Moisturizing—Face: all links so far

moisturizing—face

• Are facial masks worthwhile?

• Day vs. night creams: Do you need both?

• How and when to moisturize

• Hydrating Your Skin with a Mask (upcoming)

• Ingredient highlight: Glycerin—hydration booster

• MYTH: Night creams need to be heavy

• Petroleum as an ingredient in your face & body products (new!)

• Questions about Yonka’s Hydra N°1 products & hydrating masks (new!)

• Testing the pH of a client’s facial products (new!)

• “What can I do about those lines above my lips?” (coming soon!)

• What moisturizer should I use?

• Why you want to use a moisturizer

   

Questions about Yonka’s Hydra N°1 products & hydrating masks

Hi Carolyn, I have a question about the Hydra N°1 Creme I ordered. Can this also be used as a mask? The aesthetician I go to sometimes uses either Hydra N°1 or maybe the Masque N°1 when my skin is dehydrated—I’m not sure. For a daily moisturizer, the Hydra N°1 Creme is sometimes too moisturizing for my (still!) oily skin that (still!) occasionally breaks out. What are your thoughts?

Actually any moisturizer can be used as a mask. The two main types of masks are clay (my favorite) and hydrating or moisturizing types. As you can read in other hydrating masks articles here, I’m not a fan of moisture masks. I don’t think you really need to purchase a separate hydrating facial mask, instead just you a thick layer of your day or nighttime cream. 

Some people may balk at that recommendation, but I give it knowing that skin care products can be and are expensive and I would much rather have someone spend money on their everyday products (The Basics: cleanser, toner, moisturizer) than on a completely separate product, which would simply be a thick cream, marketed as a hydrating mask.

I do not like this kind of policy

For any of you with red, irritated skin, I think either Sensitive Creme or Sensitive Masque might be  good products to use as a mask especially when your skin is acting up. As with any and all products when you have sensitive skin, you may have to go through some trial and error. When I was a working aesthetician with a salon and clients, I always (always) sampled as many products as I could whenever I could. I let the products do the selling, because if you came to my salon—you got samples, and that was how I sold this product line.

If possible, get a sample of the Hydra products or any other cream or mask you think might work for your skin. And if you have to purchase in order to try it, be sure you understand the salon or store’s return policy. If it doesn’t work your skin and you can’t return it, opt for another place to purchase your products. And be sure and get a receipt!

In the end, if you want to have a separate product to use as a hydrating mask—go for it! But to consolidate and save money at the same time, I stand by my recommendation to use your moisturizing cream as a hydrating mask if you feel you need the extra moisture. If the Hydra products work for your skin, great. Then use one of those as a mask when you want to.

If, as you mentioned, the Hydra Nº1 is too much for your sometimes oily skin, then use another creme that isn’t so emollient as your hydrating mask of choice. A cream is a cream and even a product for an oilier skin if sitting on the surface for 15-20 as a mask will still hydrate the skin underneath. (But you know what I really recommend: gommage!)

For more information, see:

• Are facial masks worthwhile?
• HYDRA N°1 products:  CREME, FLUID, & SERUM 
• Excellence Code Masque: mask or moisturizer?

Testing the pH of a client’s facial products

I love it when new clients bring in their skin care products for me to peruse. I always test the pH of their products because finding out the pH of any product is truly the first and most important piece of information I can find out before knowing if a products is “good” or not.

• I fold a tissue in half the long way
• Then I line up the products behind it
• I’ll tear off a small piece of the pH test paper in order to test each product

This client brought in all of her moisturizers (photo above), but it is actually the cleansers and toners I like to test. It is much more likely that a cleansing or toning product will be alkaline; less likely for moisturizers, including eye creams. But still, it is important to test any and all products a client is using to be sure that no product—zero—are alkaline.

When my client saw that the sunscreen she’s been using was alkaline, she was surprised. She said the salesperson said it was also a moisturizer, but my client said it didn’t feel at all hydrating—in fact the opposite. I explained most likely that was due to the alkaline nature of this particular product.

The sunscreen is a cream so it is or should be moisturizing. But due to its alkalinity it was actually stripping the skin on some level of its natural moisture. Just the opposite of what you want in any cream product, sunscreen or moisturizer.

I put this article up not to slam her sunscreen product or even talk about these particular products in detail, but to show you how simple it is to get this important information before you start using new skin care products. And, obviously, you can test what you are using now to be sure they are pH balanced and OK to use on a daily basis. In case you're interested, the sunscreen is from a company called First Aid Beauty (FAB): Ultra Repair pure mineral sunscreen moisturizer.

The other products in this photo, although a bit hard to see, that tested pH balanced are:

• Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream
• Clarins Double Serum
• Kiehl’s Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream
• Kiehl’s Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Cream

In the articles on this blog, some listed below, is all the information you need to get the test papers and be one step closer to using the perfect products on your skin now.

For more information, see:

• Proper pH & your skin care products
• Questions about pH and pH papers
• Clinique’s 1-2-3—Just Say NO! (includes a pH test)

Ingredient highlight: Glycerin—hydration booster

Glycerin is an important ingredient to look for in your skin care products—especially for those of you with true-dry (oil-dry) skin.

Glycerin is a humectant, attracting moisture to itself; it has emollient properties, meaning it helps to make the skin feel smooth; it has a binding action, which helps to hold a cream together; and it is an excellent moisturizer. If you look at the ingredients in your skin care products (mostly moisturizers) you will no doubt see glycerin as one of the main ingredients.

My toner lists glycerin as one of the first ingredients. Is this a good thing for me to be using?

The answer to this question is it depends. Glycerin is an excellent ingredient in a toner for dry (true-dry) skin—skin that doesn’t produce enough oil on its own. I have found, however, that glycerin in a toner for normal to oily skin can be too much for this skin type. And although this seems to hold true for toners, glycerin is not necessarily too much for oilier skins if it is in a moisturizer. It really depends on the product and where the glycerin is on the ingredient list.

I say this based on Yonka-Paris toners, which are from the product line I use (and have since 1985). Their toner for true-dry skin has glycerin in its ingredient list. In their toner for normal to oily skin types, it is not. I have found that if a client mistakenly purchases the dry-skin toner when they actually have normal to oily or oily skin, they will almost always experience breakout. The contributing factor between these two toners is glycerin.

Interestingly, when you use a moisturizing cream with glycerin in it, no matter your skin type, it is doubtful you will have issues with it. I also recommend pure glycerin or glycerin-based elixirs added to your creams to help with hydrating skin, even oilier skin. But in general, glycerin makes a good ingredient for normal or normal to dry skin types.

Hydration boosters. I like to apply hydration boosters to help with the dehydration that inevitably occurs from the indoor heat and the cold wind of winter. I purchased a bottle of glycerin at my local grocery store—in fact, it was the store’s own brand. Although I have more expensive glycerin products, I wanted to experiment and see if I could use this store brand with the same results. I will say that although the less expensive glycerin product worked just fine, it didn’t have all the wonderful aromatics (as well as beneficial surrounding ingredients) as my Yonka product: Hydra+ (see information below).

In the winter, when your skin is feeling drier, I recommend applying a glycerin hydration booster to your skin by mixing it in with your moisturizer. If it is an exceptionally cold day or series of days and adding glycerin to your creams doesn’t feel like it’s giving you enough added moisture, you could try applying glycerin straight to your skin—enough to cover your entire face and neck after cleansing—then spray on your toner, and apply moisturizer. If you have true-dry skin, you can add more glycerin in with your moisturizer. 

Many clients ask when they should use this type of product, and I always say their skin will give them all the information they need. If you feel dehydrated (dried out)—include a glycerin elixir. If your skin feels perfectly hydrated without it—skip that step. Once the weather starts to warm up, your skin will tell you it’s time to stop using the added glycerin.

For more information, see:

• Yonka’s Hydra+: For Extra Hydration—without adding oil (For Yonka lovers, this is the glycerin product I use personally and professionally)
•  Airplanes, travel, and skin care: Help for Dehydration
• Yonka toners: Which one should I use?

What moisturizer should I use?

Using a cream that is made for your particular skin type is of great importance. If you use an inappropriate product, you can really cause problems. Moisturizers (and toners) stay on your skin day and night, whereas cleansers go on briefly and come right off.

Acidic or non-alkaline moisturizers are what you want to use because they will not disrupt the natural balance of your skin. Bacteria does not thrive in an acid environment, so using a moisturizer that is acidic on the pH scale can go a long way in keeping bacteria at bay. Pure essential oils are acidic by nature, so they make good ingredients in skin care products. Test your moisturizer with nitrazine (pH) papers to be sure it’s OK to use. Be aware that just because the test results show your cream is acidic, there is no guarantee it will be effective in clearing up problem skin. But it’s a good start.

What about the term oil-free? Unfortunately, this is one of those instances where being a chemist would be of great help. Many oil-free products contain no oil, but employ filler and emollient ingredients that can clog your pores just like an oil. It’s similar to fat-free foods that don’t have a high fat content, but are loaded with carbohydrates that are stored in your body as fat. Tricky, isn’t it?

If you have oily skin, you should avoid petroleum products. Petroleum-based ingredients (mineral oil, petroleum jelly, paraffin) can be very clogging. They have a large molecular structure and just sit on the surface inhibiting proper skin function (elimination and absorption) and can leave a greasy film. If you have true-dry skin, you won’t have as many problems using these poor-quality ingredients as a person with problem skin will.

Oils aren’t altogether bad. And although you don’t want to use heavy creams on oily skin, all oils are not to be avoided. Organic, vegetable-based oils have a small molecular structure and are easily absorbed by your outer skin. These oils tend to be lighter in texture, making the moisturizer less oily to the touch. Vegetable oils have nutrients in them, whereas petroleum products are basically nutrient-deficient.

If you consistently experience burning or itching soon after applying your moisturizing cream (or any product), I suggest immediately removing it and tossing it in the garbage. Better yet, return it for a full refund. These types of reactions are your skin telling you it has an intolerance to something contained in the product. Burning and itching are not normal responses and should be regarded as warning signs. Narrowing down ingredients you’re allergic or intolerant to can help you further down the road when shopping for products. Finally, not all moisturizers are good for your skin, no matter how much money you spend on them.

For more information, see:

• HOW TO test the pH of your skin care products—DO THIS! (coming soon)
• Essential Oils: a primer
• Why you want to use a moisturizer

I've used Yonka products for 30 years!

Day vs. night creams: Do you need both?

Many people are confused over the use of day and night creams. What is the difference? Do you really need to use two different products on your skin? The answer is both yes and no. Function and variety are the two main reasons for using a different moisturizer on your face during the day and at night.

Day creams add a blanket of protection to your skin from the outside environment. This not only includes guarding against sunlight (if your day cream has a built-in sunscreen) but also dirt and debris in the air. A moisturizer will add a layer of protection between your skin and any makeup you may be wearing. These creams also supply oil and nutrients to the skin to help keep it soft, supple, and moisturized.

Night creams are usually more treatment oriented than their day cream counterparts. Nighttime is when your body (and your skin) goes into a less active, more regenerative and repairing mode. Night creams are generally made to address specific needs that your protective day creams may not and are generally not meant to be worn under makeup.

Other than the different functions of day and night creams, another reason to use two different creams is variety. Your skin can benefit from the variety of ingredients in two creams, instead of constantly using just one. Also there is the added benefit of diversity of aromas and textures. Using the same cream day and night limits you on these levels as well. This may not be important to you, but many people like to have a variety of experiences when it comes to the way their creams smell and feel.

I recommend using a different cream for day and for night. You will benefit from a variety of ingredients and actions, as well as different aromas and textures. But if using one cream both day and night works best for you (many of my clients fall into this category), it is surely not harmful to use one cream. As long as the moisturizer you are using is appropriate for your skin type, this simpler approach is perfectly fine.

For more information, see

• How and when to moisturize
• Why you want to use a moisturizer
• The Basics 1-2-3 Program for proper skin care

MYTH: Night creams need to be heavy

Night creams don’t have to be heavy. They commonly are, which can lead to breakout or just a feeling of greasiness. Ingredients in night treatments are usually more regenerative and repairing, but they need not be heavy.

There is a long-standing image of our grandmothers going to bed with a heavy layer of greasy cream on their faces. Somehow manufacturers have not completely gotten away from this image and still make night creams that are heavy and greasy.

Just know your night cream is more of a treatment cream and should be designed to tackle problems specific to your skin type (sensitive, couperose, dry, oily, problem, etc.). This does not have to affect the thickness of the cream, however.

For more information, see:

• Day vs. night creams
• What moisturizer should I use?
• Airplanes, travel, and skin care—Help for Dehydration

Are facial masks worthwhile?

What do masks do? What types of masks are best for each skin type? Are they worthwhile?

What a mask does depends on what kind of mask it is. Hydrating masks help to soften the skin by increasing the amount of moisture on the surface. Cleansing masks generally contain a large percentage of clay(s), which helps to clean out the pores.

I am a proponent of clay masks for almost every skin type. Clay is beneficial for oily or problem skin, helping to soothe infections along with loosening debris held in the pores. For a drier skin type, although a hydrating mask would be fine, clay not only gets the skin clean but helps to step up circulation due to clay’s stimulating effects.

I tell my clients that if they feel they need to use a hydrating mask, what they really need to do is exfoliate. Feeling dry on the surface is usually more a matter of dehydration than oil-dry skin. See Is Your Skin Truly Dry or Just Thirsty? (link below) to understand the difference between dehydration and true-dry skin. If you must use a hydrating mask, I recommend simply applying a thick layer of your favorite facial moisturizer as the mask vs. spending extra dollars on a hydrating mask. The two are essentially the same.

When using a clay-based mask, there is one important caveat: You must keep the clay moist the entire time it is on your skin. How?

• take a spray bottle
• fill it with clean, filtered water
• after applying the clay mask, spray your face liberally with the water
• then spray intermittently for the 15 minutes the mask is on

This keeps the mask moist (you don’t want clay to dry the surface skin out) and makes the mask much easier to remove. If you have your toner in a spray bottle (highly recommended), you can use this instead of water.

For more information on using clay masks see:

• What is a clay mask and why use one? 
• How to use a Clay Mask—Important Instructions
• Is Your Skin Truly Dry or Just Thirsty?

Are masks worthwhile? Is having cleaner, healthier-looking skin worth the time it takes to do a mask once or twice a week? I’d say—

How and when to moisturize

I'm not a fan of the “dotting” method

How to moisturize. When applying moisturizer, you may put dots of cream on different parts of your face and then smooth them in. I propose an alternate way to apply your moisturizer. Although it’s a small change, it can make a big difference.

Put a peanut-sized dollop in the palm of one hand, then rub your hands together to emulsify and warm the cream. Smooth the cream over your entire face and neck using both your hands (palms), not just the tips of your fingers. Applying the moisturizer this way increases your chances of getting the cream on all parts of your face evenly. This is important. The connect-the-dot method can cause an uneven application; some areas will have a concentration of moisturizer while others will hardly have any.

If your nose tends to get oily during the day, bypass it when applying the cream. Just lightly go over the nose area as you finish smoothing the cream over your face and neck. This should help to keep the oily nose syndrome to a minimum. Also, if you have to pat off excess product from your face, you’ve used too much. Try using less cream to start with, then while your face is still wet from the toner, apply your moisturizer. This will help you achieve a thinner application.

When to moisturize. You always want to apply a moisturizer after cleansing and toning (Steps 1 & 2 of The Basics). You also want to use your hydrating cream(s) both in the morning and at night. Usually, moisturizer is the last product you put on your skin. If you are wearing foundation, it will go on top of your day cream. Applying eye cream is a continuation of Step 3.

For more information, see:

• What moisturizer should I use?
• The Basics 1-2-3 Program for proper skin care
• Eye Creams 101: What to use?

Why you want to use a moisturizer

What is a moisturizer? A moisturizer (also called a hydrating cream or lotion) is an emollient oil-in-water mixture, usually a cream (sometimes a gel), that is spread over the skin to help lock in moisture. Moisturizers generally contain a humectant (an ingredient that draws moisture to itself ) to further hydrate the skin. Moisturizers, whether for the face or specifically for the eye area, do not erase or in any measurable way reduce lines and wrinkles. They may lessen the appearance of lines, but that is all they are equipped to do.

Why use a moisturizer? Moisturizers add a layer of protection between your skin and the outside environment. They help to plump up dead skin cells, which gives the appearance of reducing fine, superficial lines (wrinkles). They also make your skin feel smooth and well-hydrated. If you have true-dry skin, skin that doesn’t emit enough oil, you already know a moisturizer’s importance. Without one, your skin would feel like a flaking, cracking desert. People with dry skin need to make up for the lack of oil in their skin, and moisturizers serve that purpose.

Those of you with oily skin may have trouble understanding why you should use a moisturizer—or if you need to use one at all. Using a poor-quality moisturizer on problem or oily skin can indeed cause problems. But this doesn’t mean all moisturizers are bad for oilier skin types. My belief is that practically everyone needs a moisturizer. Even people with acne need to hydrate their skin. In fact, those of you with problem skin usually have very dehydrated and depleted skin as well as blemishes. The constant use of harsh and drying products that attempt to dry out the oil can really do a number on the skin.

There definitely is a controversy surrounding the use of moisturizers on oily skin. If your skin seems excessively oily and you don’t feel you need a moisturizer, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I use soap or a harsh cleanser that may be stripping my skin? 
2. Do I use a toner with alcohol in it? 
3. Do I use blemish pads that help to “dry up” excess oil? 

If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, your skin might be pumping out more oil than it normally would due to all those drying agents. Test your products with nitrazine (pH) papers to make sure they are acidic. If they aren’t, consider throwing them out and find others that are non-alkaline. After using these gentler products, see if you have less trouble with oiliness. Then find a light-textured moisturizer to use day and night to complete your Basics program.

If your products are acidic (which is what you want) and are not drying out your skin, yet you still produce a lot of oil, you may not need a moisturizer. Your diet could be a factor, you may be predisposed genetically to oily skin, or perhaps your hormones are imbalanced. This would be a good time to seek out a professional facial and hear what a licensed specialist has to say. If you truly feel you don’t need to use a moisturizer, although I hesitate to say this, then don’t use one.

pH strips to test your products

I hesitate because without a moisturizing cream, you leave your skin’s surface vulnerable to the environment. Without the protection of a cream or gel, dirt and debris can find their way deeper into your pores. And without adequate moisture on the surface, your oil glands may feel the need to pump out more oil than necessary to compensate for the dryness. Finally, high-quality products contain ingredients to combat the oiliness and can actually help tackle the problem.

Clients with very oily skin often cringe when I suggest they use a moisturizer. I can usually convince them to at least try one for a few days after explaining my position. Hydrating gels, which are water-based vs. oil-based lotions, are an alternative to creams, giving you protection without adding oil.

For more information, see:

• Determining Skin Type to help you figure out what kind of moisturizer to use based on your skin type
• Using dry skin products on oily skin—STOP THE INSANITY!
• The Basics 1-2-3 Program
• Proper pH & your skin care products