Why Is It Important To Moisturize Your Skin?

why is it important to moisturize your skin?
Spread the love

Last Updated on March 12, 2024 by uts_admin

Skincare is an intricate science. It takes into consideration numerous factors to keep one’s skin healthy, soft, and smooth. At the heart of skincare and the entire beauty industry is moisturizing. Men and women, young and old, are all advised to moisturize, but what do skin moisturizers actually do?

Contrary to what its name suggests, a moisturizer doesn’t add moisture to the skin. What it does is to attract and trap existing hydration in the skin to allow the skin to regenerate. If you’re still wondering whether you should moisturize, the answer is a resounding “yes.” Here are some of the reasons it’s important to moisturize your skin.

Different Types Of Moisturizers

clean hands apply moisturizer
Skincare. Woman taking care of her dry complexion.

Lucky for us, scientists have done hundreds of studies on keeping skin healthy. As a result, we have different types of moisturizers to suit each person’s skin. These are the four types of moisturizers:

  • Humectants

Humectants attract moisture into the skin to keep it hydrated. This type of moisturizer works well for all skin types.

  • Ceramides

Ceramide moisturizers replenish damaged or depleted ceramides in the skin. Healthy ceramides can retain moisture better. This type of moisturizer works best for normal and combination skin types.

  • Emollients

Emollient moisturizers fill in gaps between dry skin cells. This type is best for extremely dry skin and mature skin because it is usually oil-based.

  • Occlusives

Occlusive moisturizers are heavy-duty moisturizers. They cover the skin with moisture and then trap it there. These are great for people with extremely dry skin but not for those with sensitive, blemish-prone skin.

Why It’s Important To Moisturize

young woman uses moisturizer after shower
woman taking care of her eye zone

Now you know that different moisturizers function in different ways, but let’s look at the benefits that all of them offer.

1 – Moisturizer Helps Protect The Skin From The Elements

A moisturizer adds another layer of protection for your skin against the sun, the wind, extreme temperatures, and pollution. Regular exposure to the elements can be extremely drying and damaging. Keep in mind that these extreme elements do not only exist outside your home, so you should not only moisturize in the morning but also at night before you go to bed.

2 – Helps Your Skin Regenerate From Damages

The human body may be capable of amazing things, but that does not mean it does not need help every now and then. Your skin goes through a lot every day, and it cannot stay supple and healthy if it does not get a chance to regenerate. Moisturizers allow your skin to regenerate by attracting moisture and trapping it.

3 – Helps Minimize Acne

Although excessive oil production is the main cause of acne, dryness will make it worse. Dry skin triggers the sebaceous glands to produce even more oil to moisturize it, thereby aggravating acne. If you’re already using anti-acne treatments, complement them with a natural skincare moisturizer that will not only moisturize your skin but also help prevent acne.

4 – For A Glowing Complexion

Who doesn’t want to have a glowing complexion even in the middle of winter? Flaky, red skin during the winter is, in fact, a simple problem to solve. Dryness strips the skin of lipids, which serve as the protective outer layer of the skin against harsh climates. Without this protective layer, the skin is vulnerable to irritants that cause redness and flaking. Moisturizers are the solution. Keep your skin hydrated and your lipids will be prepared for all sorts of irritants.

5 – Prevent And Minimize Wrinkles

Dry skin accelerates the breakdown of collagen and in turn speeds up the aging of the skin. In almost the same way, dry skin makes the skin shrivel up, so all the wrinkles will be more visible. Using a moisturizer daily can keep all of this from happening.

6 – Flawless Makeup

Have you noticed that your foundation sticks to certain areas of your face, making it look splotchy? That is caused by dry skin, too. Foundation and concealer tend to stick to dry areas of the skin. They also seep into the lines on your face when you don’t moisturize. Moisturizing at night and before applying makeup will save you a lot of time trying to cover up dry areas.

How To Properly Use A Moisturizer

girl applying moisturizer to her legs

1 – Establish A Skincare Routine

Moisturizers cannot do everything—they need help from other products. You have to cleanse and exfoliate as well. A few other hydrating and repairing products will help your moisturizer keep your skin glowing.

 2 – Go All The Way

When you apply moisturizer, make sure to apply all the way down to your neck. Most people do not realize that their neck is an extension of their face. Plus, it has skin that can get dry and wrinkled, too.

3 – Moisturize While Your Skin Is Damp

Damp skin absorbs products better. Applying moisturizer right after you take a shower or wash your face with a gentle facial wash helps your skin better absorb the moisturizer and lock it in.

4 – Do A Patch Test Before Using A New Moisturizer

Your skin can have negative reactions to a certain moisturizer if it does not suit your skin. You can have clogged pores, breakouts, or worse, an allergic reaction. Before you commit to a moisturizer, do a patch test on your inner arm to make sure it will agree with your skin.

5 – Use A Moisturizer That Suits Your Skin Type

There are different skin types that have different needs. As such, there are moisturizers that are suitable for each skin type. For instance, if you have oily skin, you should find an oil-free moisturizer; and if you have sensitive skin, you should use a gentle moisturizer. People with sensitive skin (as well as those who don’t) will benefit most from a natural skincare routine because natural ingredients are not harsh on the skin.

Bonus Tip Using a body mist while out and about can be a great way to freshen up, moisturize and smell great!

Take Note

Moisturizing is an indispensable part of skincare. Even scientists and researchers agree that moisturizing is critically important. A moisturizer will protect and nourish your skin so it can stay supple and glowing even as you age. The next time you think twice about moisturizing, remember these 6 reasons it’s important to moisturize your skin regularly.

70 thoughts on “Why Is It Important To Moisturize Your Skin?

  1. Sandy Klocinski says:

    Moisturizing reduces skin problems! Extremes are harmful for skin. It also conceals skin blemishes

  2. Susan Smith says:

    It wasn’t until I starting getting fine lines that I realized how important moisturizing is.

  3. David Hollingsworth says:

    It’s essential to moisturize your skin, but you may want to use natural ingredients. You don’t want to use artificial items.

  4. Thomas Gibson says:

    Thanks for the awesome post. Many forget that our skin is our largest organ and it is very important to keep good care of.

  5. Angelica says:

    This is such a great article! I’m terrible at moisturizing and it’s extra bad because I have naturally dry skin, like, VERY dry. Hopefully I can finally concrete the habit of full body moisturizing during all this time at home!

  6. Marlene V says:

    Ever since I started moisturizing both in the morning and evening my acne improved. I truly believe in make sure your skin is moisturizing to help with the appearance of your skin and lessen the effect of aging!

  7. G. King says:

    Really useful summary of the rational behind moisturizing your skin. I learned far, far too much of this stuff the hard way. Great article.

  8. alisha eiler says:

    I lotion from head to toe after a shower. I do it because I want baby soft skin. it’s important to feel moisturized.

  9. Anne Scott says:

    Wow! So many benefits from simply using moisturizer! Thank you for all the great information.

  10. Jennifer says:

    The first part of the article was very informative. I never realized there were so many different kinds of moisturizer. I plan on looking at what I have in my medicine cabinet once I get home.

  11. Gabrielle says:

    My mom and grandmother impressed the importance of skincare on me at an early age. I’ve been moisturizing since I was 12.

  12. Michael Coovert says:

    Agreed. Moisturizing is crucial to having great skin as well as the longevity of great skin. That’s another great thing that is emphasized now so much more than when I was a kid. I wish I had started moisturizing a lot sooner than I did.

  13. Laura says:

    I’ve always moisturized my neck and throat with the same cream I use on the face. I’m almost 69 and look much younger thanks to that.

  14. Jessie Garcia says:

    I have always been told to moisturize my body but have never considered all the benefits.

  15. shelby says:

    there is also a difference between face and body moisturiser, and buying what suits your skin is so important .

  16. Valerie Seal says:

    I’ve always moisturised without thought, but having spent a week ill in hospital with covid-19 I came to realise what damage is done to the skin without moisturisation! Needless to say I’ve made sure I do this now!

  17. Jillian Porter says:

    I’m always nervous to try new products. I’ll need to make the plunge though! Thanks for the tips.

  18. aena b. says:

    I’m actually acne-prone, oily-skin and for years I’ve been using products that uses active acids such as AHAs and BHAs to at least address my breakouts and flare-ups. This actually made my skin very very dehydrated. Initially, I thought they were aging lines but then I can realize I’m still a young adult and I shouldn’t have these lines on my forehead. Only then when I had it checked that despite being oily-skin, my skin is dehydrated and I shouldn’t be so negligent on moisturizing. When I started including moisturizers on my routine, the line got increasingly unrecognizable and my skin had be a little bit better so I do agree it’s really important to moisturize, EVEN if you’re oily skin.

  19. Lisa M says:

    The skin benefits most definitely from moisturizer. I have proven this to my husband by the way his feet benefit. If he goes only a few days without it. The extremely dry skin is proof.

  20. Jo-Ann Brightman says:

    I was neither aware of the different types of moisturizers nor of the many uses. I just used it as a emollient. Now I have a better understanding.

  21. Dianne says:

    Moisturising is so important especially with the harshness of the Australian climate and now the extremes in temperature from the heating inside and the cold outside this winter.

  22. Brenna M says:

    I’ve never been good about moisturizing my skin. 😐
    Thank you for a good, informative article and the reminder.

  23. Jeanette Leighton says:

    After reading this I will definitely be moisturising more , I didn’t know a lot of this especially regarding aging 😳

  24. Amanda Botterill says:

    I didn’t moisturise when I was younger, but definitely do now that my skin is aging

  25. Djurida Widjaja says:

    As a nurse working a hectic schedule, keeping my skin moisturized and healthy takes effort and time. Looking for a solution like Utama Spice would keep my skin looking healthy and sparkling and my sensitivity under control. The skin is like a map to our health and well being. It gets exposed to the weather and chemicals, so keeping it healthy and moisturized would be 100% fundamental to ensuring wellness 24/7. Thanks Utama Spice for such a wonderful inspiration!

  26. Kristen H. says:

    Thanks for writing this article and explaining what the different types of moisturizers are and what benefits people can see from using them. Also, thanks for explaining how to properly use a moisturizer. I’m definitely more interested in moisturizing my skin heading forward as a result of having read this article.

Comments are closed.