If you find yourself breaking out a lot, that typically is a good sign that you're using too much moisturizer for your own good. Acne breakouts typically result from clogged pores and as we mentioned before, clogged pores are one of the top indicators that you have too much moisturizer sitting on your skin.
If your skin is still extremely dry after applying moisturizer, it's time for an update. For some, a feeling of tightness in the skin is the first sign of dryness, and makeup that looks "cracked" is another cue.
Sometimes it can be too strong for your skin, causing it to react via purging, breakouts, or itchiness. You don't want the product to sting and itch even after you apply moisturizer.
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.
Also your product should last you a few months not a few weeks — running through product quickly indicates you might be using too much of it. Some signs you may be over-moisturizing are clogged pores, blackheads, bumpy skin and excess oil.
While many moisturizers can help your acne, there are also ingredients in some moisturizers that can be detrimental to your acne-prone skin, including: Heavy oils, waxes, and petrolatum. These ingredients can be too heavy and plug your pores.
Acne or breakouts
This is usually a sign the product does not mesh with your skin. Moisturizers cause acne when they are made with ingredients that clog pores — or comedogenic ingredients. Look for a moisturizer that states “non-comedogenic” on the label. And discontinue using a moisturizer that causes acne right away!
“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.
Cerave Moisturizing Lotion
The combination of ingredients like polyglyceryl-3-diisostearate and cetyl alcohol both can contribute to some pretty serious breakouts. As well propylparaben, shown further down on the extensive ingredients list, is ranked at 7 out of a scale of 9 in regards to safety.
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.
“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.
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.
"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.
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.
Dry and shiny skin
“If you use a moisturizer after cleansing, you can 'trick' the skin into believing it has the right amount of oil so it does not overproduce,” says Charles.
Sudden acne breakouts can be because of numerous reasons, including hormonal changes or hormonal imbalance, an unhealthy diet including lots of deep fried and junk food, release of cortisol hormones because of excessive stress, excessive production of sebum and much more.
Skin purging is a process that happens when certain skincare ingredients increase skin cell turnover. This encourages shedding of old, dead cells and growth of new, healthy ones. Unfortunately, this process often makes the skin look worse before it looks better.
When you start a new skin care routine or you incorporate new products into your current regimen, you may experience breakouts or skin flaking. This process is sometimes called purging. This is a normal, short-term condition where the skin will rid itself of underlying oil, bacteria, or dirt, according to Dr.
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.
“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.”
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.
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.
Most skincare professionals suggest moisturizing twice a day: once in the morning and once at night. This ensures your skin's moisture will remain constant both throughout the day and while you sleep, so you can always look forward to supple, healthy skin.
“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.