Why Your Moisturizer Could Be Making Your Skin Lazy
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When it comes to looking after our skin, we often have second thoughts about buying that expensive serum, or that night cream which costs a fortune. If there is one product from our skincare routine that we keep replacing with new bottles every now and then, it has to be our beloved moisturizers, isn’t it? We can skip those sheet masks for a month or so, that exfoliating scrub for the rest of the year, but, we can never ditch our moisturizer. We keep it handy everywhere, there’s one in the bedroom, a smaller one in our bags, and maybe one even at that best friend’s place that we often visit. We consider it the best way to pamper our skin.
If whatever we said reminded you of buying a moisturizer again, well, hold on for a minute now. Moisturizers are bad for our skin. Yes, you read that right. We were baffled just like you are. Here’s why moisturizing your skin way too much is bad for our skin-
Yes, It Does Make Your Skin Lazy
When we subject our sensitive faces to dollops of moisturizers and heavy creams, we are unknowingly making our skin lax and complacent in nature. Instead, we need to use products that will help our skin do its job on its own. It’s the epidermis of the skin that needs a boost. Right from our elementary years, we were wrongly taught that we need to constantly moisturize our skin for it to retain its natural best health.
The truth is that our skin is capable of maintaining its hydration levels on its own. If there is any lack of moisture our skin works itself to moisturize itself by utilizing the water content from the skin. If we over moisturize our skin, it is going to signal the water reservoirs present in our body to stop its work. Imagine a skin which is internally not nourished with the required water but appears all shiny due to the creams applied externally. This is bound to make your skin look lazy and sluggish.
Just Because You Feel That Your Skin Is Dry Or Tight, It Doesn’t Mean It Actually Is
Okay, you feel your skin has become dry, but how can you tell it’s the case from within too? Maybe, it’s one of those signals that your body is telling you that your skin is dehydrated. Dehydration happens from within, right? Grabbing a moisturizer and dabbing a dollop full of it on your skin will not help. It might just make it look all shiny and reflective from the outside, whereas the inside of the skin will still lack hydration.
In fact, if you resort to applying moisturizers at times when your skin is dehydrated, you’re certainly clogging your pores giving way for your skin to suffer from much more adverse skin conditions. In order to give your skin hydration boosts, go for products which contain varying levels of glycerin, urea, and hyaluronic acid. They will help your skin retain its moisture naturally.
And let us tell you this, that feeling of dry, grumpy skin can also be a sign of a micro-inflammation which is often observed among rosacea-prone skin. If this is the case then slathering rich moisturizers is extremely detrimental and will worsen your skin condition.
So, What’s The Solution?
If your skin is lacking luster it could be that your skin’s cell renewal system has taken a hit. This simply means that your skin needs a kick to restart towards its best health. If there is any magical ingredient that can reboot your skin’s health and without making your skin lazy then it’s the vitamin A derivatives. Retinol and retinaldehyde are the vitamin A derivatives that make our skin’s cells healthier, fresher, and younger with time (1). And if you still are stubborn to let go of your moisturizer then pick the one with a decent dose of hyaluronic acid and make sure that your moisturizer contains SPF in it. This will protect your skin’s hydration levels.
If you love spending on your skincare to an extent that it feels like a privilege, then go for a facial that’s approved by dermatologists. These treatments will help to reboot your skin’s health, but yes, it will take a couple of sittings to notice the promised results.
Lastly, taking care of your skin cannot be treated as a marathon. It is more of a sprint. Just because you don’t see your skin flaky or dry after using a moisturizer doesn’t mean that it’s the perfect quick-fix. Whatever skincare issue you have, consult a dermatologist first and then decide on what care needs to be given to your delicate and sensitive skin. So, are you a moisturizer addict too? Let us know in the comments below.
