Choosing the right body moisturizer

Day in and day out, our skin is subjected to harmful elements. Soap, sun, wind, indoor heating, hot showers and baths – these all play a role in dehydrating our epidermis. Lucky for us, moisturizing milks, lotions, creams, emulsions and butters come to the rescue, but which moisturizing product should you choose?

Categories of body moisturizers

Most body moisturizers contain varying amounts of humectants and occlusive agents. The more dehydrated the skin, the more it will need products containing larger quantities of occlusive ingredients.

• Humectant moisturizers (composed mostly of water and a small quantity of oil): They provide immediate hydration. Milks, lotions and creams fall under this category.
• Occlusive moisturizers (with oil as their main ingredient): They retain water in the skin. Butters and ointments are included in this category.

What is your skin type?

We can never stress this enough: to be effective, a product has to be adapted to your skin type. What is your skin type? If you don’t know, ask one of our dermo-cosmetic consultants for help. She can conduct a skin analysis using a special device made for this purpose.

You want your moisturizer to nourish your skin, but you also want it to work for you in other ways, depending on your skin type:

• Normal skin: Maintain your skin’s natural hydration
• Dry, sensitive skin: Hydrate, repair and soothe itching and tightness
• Combination to oily skin: Regulate hydration

The right ingredients

Ultimately, the type of moisturizer you choose is a question of personal preference. Whether you opt for a lotion, a milk or a cream, what matters most is the nature and quality of the ingredients.

• In butters, ointments and oils, look for these ingredients: mineral oil, shea butter, lanoline, beeswax and petroleum jelly.
• In creams, milks and lotions, seek out: vitamin E, glycerine, urea, hyaluronic acid and aloe (for its anti-inflammatory properties), honey, shea butter, mango oil and cocoa butter.

Applying your body moisturizer

Its use is straightforward, of course, but oh so important. Here are a few tips on applying body moisturizer :

• Use it once or twice a day on clean, dry skin, ideally just after bathing or showering
• Massage well to make sure the product penetrates the skin and to stimulate blood flow

If you find your skin to be quite damaged, you may want to round out your routine with a nightly application of repairing cream containing glycolic (fruit acids: AHA) or lactic acids.
The use of this type of complementary product for two to four weeks will promote better water retention by your skin and help it regain its moisture and suppleness.

Pharmacy services

Looking for a body moisturizer? Visit your Uniprix store and ask your dermo-cosmetic consultant for guidance.