What started with a few simple ingredients has roused the cosmetics industry into a billion-dollar gold rush for the most superlative products on earth. Advanced formulations and meticulous shoppers have pushed the demand for U.S. skin care to the top. Ranking in second place as the most profitable cosmetic, facial products, like face cream, netted 1.9 billion dollars in 2020.
Face cream may be on your vanity, in the refrigerator, displayed on a skincare altar and worshiped day and night, or it may be a non-applicable item in your life. There are healthy reasons for incorporating facial cream into your daily wellness regimen. Defining your lifestyle, skin type, and preferences can guide you to the right natural face cream.
The First Step to Using Face Cream
The epidermis, the top layer of your skin, is the human body’s largest organ. Care and protection is needed to combat damaging elements like the sun, pollution, blue light emissions, weather, and more. Face creams today are not just superficial oil and water slicks on the skin;
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they have potent capabilities. Additionally, not all cosmetic formulas online and on the store shelves are appropriate for the broad audience of skin types and personal admonitions. Check the labels and company’s social media presence for a deep dive into ingredients, philosophies, sources, manufacturing processes, and ecological footprint. Rev up your search engines to track down keywords – pure, natural, organic, botanical, mineral, cruelty-free, and vegan face creams if you’re looking for the best clean skincare products.
The Inception of Face Cream
The original roots of face cream were simple basics. Circa 200 CE, Galen, the Grecian physician, blended rose water, beeswax, and olive oil, producing the first modern cosmetic compound called cold cream. Most skincare products are formulated with an emulsion of oil-in-water (O/W) or water in oil (W/O). An O/W emulsion features oil droplets suspended in water. These O/W blends usually have lower oil content and more water moisture. Oil creates topical lubricant for the epidermis, while water helps restore moisture. The results are smooth, soft skin.
Water-in-oil (W/O) cosmetic blends are heavier because water droplets are encapsulated in an oil base. This means more oil and less moisture. Advantages of (W/O) face creams are water loss prevention and skin protection.
With a simple understanding of cosmetic blending, you can select the most appropriate products for your skin type. The purest sources of oil and water compounds are critical. Organics, botanicals, non-animal ingredients, cruelty-free, vegan, and low-to-no unnatural chemicals should appear on your face cream container. The first ingredient that appears on a label constitutes the highest percentage overall in the product.
Skin Types
All complexions need similar protocols to maintain health but the frequency will differ. Daily requirements for most skin types include cleansing, toning, and moisturizing. Weekly skincare requirements include exfoliating and masks. Sunscreen should be worn over facial cream if not included in the blend. Disclaimer – if you have dry to dehydrated skin, the effectiveness of sunscreen can be diminished due to the skin absorbing the product so you may need to reapply more often.
Normal Skin
Your skin has a balanced oil-water composition with minimal imbalances or breakouts. If you occasionally find drier or oily days, adjust your normal skin facial cream by adding toner to dilute or a few drops of non-comedogenic oil.
Dry Skin Lacks Oil
The best facial cream will be a higher oil content with a water component to protect the epidermal layer. The skin needs both oil and water for optimal health. Many dry skin types love raw virgin coconut oil. A suggestion; emulsify the coconut oil with a hydrating toner to create a more milky composition. The molecular structure of coconut oil is enormous, therefore building a more occlusive layer on the skin instead of being absorbed in the skin. A more absorbable oil is; jojoba, which is very close to the natural human sebum and will penetrate better.
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Dehydrated Skin Lacks Water
Internal water hydration is the first step to reconstitute the natural moisture in the epidermis. Drink structure water, coconut water, herbal teas, electrolytes, raw fruits and veggies. Great choices are facial creams with higher water content and an oil element to keep the moisture in place. Transepidermal water loss is when water evaporates from the skin, which can be prevented with a facial moisturizer that incorporates an oil ingredient.
Sensitive and Rosacea
All sensitive skin types need to avoid any long-winded ingredient lists. The less your skin has to process, the better. Some sensitive skin needs processed compounds and even parabens. Many organic blends are incredibly active on the skin and need to avoid damaging and upsetting sensitive skin. Look for calming, soothing, sensitive options. Cucumber, rose, aloe, calendula, chamomile, black currant oil/rosacea, and zinc are a few soothing ingredients to seek. Ask for a sample and do a patch test on the inner arm or behind the ear. Any tingling, redness or activity will indicate the product is not a match.
Combination Skin
T-Zone oils on the forehead, nose and chin with drier outer facial zones indicate combination skin. Proper cleansing, toner, and a water-based moisturizer can balance combo skin. Like normal skin guidelines, adjust your facial cream to dilute or infuse based on your needs.
Oily Skin
The good news is your skin type ages the slowest. However, I’m in support of everyone’s skin staying youthful for a lifetime! Oily skin types will see prolific oil production, larger pores, thicker skin and perhaps breakouts. It is crucial to include the daily regiment of cleansing, toning, and a water-based moisturizer PLUS weekly exfoliation and an oil balancing mask. The key here is to not dry your skin out with too much processing because that will create more oil.
Hormonal Teen and Adult Acne
Problematic skin, acne breakouts, and blackheads are often caused by hormonal imbalance. Identify which category your skin type falls in: Dry-Sensitive, Oily, Oily-Sensitive. Water-based, calming, clarifying, antimicrobial moisturizers will be your go-to, along with a daily and weekly skincare ritual. Some natural non-comedogenic oils and essential oils can benefit problematic skin. Visit the Holistic Health Herbalist for a complete breakdown of oils, their properties and comedogenic ratings.
Homemade vs. Manufactured
There’s a lot of master scientific education and safety measures that go into creating cosmetics. Home blends can produce powerful, useful potions; however, professional guidance is highly recommended. Don’t create an irreversible skin condition by experimenting. Find an esthetician, department store specialist, skincare professional, or knowledgeable representative at your local health food store to help you find your perfect face cream.
