Top Moisturizers For Face - MOISTURIZERS 101

• Water. Since the majority of moisturizers are oil-in-water emulsions, they are by definition creams and lotions. If you look at the ingredient list, you’ll notice that water is frequently listed first. When you apply the moisturizer, part of the water evaporates but some also soak in.
  Water must be bound by an oily material since the stratum corneum can absorb water well but cannot bind it. You would only end up with greasy skin that is still dry and cracked if you applied an oily material to your skin without simultaneously replenishing it with water, either from the moisturizer or from another external source like a bath.
  In actuality, the best technique to soften skin is to first completely soak it in water, followed by a layer of something like Vaseline. However, it takes a lot of time and is messy, so unless your skin is severely dry, it is much simpler and more useful to use a moisturizer that contains water.

• Occlusives. Because they prevent water from evaporating, petroleum ether and other oil-based ingredients in moisturizers are frequently referred to as occlusives. Petrolatum is still a standard component in moisturizers despite all the many variants, and it is frequently listed as third or fourth in the ingredient list.
  Numerous fatty or waxy materials can act as occlusives.
  The most often used ones include stearic acid, mineral oil, lanolin, lecithin, paraffin, and cetyl alcohol (fatty alcohol). The silicones Cyclomethicone and dimethicone serve as occlusives. When a product claims to be oil-free, it often indicates that it relies on dimethicone as an occlusive rather than mineral or vegetable oil.

• Emollients. Emollients aren’t in moisturizers to moisturize, but rather to make the skin feel smooth. Many ingredients serve as occlusives — dimethicone is a good example — and humectants do double duty as emollients.
  Because of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol), we tend to think of alcohols as drying — and out of place in moisturizers. But some alcohols (octyldodecanol, for example) are excellent emollients.

• Vitamins. The major component of prescription anti-wrinkle creams is topical retinoic acid, a type of vitamin A that works to diminish fine lines and wrinkles in the skin by encouraging the creation of collagen. Retinyl palmitate, however, which has the benefit of being a very stable molecule but isn’t nearly as physiologically active as retinoic acid, is the kind of vitamin A utilized in certain moisturizers. Retinyl palmitate probably won’t have much of an impact on collagen and wrinkles in moisturizing dosages. If there is an advantage to retinyl palmitate, it may be a humectant.
  Due to its antioxidant characteristics, vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, and vitamin E, also known as tocopheryl acetate, are added. Studies on the benefits of topical vitamin C have revealed some, but only at high doses. Because light and oxygen render vitamin C inactive, questions exist concerning its applicability in moisturizers. Tocopheryl acetate, a physiologically inert form of vitamin E, likely serves mostly as a preservative.

• Menthol. Menthol is frequently used in moisturizers marketed as “itch cures” like Sarna. Although menthol doesn’t address the root cause of the issue, the comfortable cooling sensation does appear to stop the itching.

• Acid lactate. In particular, the skin above the heel might become leathery, thick, and dry. Try removing the top layers of skin with a pumice stone or callus file and then softening it with AmLactin to hydrate. An over-the-counter lotion called AmLactin has 12 percent lactic acid, a powerful humectant that can help break up adhesions, making the skin on the heels more flexible and less prone to cracking. Lactic acid products can occasionally hurt.

If you want to learn more about moisturizer ingredients take a look at this link.