Face cream is probably the most important cosmetic product we choose the most carefully, invest in the most, and use the most often. In the modern world, we probably can't imagine a day without using cosmetics. We may not feel so bad if we don't have a face cleanser, but as soon as the cream runs out, we rush to buy a new one. Face cream - a cosmetic product we can't live without
Human skin, especially the face, suffers greatly from the harmful effects of the environment - pollution, UV rays, cold, heat, oxidation, conditioners, heating and similar factors, therefore additional skin protection is a really important factor in order to preserve healthy and beautiful skin for as long as possible. The choice of the product itself is very individual, because not only people's skin types differ, but also working conditions, living habits, nutrition, climatic conditions and other important facts. When choosing a face cream, it is important to make sure that it will really be useful. It is very important that the product ensures the proper moisture balance of the skin, strengthens the skin's protective barrier, and replenishes the skin with antioxidants. If the cream is good, it will definitely be suitable for both day and night, including under the eyes, there is really no need to have separate products. Of course, if you have combination skin, it may be difficult to find one suitable product, but you will always find advice on how to choose the right one in my book "Smart Beauty: The Bible of Glowing Skin".
What are the most important criteria when choosing face creams?
I will highlight a few important things to pay attention to when buying a cream. Ideally, your cream will meet all of the following requirements:
Packaging - let's start our search with the packaging. If the product is offered in a screw-top jar, it will not be the best product you could choose. By constantly opening the jar, the beneficial substances contained in the cream will react with air and light, and after opening it several times, the product will lose its active properties. Therefore, I recommend always choosing a metered and opaque cream bottle.
Fragrance. After all, when choosing skin care products, the first impression is always formed by smelling how it smells. And as sad as it may be, this criterion often determines the decision to buy. Fragrances do not have any positive effect on our skin, and allergens in fragrances will definitely harm it - if they do not cause visible reactions, they will definitely slow down the skin's renewal processes and the production of healthy cells, which will accelerate the skin's aging processes. So, using a fragrant face cream enriched with allergens is a bad choice, unless the fragrance does not contain allergenic particles - for this you need to read the label, the substances in fragrances will almost always be at the end of the list.
Moisturizers. First and foremost, the main task of a cream is to moisturize the skin. Depending on the skin type, hydration can be "greasy" or lighter. If the skin is drier, the composition should also include natural oils, triglycerides, squalane, which help restore moisture balance. And other best moisturizers, necessary for all skin types - hyaluronic acid, ceramides, oligosaccharides, glycerin, collagen, elastin, proteins, amino and fatty acids, etc. It is very important that the composition contains not one, but several moisturizing substances.
Fight wrinkles. Especially if you are over 23-25 years old, your face cream should definitely contain anti-aging ingredients. So far, scientific research has not found better ingredients than vitamin A, vitamin B3, vitamin C, and various forms of peptides. At least a few of them should definitely be in the composition. Gold, placenta, caviar, or stem cells are not the ingredients you should trust.
Pore-clogging ingredients are also very important, especially if you have oily skin and suffer from clogged pores and excess sebum production. Natural oils can clog pores, as can thickeners in facial creams, such as isopropyl isostearate, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl linolate, isopropyl palmitate, isostearyl isostearate, isocetyl alcohol, ethylhexyl palmitate, etc. Also, natural ones to avoid are cocoa and coconut butter, soy, sesame, wheat germ oils, and a few others.
Alcohol is another favorite ingredient of manufacturers due to its exceptional properties and help in the production of cosmetics. If you find alcohol in the composition of the product, especially at the beginning (ethanol, denatured alcohol, ethyl alcohol, methanol, benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, SD alcohol), definitely go look for something else. Alcohol in cosmetics is harmful to all skin types - not only does it dry the skin or, on the contrary, stimulate the production of sebum, but it also slows down the skin's renewal processes and the production of new cells. It will not help acne-damaged skin either - studies show that alcohol can stimulate the growth of acne bacteria.
These would be the main criteria that a good face cream should meet. Of course, there are many more things that are not mentioned here, but I would say that these criteria are the most important and if you follow them, you will choose a really good product.
