and wrinkles (boo!). However, keeping our skin moisturised can help delay the appearance of ageing - and make us feel great!
If you over-moisturize, the leftover moisturizer just sits on your face. With nowhere to go, this extra moisturizer will eventually fill up the pores on your skin and clog them, resulting in the production of acne, whiteheads, and blackheads.
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.
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.
Instead of moisturizer, you can go all-natural, and choose an organic body oil instead. Oils like sweet almond, argan and coconut are great options in lieu of heavy creams. Body oils can get a bit messy, so apply it after a shower, and allow it to absorb before getting dressed.
"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. "With acne, the issue is inflammation in the skin—most acne responds better and improves when you calm it down. Therefore, moisturizing is helpful."
Why should you moisturize active acne? 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.
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.
Moisturizers can't prevent wrinkles, but they trap water in the skin, temporarily masking tiny lines and creases. Don't smoke. Smoking causes narrowing of the blood vessels in the outermost layers of your skin. It also damages collagen and elastin — fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity.