Do you really need a moisturizer? Most of us never even question the requirement of this fundamental skin care basic, but it may be time to re-evaluate. While many of us grew up with the trifecta of cleanser, toner and moisturizer on our bathroom counters, toners have for the most part fallen to the wayside in favor of more targeted and robust treatments such as serums and facial oils. For many of us, our skin needs have changed over the years and we’ve outgrown the old-fashioned astringent toners, used for removing the last bit of dirt from the surface of the skin. Is it time to give moisturizers the boot as well?
Brace yourselves: we no longer use a moisturizer religiously. We typically reach for a moisturizer when our skin feels dry and needs some hydration, and to be honest, that just doesn’t happen very often any more, even in the winter. Granted, living in the Pacific Northwest means we have a lot of water in the air but with indoor heating, low humidity is still an issue. However, as our skin health improved, we found that we rarely needed our trusted moisturizer and night cream.
Dry skin can be loosely compared to a dry sponge: no matter how much water we pour over it, most of it runs off, unable to be absorbed quickly enough to dampen the sponge thoroughly. Dry skin is similar in that it just cannot fully absorb moisturizer quickly enough to feel properly hydrated. We believe the answer goes back to exfoliation. Remove the dry skin and you’re removing the barrier that prevents active ingredients from doing their job.
Here’s what our new trifecta looks like:
- Apothekari Bespoke Vitamin C Serum – Its low pH level helps to remove dead skin cells while the L-ascorbic acid helps to dissolve the “glue” that holds those cells together.
- Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Ultralight Fluide Extreme sunscreen – Not only does it provide the UVA and UVB protection that we all want (thanks to Mexoryl XL, Mexoryl SX and Tinosorb S) but the glycerin and tocopherol (vitamin E) also attract water molecules to the skin, moisturize and minimize trans-epidermal water loss. Isn’t that also what we ultimately want in a great moisturizer?
- Apothekari A is for Anti-Aging Retinal Serum – Our favorite night time treatment increases skin moisture content, stimulates the protection of collagen and increases cell turnover, thus “pushing” the new, glowing and healthy skin to the surface.
Ready to test out the theory? Can’t wait to hear about it!
