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Moisturizers: Options for softer skin

Find out what moisturizers can and can't do for your skin and how to select a moisturizer that suits your needs.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Moisturizers prevent and treat dry skin, but that's not all they do. They can protect sensitive skin, improve skin tone and texture, and mask imperfections. In fact, you can probably find a moisturizer that claims to address whatever concerns you, from dull skin to clogged pores. But can a simple bottle of moisturizer meet these high expectations?

Moisturizer ingredients

On the most basic level, moisturizers hold water in the outermost layer of skin. They also act as a temporary barrier. Many moisturizers contain some combination of humectants and emollients, as well as other ingredients.

  • Humectants (urea, glycerin, alpha hydroxy acids, others). These are substances that absorb water from the air and hold the moisture in the skin. Humectants need very high humidity levels to be effective. Humectants are also useful in softening thickened or scaly skin.
  • Emollients (lanolin, mineral oil, petrolatum, others). These ingredients fill in the spaces between the cells in the skin, helping replace lipids and thus smoothing and lubricating rough skin. Emollients are either oil based, which means that a small amount of water is dissolved in oil, or water based, which means they are primarily water and have a light, nongreasy feel. Oil-based creams leave a slight residue on the skin and have more staying power than water-based creams do. Water-based creams are easier to apply and don't leave much of a residue, but they don't have as much staying power. Most creams and lotions on the market are water based (for example, Vanicream and Cetaphil). Eucerin is an example of an oil-based cream.
  • Fragrances. Most moisturizers include fragrances, which give the product a fresh, pleasing odor and cover up the smell of other ingredients. Fragrances in skin-care products are the most likely cause of skin irritations or contact allergies.
  • Preservatives. Any product that includes water and oil must contain one or more preservatives to help prevent bacterial contamination after the product is opened. Most products contain multiple preservatives. These ingredients can sometimes cause skin allergies or reactions.

Moisturizers may include other ingredients as well, such as vitamins, minerals, plant extracts, sunscreens and sunless tanners. Some also contain ingredients that claim to boost your body's production of collagen and elastin, diminish stretch marks, smooth out wrinkles, paralyze muscles, unblock pores, and exfoliate dead skin cells. Many of these claims are unproved.

Keep in mind that there's no guarantee that any moisturizer will live up to all of its claims or even contain its advertised ingredients. Moisturizers are considered cosmetics, so the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates them in a different and more lenient manner than it does drugs. This means that products don't need to undergo the same rigorous testing for safety and effectiveness before going to market that prescription drugs do.

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References
  1. FDA authority over cosmetics. US Food and Drug Administration. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-206.html. Accessed Oct. 7, 2008.
  2. Baumann L. Cosmetics and skin care in dermatology. In: Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine, 7th ed. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc; 2008. http://accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3007166&searchStr=xerosis. Accessed Oct. 2, 2008.
  3. Miscellaneous emollients. Facts and Comparisons 4.0. http://online.factsandcomparisons.com/MonoDisp.aspx?book=DFC&monoID=fandc-hcp10748&nostem=False&searched=emollients. Accessed Oct. 7, 2008.
  4. Mature skin. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/MatureSkin.htm. Accessed Oct. 7, 2008.
  5. Cosmeceutical facts and your skin. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/Publications/pamphlets/Cosmetics.htm. Accessed Oct. 7, 2008.
  6. Gibson LE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 6, 2006.
  7. Skin care and aging. National Institute on Aging. http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/PDFs/Skin_Care_And_Aging.pdf. Accessed Oct. 8, 2008.

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Dec. 16, 2008

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