Are you over moisturizing?

When winters set in they bring in the usual host of cold spine chilling winds. If only the aches were limited to our bones. But alongside the shivering and chattering teeth, we have to deal with our skin that is trying to do the impression of a drought-plagued desert.

The simplest solution is to moisturize. Moisturise regularly and moisturize heavily... Right? Whilst applying moisturizer to ward off the ill effects of winter on our skin is a good idea, one must be aware of the hidden dangers that over moisturizing presents.

Hidden Dangers? How so?

According to medical studies and research, it is quite possible to get your skin too hydrated. Prolonged over-hydration or excessive use of moisturizers can lead to your skin becoming dependent on skin creams, moisturizers, etc. for the required moisture.

How and why does this happen? Well, a moisturizer is made up of water, lipid, and proteins in different percentages, amongst other things. Our skin's surface contains the same substances that it uses as building blocks and as a part of its structure.

When we slather on all that cream and regularly continue moisturizing, our skin sends a message to our body that basically states that all the required nutrients and water are already present. When our body receives a message like this, it is forced to stop sending the required nutrients and water to the epidermis. When this happens, our skin starts depending upon skin creams and moisturizers for its nourishment.

This dependency on external sources for moisture and nutrition leads to our skin becoming much more irritable, and drier than before and makes it weaker. If that is not enough, Moisturisers also slow and sometimes stop the natural exfoliation process of the skin and this leads to the build-up of dead cells on our skin's surface.

Dos and Don't of moisturizing

1. Choose a moisturizer that suits you. Everyone has unique skin needs. It can be dry, overly sensitive, oily, or even a combination of those, so pick a cream that suits your needs and fulfills those requirements.


2. Use more than one moisturizer: By that, we mean to use one for your face and one for your body.


3. Include SPF: If your moisturizer does not have an SPF value of at least 15 then it may not prevent the harmful UVA and UVB rays from the sun from damaging your skin.


4. Don't forget those circles under the eyes: The skin around our eyes is super sensitive, even more so than the rest of our skin. Get a specialized moisturizer for the skin around your eyes.


5. Don't use moisturizer when your skin is dry: The best time to moisturize is after a shower or a bath. This is because our pores open up at such a time and will take in moisturizer and lock it in much more effectively.

It seems the axiom, "Too much of a good thing, can be a bad thing" applies here. So be wise and moisturize smart.  We hope this article helps you avoid the skin woes of winter and the ills of over-moisturizing.