A good facial cream should be rich in essential fatty acids and oils, vitamins and minerals, nutrients, botanical extracts, and antioxidants (help prevent skin damage caused by the sun, pollutants, and other harmful environmental elements). Below are some ingredients you should look for when shopping for facial moisturizers.

Shea butter: Shea butter is used for its rich texture and strong hydrating properties. It is known as a particularly good moisturizer because it penetrates the skin quickly, leaving it feeling smooth and with no oily residue.

Glycerin: Glycerin is present in all natural and synthetically manufactured fats. It is used in moisturizers because it seems to attract and retain the right amount of water in order to maintain balance in the skin.

Silicone: Silicone is a slippery, water-binding agent used in some lotions and creams to offer long-lasting protection. But be careful with this one because creams that contain too much silicone can leave your face looking greasy.

Green tea: Green tea is an excellent source of antioxidants, and along with grape seed extracts, has become a very popular cosmetic ingredient.

Omegas: Omegas help moisturize the skin at exceptional levels. They are fatty acids that help replenish and maintain the skin’s optimal moisture balance, not to mention help fight signs of aging.

Aloe: There are over 240 different types of aloe but only four that are recognized as having nutritional value — aloe vera being one of the most popular. Basically, aloe will provide your skin with essential nutrients such as minerals, amino acids and vitamins. It is a potent moisturizing agent that helps regenerate and heal skin.

Carrot extract (Daucus carota): Carrot extract, also known as Daucus carota, is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E — all essential ingredients to keeping your skin healthy. It also contains carotene, ethereal oils, sugar, and pectic substances, which help prevent moisture loss.

Jojoba oil: Jojoba oil is another ingredient that will help your skin retain its moisture by reinforcing the dry skin’s hydrolipidic film.

What to avoid

• As a general rule, you should try to avoid facial creams that contain mineral oils, which are petroleum-based,
• Throughout the winter months, you should keep the use of exfoliating products to a minimum (once a week) because they can suck the moisture from your skin
• In addition, try to avoid heavily scented creams as well as those that contain too many preservatives
• For optimal results, opt for moisturizers that are non-comedogenic, dermatology tested, fragrance-free, and preservative-free.

Application steps

• Once you’ve cleansed your face, pat it dry with a towel.
• Apply dabs of cream onto your forehead, cheekbones, chin, and neck, and gently smooth it over the skin in a circular motion, working from the outside of your face toward the center.
• Make sure not to leave any residue and that it gets fully absorbed into your skin.
• Ideally, you should moisturize your skin morning and night. But realistically speaking, applying moisturizing to your face once a day preferably when you come out of the shower should be enough to keep your face looking healthy.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 8:33 am and is filed under Beauty tips, Men. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.