How does moisturizer work?
There are 3 layers of the skin: 1. the epidermis (the outermost layer), 2. The dermis (the middle layer), and the 3. Hypodermis (the deepest layer).
When the water content of the outermost layer falls below 10%, you will feel that your skin is dry and rough. This is when you definitely need a moisturizer, which helps make your skin supple by:
1. Restoring moisture to your skin by supplying water to the skin and pulling moisture up from the middle layer to the outer layer; and
2. Sealing the skin with occlusive ingredients to prevent water from evaporating.
How to find the right moisturizer for your skin type?
Choose it for your skin type
Dry skin: If you have dry skin, look for richer and heavier texture like cream or lotion that can help your skin to prevent moisture from evaporating.
Combination skin: You can do multi-moisturizing, i.e. using different moisturizers for the dry and oily parts of your skin. Or you can simply use a moisturizer with gel-cream texture, that can care for both parts of your face.
Oily skin: Use a lightweight oil-free moisturizer to prevent skin from getting greasy and pores from getting clogged.
Also, beware that you should also use a lighter moisturizer in summer and heavier lotion or cream in winter; as well as lighter one in the morning and richer one at night.
When applying your moisturizer, make sure your skin is damp as damp skin absorbs skincare much quicker.
Look for key ingredients that target your skin concerns
Understand your skin so that you can look for skincare ingredients that can precisely improve your specific skin concerns.
Common skin concerns include:
Acne: Pimples, acne scarring, blackhead, enlarged pores, etc.
Aging skin: Fine lines and wrinkles, saggy skin, dull skin, etc.
Hyperpigmentation: Freckles, sunspots, acne spots, melasma, age spots, etc.
Our editors have picked 3 drugstore moisturizers that target different skin types and skin concerns.
Before applying anything, my skin’s moisture and oil level is 32% & 42% respectively. As it’s already summer, my combination skin now leans more on the oily side.
Let’s first take a look at the texture of the 3 moisturizers. You can easily tell the difference from the photos above that:
(a) Pink by Pure Beauty So Smooth Pudding Cream
Perfect for oily skin:
The translucent gel-like moisturizer is light as feather and sinks into my skin immediately on contact, leaving no trace of stickiness or tackiness. This is absolutely perfect for oily skin, especially in summer.
Along with the hydration boosting pink flower complex, the pudding cream contains amazing soothing ingredients such as niacinamide. It is also great for acne-prone skin as it is infused with melia azadirachta leaf extract and moringa oleifera seed oil.
My skin feels supple and refreshed after applying the pudding cream, with hydration level boosted to 47% and oil level dropped to 21%. This is my go-to moisturizer in a hot summer morning and it prevents my skin to become “shiny” until late afternoon.
(b) Pure Beauty Urban Shield Antioxidant Renewal Night Cream
Great for combination skin at night:
The Urban Shield night cream is slightly thicker with a gel-cream consistency, which glides smoothly and easily on my skin.
The range targets to protect the skin against the damaging effects from pollutants and blue lights, and it is packed with antioxidants such as fermented pomegranate extract, caprylic, olea europaea (olive), centella asiatica extract, scutellaria baicalensis extract, camellia sinensis leaf extract. It helps boost the skin’s antioxidant activities and strengthen its ability in fighting against free radicals, as well as to repair the oxidative damage while you sleep.
The cream is opaque, creamy but not heavy. It melts into my skin quickly, leaving it a subtle dewy finish. I tested it on my hand, as shown below, and the moisturizer level of my skin got a boost (from 32% to 46%)! And when I applied it on my face in the evening, I could almost feel that the active ingredients working throughout the night. In the next morning, my skin is brightened and plump with no greasiness!
(c) Collagen by Watsons Youth Secret Night Cream
Best for aging or dry skin:
With a luxurious silky texture that is richest amongst the 3 moisturizers, the night cream is able to curb and protect dry or aging skin by efficiently preventing moisture evaporation to keep the skin soft and smooth.
It comprises the patented ingredient Collaboost, the range targets to strengthen and improve the quality of the collagen network structure of your skin by:
- Antioxidation & Energizing the skin
- Vitalizing & volumizing the skin
The cream also boosts skin regeneration and hydration with sunflower seed oil and persea gratissima. Avocado fruit extract also helps reinforce a firm feeling as well as strengthen the skin’s barrier, while lupinus albus seed extract promotes the production of collagen to increase skin firmness and elasticity. This will in turn help minimize fine lines and wrinkles, and restore skin vitality and radiance.
It’s nourishing and hydrating, making my complexion smoother and firmer when I wake up the next morning.
Editor’s Info
Pippi, 25-30 years old, Virgos
Combination skin in summer and dry in winter
Adventurous with the latest skincare trends
Believes that imperfections are perfect
