Anti Aging Skin Care » Skin Moisturizers Ingredients

Skin Moisturizers Ingredients

While selecting skin care products, it is advisable you read the ingredients list prior to making a choice. How many of us actually do that. Even if we do, how many women really know what ingredients to look for?

Moisturizers form an integral part of a skin care routine. However, due to their complex ingredients, it often becomes confusing to choose one over the other. If you know what moisturizing ingredients to search, you can omit the confusion and select the best moisturizing products for your skin. Here are some best and efficient moisturizing ingredients that help make your skin soft and hydrated.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs)
AHAs are powerful skin care ingredients that help to remove dead skin cells that build up on the surface and reduce skin dryness. They improve the exfoliation process of the skin thus revealing fresh and smooth skin cells from underneath. This in turn, helps the skin to absorb other active ingredients of skin care products more efficiently. Due to this reason, AHA-based skin moisturizers are able to sink into the skin and distribute intensive hydration. However, AHAs often tend to increase the skin's susceptibility to UV damage. Therefore, it is extremely essential to wear a sunscreen while using AHA-based skin care products.

Antioxidants
Antioxidants are specific molecules that protect the skin from harmful free radicals and thus prevent skin dryness, skin damage, pigmentation and premature aging. They are found in oils and waters contained in moisturizer bases. Moreover, they also help to protect skin cell membranes. Dry skin is extremely susceptible to environmental damage and therefore benefits greatly from using antioxidants.

Emollients
Emollients are powerful moisturizing ingredients that toughen the protective barrier of the skin in order to improve the moisture retention capabilities of the skin. They are also exceptional lubricants and therefore are used extensively in skin care products. They actually fill in the spaces between rough, dead cells to achieve a soft, smooth look and feel. Shea butter, lactic acid, petrolatum, lanolin, petrolatum, cyclomethicone, dimethicone copolyol, glyceryl stearates and propylene glycol linoleate, silicone, mineral oil and plant oils are common examples of emollients.

Humectants
Humectants help to attract moisture from the air into your skin. However, for humectants to adequately hydrate the skin, the humidity of the air must be at least seventy percent. If the air does not have sufficient moisture in it, humectants will be unable to absorb any moisture and therefore fail to hydrate the skin. Humectants are also helpful to relive skin damage by sun and dehydration. Some of the common humectants found in skin care products are haluronic acid, glycerin, butylene glycol, propylene glycerol, sorbitol, sodium PCA, urea, panthenol and lactic acid.

Occlusives
Occlusives form a thick barrier coat over the skin's outer layers and therefore prevent moisture from evaporating. They are the most effective when applied on damp skin. However, occlusive ingredients are often oily in texture and tend to clog pores and thus promote acne. Therefore, occlusives are mostly used by people with extremely dry skin .Common forms of occlusives contain beeswax, caprylic/capric triglycerides, cyclomethicone, hydrogenated castor oil, mineral oil, lanolin, petrolatum, silicone, dimethicone and vegetable oils.