{"id":187006,"date":"2017-08-03T17:04:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-03T17:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/is-helen-mirren-right-about-useless-moisturisers\/"},"modified":"2017-08-03T17:04:00","modified_gmt":"2017-08-03T17:04:00","slug":"is-helen-mirren-right-about-useless-moisturisers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/is-helen-mirren-right-about-useless-moisturisers\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Helen Mirren right about ‘useless’ moisturisers?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n

\"Moisturiser\"Image copyright<\/span>
\n Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
\n
\n Moisturiser holds the water in the skin and protects against dryness
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Actress Helen Mirren has been quoted – in colourful language – saying that moisturiser probably does nothing at all for the skin. Is she right?<\/p>\n

Not really. If you have dry skin, moisturiser does help by supplying water to the skin and trapping it there.<\/p>\n

Most moisturisers contain a greasy substance that holds the water in.<\/p>\n

Many years ago, moisturisers were very greasy on the skin – but now there are huge numbers of moisturisers and creams for sale, each one with a slightly different mix of ingredients.<\/p>\n

The key, according to Dr Sweta Rai, from the British Association of Dermatologists, is finding one that suits your skin type and feels comfortable.<\/p>\n

“A moisturiser’s job is to maintain an outer armour on the skin, which prevents against infection and helps skin conditioning,” she says.<\/p>\n

“If you’re using a good moisturiser for you, then it will be doing a good job for your skin.”<\/p>\n

Oil v water<\/h2>\n

For oily skins, she recommends lotions that contain more water. <\/p>\n

For dry skins, the advice is to choose ointments or creams that contain a little more oil.<\/p>\n

Dr Rai says “many people are probably using the wrong moisturiser”.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Image copyright<\/span>
\n REUTERS\/Eric Gaillard<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>

Image caption<\/span>
\n
\n The Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren is the face of one of L’Oreal’s moisturiser ranges
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dr Rai suggests using a sun cream with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 as a moisturiser – that way it can protect against the Sun’s rays, be reapplied regularly and keep the skin hydrated.<\/p>\n

And she says it is possible to get a good moisturiser for under \u00a310.<\/p>\n

But standard moisturisers don’t stop wrinkles or ageing, she says.<\/p>\n

However, scientists who tested a cream with anti-ageing ingredients<\/a> in 2012 did find that it appeared to smooth out wrinkles in some people.<\/p>\n

As babies, we all start out with wonderfully smooth skin. <\/p>\n

During puberty, glands in the skin start producing oil, and as we age, exposure to sun, cold weather and central heating systems all dry out the skin.<\/p>\n

In winter the skin naturally dries out more, and in summer the skin naturally produces oils – but dry skin affects most people to some degree all year round.<\/p>\n

It isn’t a medical issue normally, but it can become one if the skin becomes sore, tender, itchy and inflamed.<\/p>\n

An article from Harvard Medical School<\/a> sets out the ingredients in moisturiser and explains why they help with dry skin.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • water soaks into the skin<\/li>\n
  • occlusives hold water in<\/li>\n
  • humectants draw water up from the skin<\/li>\n
  • emollients make the skin feel smooth<\/li>\n
  • lactic acid makes skin more flexible<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The article says: “You really can’t go very wrong. <\/p>\n

    “Almost all the moisturisers on the market will help with dry skin, and in most cases, the choice comes down to subjective experience.”<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    <\/span><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

    Tips for preventing dry skin<\/h2>\n
      \n
    • Turn down the heating – hot air is usually drier than cooler air<\/li>\n
    • Take warm baths and showers – not hot ones, because hot water takes away fatty substances in the skin that help retain water<\/li>\n
    • Use bath oils diluted in some warm water, which are a good post-bath moisturiser<\/li>\n
    • Use a mild soap – cleansers are an alternative<\/li>\n
    • Wear loose clothing because tight clothes that rub can dry out skin<\/li>\n
    • Stay protected in the cold – chilly air can be very drying<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Moisturiser holds the water in the skin and protects against dryness Actress Helen Mirren has been quoted – in colourful language – saying that moisturiser probably does nothing at all for the skin. Is she right? Not really. If you have dry skin, moisturiser does help by supplying water […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-187006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=187006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/187006\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=187006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=187006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=187006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}