Let’s start by establishing the difference between a cream, oil, and lotion. Well, oil is just oil. It is a great sealer. And the best way to treat a dry skin is to seal the moisture in by forming a protective barrier/layer over skin. The difference between a cream and a lotion is the oil-to-water ratio. Creams have more oil than water, and lotions have less oil.
Spending too much time in a bath tub can decrease the effect of your moisturizers. When you step out of your bath tub, before you grab a towel, apply a body oil or a rich moisturizer to your damp skin because all moisturizers work better when the skin is still wet. Glycerin and petrolatum should be two of the first ingredients on the container if you have extremely dry skin.
- Dry skin: Oil based moisturizers work best for dry skin. Johnson’s creamy moisturizing oil is a good choice.
- Normal skin: a water based moisturizer with light oils is required for normal skin. Stay away form intense moisturizing lotions as they can do more harm than good.
- Oily skin: This is an easy one. Stay away from oil based moisturizers. Pick oil-free, water-based moisturizers.
- Sensitive skin: Avoid products that contain fragrance, paraffin, and lanolin. Use products that are designed for sensitive skin.
Always read the ingredient label when buying any products. Start reading from the first all the way to the last ingredient. If water is the first ingredient listed on the container that means the product has a high percentage of water. Therefore, the product is water based. The same goes for oil based moisturizers.
