Whether your skin is dry, normal, or even oily, if you can only
afford one skin care product, experts say, your dollars will be well spent on a
good moisturizer. "Sometimes, all you really need is a good moisturizer
and a mild cleanser, and you can take years off your face," says New York
University professor Rhoda Narins, MD, president of the American Society of
Dermatologic Surgery. When skin is dry, says Narins, every wrinkle is
accentuated, making you look older.
If you're in your 20s or 30s, doctors say, moisturizers will give
you some of the protection you need to keep skin from prematurely aging.
"In your 20s and early 30s, a good moisturizer can take the
place of a lot of products," says Park Avenue plastic surgeon Darrick
Antell, MD. So what exactly is a "good" moisturizer? Dermatologist
Charles E. Crutchfield III, MD, describes it this way: "It's a product
that will do anything from gently adding moisture, to sealing in the moisture
you've achieved, to helping your skin produce more moisture -- and which type
you choose should be based on your skin's individual needs."
If skin is normal to dry, look for moisturizers containing alpha
hydroxy acids. They can help skin produce more moisture on its own, Crutchfield
says. Such products include Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Daily
Moisturizerand Anew Advanced All In One Cream by Avon.
Products such as AmLactin XL – the over-the-counter version of the
prescription cream Lac-Hydrin – not only contain alpha hydroxy acids, but also
a new ceramide technology to seal in moisture. "You put on when you skin
is slightly damp, and it locks in all the water," says Crutchfield, an
associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota
Medical School.
If skin is very dry, he also suggests products using a technology
called vesicular emulsion. "This technology uses microscopic spheres that are
alternating layers of moisture and water that slowly release throughout the
day, so you get continual moisturization," says Crutchfield. Products
using this type of technology include Atopalm and Curel.
If skin is oily, look for a light, gentle
moisturizer – but don't skip this step, cautions Crutchfield. "Oil is not moisture, and even if you have
excess oil you still need moisture," he says. Recommended products include
Aveeno with Colloidal Oatmeal, Vanicream Light, Neutrogena Oil-Free
Moisturizer, or Cetaphil Moisturizer.
