Why Your Moisturizer Isn’t Working For Ya… | The Healthy Beauty Project -by Todra Payne

by Keri Lehmann

I remember, as a teen, my method of purchasing body care products.  I had only a few requisites:

1. It had to smell good- something fruity was always my first pick, but when I met the über-cool Spanish exchange student who smelled like the spices and flowers of  Lou Lou, by Cacharel, I fell in love with the idea of becoming “very European” , and so I adapted my senses accordingly.
2. It had to be cheap.  I mean REAL cheap.  I had my priorities, and quality moisturizers were not on the list…They were all the same, anyway, weren’t they?

It wasn’t until I entered into the field of cosmetology that I began to learn the difference between authentic moisturizers that your body can recognize and metabolize, and filler moisturizers that only perform superficially, if even at all.

So, for your information and skin salvation, I would like to share with you why most moisturizers seem to only last a few moments, and how to maximize the efficacy of REAL moisturizers. You can thank me later, when your skin is glowing, and people start asking for your beauty secrets…

To begin, I always say, and continue to say: Check Your Labels.  The first note of action, before you buy ANYTHING, is to flip it over and check out it’s label.  As you become more informed, you will realize that some of those body care products are not only NOT helping you, but are actually HARMING you.

Your body is eager to please you and truly wants to do what you tell it to, but it is also very smart, and when you introduce (or continue to force, as the case may be) it to synthetic chemicals that it cannot recognize, it will work hard to process your commands, sometimes to its own detriment, and other times, to futility.  Most moisturizers are loaded with the following ingredients:

• Mineral Oil (Petroleum)- using this ingredient as a carrier oil for other, more beneficial oils such as avocado oil, evening primrose oil, or argan oil is like wrapping your body in cellophane and then trying to apply those beneficial oils on top.  Mineral oil acts as a barrier on your skin (ain’t nothin’ gettin’ in OR out!),  blocking moisture from absorbing, and clogging pores while doing it!  It is a very disruptive, and completely useless oil in the way of skin care.
• Parabens-these guys act as preservatives in body care products, and hormone disruptors in our bodies.  This is one of the chemicals that causes your body to go, “uhhh… I think that’s supposed to be estrogen???”, and then perilously converts it as such.  It likes to make appearances in breast cancer tissue.
• Phthalates- also called fragrance,  are synthetic chemicals that mimic authentic scents.  At best, they cause allergic reactions; At worst, they are strong suspects in recent studies on the damage to the development of male babies in utero.  Check it out…

Each of these chemicals, and many others are included in the formulation of most moisturizers on the market today, and as such, are little value to your body care. Your body does not recognize them as moisturizers.  They are not capable of authentic moisturization, and will not perform on your skin for longer than the few moments it took to purchase them at the counter…Keep it REAL.

Another very basic, but extremely important factor in achieving true moisturization- the kind that lasts all day, is exfoliation.  Your body produces new, and sheds old skin cells DAILY.  And dead skin refuses to be moisturized.  That means it MUST be removed in order for your REAL ingredients to penetrate and do their thing.

When you follow the two basic rules of moisturization:

1. 1. Keep it REAL
2. 2. Remove the dead first

You will find that your moisturizer will perform JUST LIKE THE LABEL SAID, and will notice that you only had to grab that bottle of lotion once that day.  It saves time, money, AND your skin!  Win- Win-Win!

PS…If the thought of reading labels and trying to discern which ingredients moisturize the best is overwhelming to you, check out the list below of some of the very best moisturizing ingredients, and seek them out in your skin care.  *Don’t forget to watch out for the creeper ingredients that rob you of authentic moisturization…Keep It Real.

• Shea Butter
• Cocoa Butter
• Kokum Seed Butter
• Mango Butter
• Pumpkin Seed Butter
• Illipe Seed Butter
• Coconut Butter (Coconut Oil)
• Olive Oil
• Grapeseed Oil
• Jojoba Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Evening Primrose Oil
• Hemp Seed Oil
• Arnica Oil
• Borage Oil
• Apricot Oil
• Macadamia Nut Oil
• Meadowfoam Oil
• Rose Hip Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Vegetable Glycerin
• Honey

Model photo above by Ambro.

Keri Lehmann is a licensed cosmetologist who used her knowledge of skin care to create a line of body care products made with REAL ingredients that the body recognizes and knows what to do with…Savvy Bohème: Welcome to the Most Authentic Moisturizing Event of Your Day.

Keri Lehmann