Back to Basics with Pomp: Moisturizers

Back to Basics with Pomp: Moisturizers

As a medical esthetician, I’ve worked with hundreds of clients over the years and my first recommendation is the same for everyone I see: get on a good at-home skincare routine. Skincare is your first step in improving the appearance of your skin; moisturizers play a huge role in that. Moisturizers can deliver nutrient-dense ingredients into the skin, hydrate, and reduce a variety of skin concerns depending on the ingredients. Whether you have dry, oily, sensitive, or combination skin, the right moisturizer will always benefit your skin. I know that the world of moisturizers can be overwhelming so I’ll be recommending a few professional-grade options according to skin type and concerns. 

Moisturizer Benefits

Alleviate Skin Issues & Hydrate Skin:

Adding a professional-grade moisturizer that is suitable for your skin type and concerns can be a game-changer. Dehydrated skin is the root cause of many skin issues. Our skin already has many external factors to fight against like: wind, UVA/UVB rays, pore-clogging ingredients, etc. When our skin is dehydrated, our skin barrier naturally becomes impaired causing irritation and redness. This can lead to things like premature aging, fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, dermatitis, eczema, and more. Adding the right moisturizer to your daily routine can help to plump and hydrate the skin, fighting off the potential for unwanted skin conditions.

Deliver Ingredients To Target Troubled Areas:

Luckily, professional-grade moisturizers have a wide variety of ingredients that can help to both repair the skin's barrier and target specific issues. That being said, there are so many products with extravagant claims it can cause a lot of confusion for consumers looking to improve their skin. Below are some ingredients that I recommend looking for in a moisturizer depending on your skin goals.

Ingredients

Ceramides: Lipids that help play a role in the strength of the skin. Helps retain moisture and acts as a natural barrier to the skin to fight off pollutants and increase skin barrier function. Great for all skin types. 

Hyaluronic Acid: Often abbreviated as HA and naturally found within the tissues throughout our bodies. Has properties that help retain water molecules within the skin which can help keep the skin plump and hydrated. Can help heal irritation and redness by reducing inflammation in the skin. Great for all skin types. (Fun fact: Hyaluronic acid can hold 1000 times its weight in water.)

Peptides: Made up of small amino acid chains that create proteins like collagen. These are the building blocks of the skin which aid in the cellular regeneration process. Peptides penetrate the skin easily due to their small size and can help prevent aging by telling the body to produce more collagen and elastin. This in turn helps to reduce inflammation and fine lines, while improving skin elasticity and healing time. Great for all skin types, especially post treatment.

Vitamin C: An antioxidant responsible for fighting off oxidative stress such as air pollutants and UV rays. Aids in brightening the skin and reducing hyperpigmentation. Improves the appearance of sunspots, fine lines, wrinkles, acne, and overall skin tone. Especially great for those with hyperpigmentation and melasma. Great for most skin types. Can be irritating for those with rosacea or impaired skin barrier. Not for those who have a citrus allergy.

Glycolic Acid: Often abbreviated as AHA, this chemical exfoliator is derived from sugarcane and aids in cellular turnover by clearing away the top layer of dead skin cells and oil. Helps brighten and improve overall skin tone, minimizes appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and unclog pores. A natural anti-bacterial, it can inhibit the production of bacteria, helping to reduce congestion and acne. Especially great for those with small bumps and congestion under the skin. Great for all skin types.

Retinoids: Derivatives of Vitamin A. Helps speed up cellular turnover, reducing acne, fine lines, wrinkles, and unwanted pigmentation. Helps to reduce oil production in the skin. May cause skin irritation if introduced incorrectly. Great for most skin types. Avoid if the skin barrier is impaired (over exfoliation, rosacea, dermatitis, etc) or if pregnant.

Things to be mindful of with Moisturizers

Improper storage: Storing product is important. Make sure you are fully closing containers so they remain air tight. Extreme temperatures can lessen the efficacy of a product or even dismantle their molecular makeup, causing them to be ineffective so be sure they are in a temperature safe environment.

Expiration date: Most skincare products have the shelf life of a year. If they say otherwise, they might not have the best ingredients to keep their product from expiring.

Sourcing of ingredients: Over the counter skin care can often be diluted with fillers, fragrance, and harmful ingredients that can both hinder the results you get from using them while also potentially causing skin issues so making sure you are using a reliable professional brand is ideal. The efficacy of your skincare products will make a huge difference in the results you see.

Cross-contamination: Many products come in packaging with pumps but for those products you might have with a lid, make sure you are scooping product out with a clean tool or freshly washed hands. Bacteria can easily spread within your product just like anything else so keep that in mind when applying.

Contrasting ingredients: When using active ingredients, make sure you aren’t using too many different products with active ingredients at the same time.  If you are unsure of what is too much or too little, check with your esthetician and review everything you are using within your routine together.

Moisturizers I recommend*

Age Intervention Peptide Extreme (Jan Marini): Filled with peptides to assist in plumping and firming of the skin. Great for daily use, especially sensitive or post procedure to aid with healing time.

Reparative Moisture Emulsion (iS Clinical): Reduces appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Light and luxurious texture. Contains HA and peptides. Great for all skin types, especially oily and sensitive skin. (My personal favorite)

Age Intervention Duality (Jan Mirini): Two part product, one with retinol and other with benzoyl peroxide. Lightweight consistency that absorbs easily into the skin. Great for acne prone skin and anti-aging.

Ceramide Hydrating Cream (Global Skin Solutions): Especially good for compromised barriers and dry skin. Repairs and restores acid mantle. Great for all skin types.

Hydraglow (Clearstem): Helps regenerate new skin cells, hydrate, and plump. Great for all skin types, especially for acne prone skin.

*As always, please speak with your assigned esthetician to decide which moisturizer is right for you!