“When you use moisturizer every day, you run the risk of making your skin older, not younger,” he said to Refinery29. “If you apply a lot of moisture, skin will become sensitive, dry, dull, and interfere with natural hydration.”
Yes, you can (and often should) use lotion every day to keep your skin healthy and hydrated. Just make sure that the lotion you use is effectively treating any issues with dry skin and not just temporarily masking a problem.
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.
It's very important to moisturize your skin, but applying too much can have a negative effect on your skin. If you use too much moisturizer, over time it makes your skin lazy, which can encourage your skin to produce less moisture on its own.
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.
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.
So you use more lotion, and your skin gets drier, and the cycle just continues. Not only does that expose you to dozens of unregulated and untested chemicals that are ingredients in lotions, but it's costing you money, too. The cure? Look no further than your kitchen cabinet.
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.
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.
When to Put on Moisturizer
The best times to moisturize are after your bath or shower, after washing your face, and after washing your hands. Don't dry off completely; leave some moisture behind so the lotions can do their job, helping your skin absorb more healthy liquid.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, "Applying moisturizer after a bath is absolutely key because it provides an artificial barrier that can help prevent water loss and also keep out agents bacteria, viruses, and irritants that we don't want to get into the skin.
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.
If your skin is dehydrated, you may notice itchiness, dullness, under-eye circles, sunken eyes, and/or more noticeable fine lines. Severely dehydrated skin symptoms may include dizziness, dry mouth, lightheadedness and/or weakness.
All the same, body lotion isn't meant for facial skin, so it could make some skin concerns worse. Sticking to products specifically formulated for your face will generally do more to benefit your skin in the long run.
“When you use moisturizer every day, you run the risk of making your skin older, not younger,” he said to Refinery29. “If you apply a lot of moisture, skin will become sensitive, dry, dull, and interfere with natural hydration.”
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.
Too much moisturiser or heavy formulations can clog your pores, because of which you end up with blackheads and whiteheads.
A simple way to gauge your level of hydration is to pay attention to the color of your urine. If your urine is very dark and has a strong odor, you are definitely dehydrated and should increase your water intake. If your urine is completely clear, you are likely drinking too much.
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is: About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men. About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women.
You can do a simple pinch test at home to determine your skin's hydration levels. Take a small portion of your skin around the cheek area and squeeze lightly. If you notice any wrinkling and if the skin doesn't bounce back after you let go, then your skin may be dehydrated.
“When the imbalance of water, lipids, and proteins is altered using moisturisers, the skin's ability to act as a strong barrier to protect our inner organs will be weakened,” he explains.
From around the age of 25 the first signs of aging start to become apparent on the surface of the skin. Fine lines appear first and wrinkles, a loss of volume and a loss of elasticity become noticeable over time. Our skin ages for a variety of different reasons.
Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health. It depends in part on your lifestyle.
“Some skin care products, such as moisturizers, work better when applied to damp skin as part of their function is to seal moisture in,” says Strachan. “When skin is already damp, it's hydrated. The moisturizer can then either provide more hydration or just seal it in.”