Skincare Series: Facial Moisturising

This is part 2 in Nakin’s Skin Series feature, all about understanding and utilising skincare products to their best ability. Moisturising is an essential element to every skincare regime and something that most of us will do, regardless of if we use any other products, so read on to find out the how and why of how to do it successfully.

Our number one tip for facial moisturising is to use a good product like one of our Nakin's Face Moisturisers. Nakin's face moisturisers are exceptional for our skin due to their unique blend of natural, active ingredients. Each ingredient serves a specific function, such as promoting skin hydration, stimulating collagen production, or combating free radical damage. What sets Nakin's moisturisers apart is their ability to cater to different skin types, providing balanced care without causing irritation or greasiness. Furthermore, they are free from harsh chemicals like parabens and artificial fragrances, ensuring that your skin receives gentle, yet effective care. The results are a smoother, healthier complexion and a natural, radiant glow.

For most of us, using a face moisturiser is as much a part of our daily routine as brushing our teeth. We know that some people only have one proper skincare product in their beauty routine, and that is a moisturiser. There’s a good reason for this, as moisturisers are important in keeping skin looking as good as it can, for life long skin beauty. Moisturisers work with skin to provide hydration, nutrients and protection. These three elements are essential for keeping skin looking great, healthy, soft and smooth. So at Nakin, we recommend that you do not leave the house without wearing a face moisturising cream. Good skin care is the best no make-up look that you can have. There is nothing more liberating and confidence building than looking and feeling great, without any make-up on. Great skin can save time and money, with no need to apply make-up. Plus, there is no need to worry about make-up getting smudged, or reapplying when it inevitably wears off.

HOW DO FACE CREAMS WORK?

Face creams hydrate skin by injecting moisture into it using the ingredients in the cream, and they act as a barrier. This barrier works to maintain water in the Stratum Corneum, the outermost layer of the skin’s epidermis. They also provide nutrients and hydration to skin. Of these the biggest benefit and service that face creams offer are protection. You can get nutrients from other face products, such as serums and face oils, but these products will not provide protection. Moisturisers are formulated to provide a barrier to the skin. They keep the good stuff in (like moisture and natural oils) and the bad stuff (like pollution) out.

Face creams cover skin in a protective coating that locks moisture in, but they also protect skin from damage. This is damage from the environment such as cold weather, wind and rain. As well as damage from our internal environment, from heating and air conditioning systems. They therefore keep skin comforted, and reduce the chance of irritation.

It’s important to note that not all face creams will provide sun protection, this is different, there are a lot of face creams on the market that contain sun cream of various factors. At Nakin we prefer and recommend separating the two. The main reason is because you don’t want to put sun protection on your face unless you are actually going out in the sun, and sunscreen needs to be used just before you go out in the sun. Otherwise you are applying an unnecessary layer of chemicals to your skin. Of course, when out in the sun it is important to cover exposed areas of the body up, or use a good natural sunscreen. But sunscreen only lasts for around 2 hours, as they tend to wear off as we go about our daily activities. So for this reason we recommend always using a separate face moisturiser and sunscreen. A good moisturiser like those in the Nakin Natural Range will not need applying every two hours, they are designed to last 12 hours, looking after skin for a full day, or a full night, unless they are washed off.

WHAT MOISTURISER SHOULD YOU USE?

There are so many face creams available, that it can be hard to know which product is best for you. You do not have to spend a lot of money on a face cream, it’s more about the ingredients that are contained within the cream, as well as using a moisturiser that suits your skin type, and that you enjoy using. It’s very important to use a moisturiser suitable for your skin type. A rich moisturiser will be too greasy for oily skin, and a light moisturiser will not be enough for a dry skin.  Oily skin always needs a moisturiser applied. Some people feel an oily skin needs scrupulous cleansing with products like face washes and scrubs. But this only disrupts the skin balance, and causes more oil to be produced.

There are four main ingredient groups that make up a face moisturiser. These are Occlusives, Humectants, Emollients and Active Ingredients. The oily substances in face creams are also known as Occlusives, because they block the evaporation of water. Despite all the elaborate variations in moisturizers, Petrolatum is still used in many conventional beauty products. But Petrolatum can clog skin, and has no nutritional value. There are many other synthetic moisturising ingredients to avoid such as Silicones, Propylene Glycol and PEGs. They can make skin feel nice, but they do not work with our natural biology, so we only recommend natural face products and skincare. There are so many gorgeous natural and effective Occlusives; including Squalane, Jojoba and Shea Butter.

Then there are humectants, which have the ability to attract water molecules from the environment. So when they are on the skin, they draw moisture to it. The king of all humectants is Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid is a natural moisturising factor present in our skin, but it breaks down as we age. It’s superb in skincare, as it helps to hydrate and plump, and keeps skin looking youthful.

Emollients aren't in moisturisers to primarily hydrate, but rather to make the skin feel smooth. They include natural plant oils like Argan, Jojoba and Grapeseed Oil.

Active ingredients are added to any face cream that is worth using, and this is because they get really good results and are really beneficial to skin. This includes ingredients like Pomegranate, Cassia and Olive Leaf Extract. They contain powerful nutrients, vitamins and minerals to deeply condition skin.

Nakin have excellent face creams specially formulated with an array of high performing natural ingredients, to achieve the perfect moisturiser, and even suitable for sensitive skin. For normal, dry and combination skin try our Active Dew Face Cream, with a dewy finish. For normal, oily and combination skin try our Matt Formula Face Cream, with a matt finish. Both are packed with exceptional plant actives, Hyaluronic Acid and natural oils.

Nakin offer a natural form of skincare for superb skin conditioning, while also calming and rejuvenating. Our full range of natural face moisturising creams are made from exquisite natural plant ingredients - that make skin soft, fresh and hydrated. The silky long lasting consistencies work beautifully with the natural biology of skin. You do not need a separate neck or décolletage cream, as our face creams are excellent for these special areas. The chin and upper neck can often look unbalanced, and the décolletage needs special care, as it has often been subjected to a lot of sun damage.

One product that is an essential part of a moisturising routine is an eye cream. A normal face cream will be too rich for the eye area, as it is much thinner than facial skin. Eyes also do not have any sebaceous glands, and they therefore benefit from a product like our Eye Cream Complex. It has the perfect consistency for eyes, and delivers intense natural nourishment and rejuvenation. A good eye cream hydrates and conditions skin to prevent dryness, lines, dark circles and puffing.

If you suffer from very dry skin or irritated patches, then there may be an underlying condition, and it is always important to look to the cause of this. It may be a nutritional deficiency, which would require a diet assessment and plan. There is a great deal of scientific evidence showing that fish oils can greatly improve skin by feeding it from the inside, increasing hydration and bringing down inflammation. At Nakin we always recommend speaking to an expert in supplements, as it’s essential to make sure they work well with your lifestyle, and any other medicinal routines.

A nice addition to a face moisturising routine is a face serum and a face oil. Face serums such as our natural face serum is packed with Hyaluronic Acid, potent antioxidants like Green Tea and skin correctors like Hibiscus and Pomegranate. Serums give the highest concentration of actives, to help lift and plump. They ignite cells with powerful nutrients and energy. Face oils have also become popular in recent times. Modern face oil formulations are beautiful for skin, luscious luxury treatments with many benefits, but without leaving a greasy sheen. Our 100% natural face oil has huge benefits for the skin, balancing oil production, improving deep down hydration, and lavishing skin with nutrients.

HOW TO APPLY MOISTURISER

Apply moisturiser when skin is most receptive, which is after cleansing. This will be after applying a serum and oil, or straight after cleansing if you do not use a serum and oil. Skin will especially soak up face creams after exfoliation. It’s good to gently exfoliate skin once a week, to remove dead skin cells, and brighten skin.

Apply a small amount of moisturiser to the face, neck and décolletage. You will not need to use a lot of a good moisturiser, as it will easily spread over skin, and use just enough to lightly cover the skin. The amount you apply will also depend if you are using other products, such as a face serum and face oil. In any event, always apply slightly more in the winter, and slightly less in the summer. Apply face creams in the morning and evening, but especially in the morning. Applying a good face cream in the morning will defend skin from all the things that our faces have to deal with in a day. Then reapply again in the evening to help skin rejuvenation through the night. Find out more about Nakin and our moisturisers online at www.nakinskincare.com