i wanna be productive so let's talk about skincare again. after covering the basics about cleansers & toners, time to talk about moisturisers 


disclaimers 
part i • https://twitter.com/dunwhalers/status/1247175749162766336?s=20
part ii • https://twitter.com/dunwhalers/status/1247175751486435328?s=20

part i • https://twitter.com/dunwhalers/status/1247175749162766336?s=20
part ii • https://twitter.com/dunwhalers/status/1247175751486435328?s=20


things i will talk about include:
• what is a moisturiser
• what it does & who needs it
• types of moisturiser
• moisturiser cheats/hacks or whatever you wanna call it
• products recommendation


a concoction of prepared ingredients, a moisturiser is used to (obviously) moisturise, hydrate, protect and lubricate the skin. contrary to popular and old school beliefs, moisturiser is for EVERYONE regardless your skin type.
old school skincare practices like to think that since moisturiser is meant to lubricate, it is only purposeful for people with dry skin. however, this is FALSE. the key here isn't "let's stop moisturising" but rather "let's find the RIGHT moisturiser for my skin type."


first off, let's get a little science and understand the 3 layers that form our skin:
1. hypodermis
2. dermis
3. epidermis (where our stratum corneum, aka the skin barrier lies)



• hypodermis: consists of layers of fat, blood vessels and nerves
• dermis: sebaceous glands responsible in sebum production
• epidermis: the topmost layer of our skin responsible for protection. it's also where our stratum corneum (aka skin barrier) lies.
• dermis: sebaceous glands responsible in sebum production
• epidermis: the topmost layer of our skin responsible for protection. it's also where our stratum corneum (aka skin barrier) lies.
moisturiser is used to lock water from escaping your skin thus preventing unwanted trans-epidermal water loss, abbreviated as TEWL or TWL through the epidermis. similarly, it's also easy for TWEL to happen due to external irritants/factors.
the reason why i constantly stress the importance of GENTLE cleansers is that like changes in temperature, exposure to irritants (e.g SLES/SLS in your cleanser) will upset your skin's natural balance, removing the lipids therefore causing major increase in TEWL.
for dry skin people, it's self-explanatory that you guys will want moisturisers to prevent TWEL. but for combo/oily skin, not locking that hydration in may lead to a condition called DEHYDRATED skin, leading to damaged stratum corneum (aka more oil, more acne, more irritation)



EVERYONE



whatever products you use to moisturise (aka lock in that hydration) your face, you NEED
TO
MOISTURISE
it can be a hydrating serum, an emulsion – whatever, as long as it's something to lock in that hydration.
and this brings us to the next category



and this brings us to the next category



there are 3 (+1) types of face moisturisers:











further reading on humectants
















*thick occlusive creams are also recommended for super dry, itchy and eczema skin







the reason i decided to dedicate a space solely for ceramide is because:
1. ceramide is naturally present in our skin
2. ceramide is perhaps the star ingredient you'd want to look for or focus on if you have compromised skin barrier




remember when i said some people believe that they don't need moisturiser? yeah, chances are they're still moisturising/hydrating their skin ONLY with a different product aka one that isn't labelled/sold as a moisturiser

i'm a fan of serums but usually for targeted treatments like dullness, oil control, etc. some people, however, use hydrating serums (like a hyaluronic acid + vit B5 serum!) or oils like avocado oils*
*be careful if you have combo/oily skin though!

yes it exists! some SPFs are more lightweight & fast absorbing because they're usually targeted for people with oily, acne-prone skin. HOWEVER, hydrating SPFs do exist and some people think they can skip moisturiser if they have this at hand.

they're generally loaded with essences and are known to be very hydrating. i consider sheet masks as single-use disposable hydrators that i don't really like purchasing on daily basis due to unsustainable budget but hey, you do you boo!





like i said before, they key is to find the RIGHT product
