It’s so important to Moisturize! In simplest terms, moisturizers work to reverse the effects of dry skin. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is the process of how skin dries up. Blood vessels supply moisture only to the middle layer of skin, the dermis. The water then migrates to the epidermis before it evaporates.

Dr. Usha Rajagopal and staff at the San Francisco Plastic Surgery and Laser Center know it’s important to moisturize because moisturizers work to retain certain levels of oil and water in your skin to keep it soft!

Specific Types of Moisturizers:

✔️Occlusives
-Forms a barrier over the skin that water can’t penetrate which stops water evaporation and keeps your skin moist.
(May cause acne or folliculitis)

I.e. Petroleum Jelly/Vaseline

✔️Emollients
-Penetrates skin, makes softer and flexible by filling in the cracks in dry skin.

✔️Humectants
-Stimulates molecules that affect TEWL by drawing in moisture from the air surrounding your face and body.

I.e. Glycerin/Hyaluronic Acid

Moisturizers usually carry one to three of these ingredients and are categorized to help dry skin, oily skin, acne prone skin or a combination of the three. Moisturizers are available in creams, lotions and oil forms. No matter what your skin type or what type of moisturizer works best for you, it is ever so important to moisturize.