A great moisturizer is the foundation of any skincare routine, no matter how minimal. If everyone’s skin is unique though, how do you go about finding the best moisturier for you?
Today, we’re covering how to find your perfect moisturiser.
Why Moisturise?
If you’ve got skin that’s prone to oiliness, maybe you skip out on moisturising because you read somewhere that oily skin is moisturised enough. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
We use moisturisers because they can help with core skin maintenance like:
- providing extra hydration to dry or irritated skin;
- balancing your skin’s natural oil and moisture levels;
- creating a protective barrier to lock in your natural moisture and;
- keeping your skin shielded from outside bacteria and pollution.
Picking The Right Moisturiser
With so many options, your choices can be daunting. Do you want it light or thick? Gel or cream? And that’s even before we get into the multitude of ingredients!
Even between moisturizers from different brands that have similar ingredients, your skin might respond better to one rather than another.
While there’s no easy way to figure this out there are a few things to make your decision easier.
Skin Type:
Use this as your starting point. In general, thick moisturisers aren’t great if you’ve got oily skin. The same goes for lightweight or gel types on skin that’s dry or flaky. Just because a moisturizer sounds good or is trending on TikTok, that isn’t a reason to buy it. Be honest with yourself and choose your products based on your skin type!
For more about TikTok K-Beauty trends, tune into this episode of the Korean Beauty Show podcast:
Ingredients:
When you know your skin, you’ll be able to figure out the go-to ingredients that suit it. Vitamin C is often in brightening moisturisers. If you’ve got dry skin, you’ll see beta glucan in a lot of Korean moisturisers that are perfect for you. A little research can go a long way here. Luckily, SS Founder Lauren has done the hard work for you! Check out this episode of the Korean Beauty Show podcast where she runs through the perfect Korean Beauty ingredient for your skin type.
Our Favourite K-Beauty Moisturisers
Still struggling with how to find your perfect moisturiser? To make things even easier, here’s a list of our picks for the various skin types.
All Skin Types
Hydrating enough to help dry skin yet suitable for oily/acne-prone skin, Jelly Ko’s Bubble Tea Steam Creamis a do-it-all moisturiser!
Developed in collaboration with Korea’s best cosmetic chemists, this is a nourishing moisturiser that’s suitable for everyone. It is packed with Vitamin E, niacinamide, panthenol and beta glucan. Bubble Tea Steam Cream also contains anti-ageing ingredients to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
Mature Skin
As we get older, our skin needs a little extra TLC. If you’re noticing dark spots, wrinkles and lines, try APLB’s Retinol Vitamin A Cream. This beautifully textured moisturizer contains all the ingredients you’d expect for a premium anti-ageing formula. Collagen, retinol, squalane, niacinamide and sea buckthorn deeply nourish and brighten your skin.
Dry, Irritated Skin
We’ve spoken before about the importance of protecting your skin barrier. Irritated and dry skin is often a symptom of a weakened skin barrier.
A great way to get your skin back on track is with Dr Jart’sCeramidin Cream. Containing ceramides, panthenol and licorice, it visibly improves rough, itchy or flaky skin.
Extremely Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin needs to be treated carefully. For the gentlest approach, we love Benton’s Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel. It contains natural aloe vera and propolis and is alcohol and fragrance free. The lightweight gel soothes irritated skin, brightens skin tone and maintains hydration.
Acne-Prone Skin
If pimples are a common occurrence, add in some acne-busting skincare acids. For a moisturiser packed with tried and true acids, we love SOME BY MI’s AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Cream. This non-greasy gel combines three key acids and helps to remove dead skin. It targets the dirt and debris that can block and clog pores, which also lead to breakouts.
Have you found the perfect moisturiser for your skin? Let us know how you did it and which product you’re loving in the comments below!
"Moisturizers improves skin hydration and increases stratum corneum water content by directly providing water to the skin from their water phase and increasing occlusion to reduce trans-epidermal water loss, it also covers small skin fissures, provides a soothing protective film and protects skin from friction."
