How to choose the right facial cream for your skin type

How to choose a good face cream? Some people look at brands and read reviews, some people care about eco-certifications and cost, and others just want to choose something versatile and inexpensive. But beauticians and experts advise to pay attention to the other criteria for choosing the cream. We will talk about them in this article.

Criterion 1. Keeping the age in mind

The best cream is not the one that costs a fabulous amount of money or has collected all possible international quality certificates, but the one that is 100% appropriate for your age. According to this criterion, all face creams can be divided into several categories:

For young skin, or up to 25 years. This includes light moisturizing creams, and if we are talking about problem skin – creams with matting and anti-inflammatory action.
25+. At this age, skin is still young and fresh, but you can already engage in prevention of the first wrinkles. Now there are special lines of face creams for the 25-30 age group.
30+. After 30, even an ideal skin without visible problems needs more intensive care. At 30-40 it is possible and necessary to choose creams with anti-age effect.
45+. This is the period of menopause, when the skin becomes less firm and the first deep wrinkles appear. For those aged 45-55, special intensive creams are available.
60+. The right cream for skin at this age is a combination of deep moisturizing, nourishing and rejuvenating effects. That’s how anti-aging facial kits work.

Criterion 2. Consider skin type

Take your skin type into consideration each time you choose a face cream:

For dry skin, choose an intensely moisturizing cream that absorbs quickly and leaves no film, and can be used as a makeup base.
Oily skin needs a cream that mattifies, reduces redness, tightens pores, regulates sebum, controls sebum production and disinfects.
For problem skin, it is better to choose special creams that dry out acne, do not clog pores and do not allow the formation of comedones and black dots.
For normal skin, you can choose any universal cream with a mild anti-age effect, a nourishing oil cream or a moisturizing cream with hyaluronic acid.
If your skin is dehydrated, fading and dull, you need a cream to restore the lipid barrier and long-term moisture retention in the skin, as well as lifting products to strengthen it.

Criterion 3. Looking for a product to solve a problem

It is clear that there are no universal face creams. In each case we need a remedy that will eliminate some pronounced skin flaws:

Acne and increased sebum activity. For oily and problematic skin, we need a cream with a light texture, not clogging pores, oil-free, as well as having sebum-regulating action. A good idea if the cream contains retinol, niacinamide, zinc, panthenol, tea tree oil and allantoin.
Dehydration. Such skin requires a cream with a strong hydrating effect. Look for creams containing such ingredients as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, lactic acid, sugar, squalene, amino acids, saccharides, algae, chitosan, and aloe vera.
Dryness and flaking. What cream should I choose if I have flaky skin on my face? You need a nourishing cream with a rich and dense texture. And the cream should contain lipids – ceramides, lecithin, lanolin, cholesterol, as well as moisturizing components led by hyaluronic acid.
Hypersensitivity and tendency to allergies. For sensitive skin, it’s best to choose creams labeled “hypoallergenic.” As a rule, it is vegan eco-cosmetics without dyes, fragrances, essential oils and preservatives. It should contain chamomile, aloe, calendula, azulene, and allantoin.
Couperose. In this case, you need to use a cream that will increase the tone of the vascular walls. It is good if the cream contains cornflower, horse chestnut extract, grape and blueberry leaf extract, grape seed oil, vitamins A, C, E, algae, ginkgo biloba, aloe vera.
Mature, fading skin. In this case, it is important to improve the appearance of the skin, refresh its appearance and smooth out deep wrinkles. You need a rejuvenating face cream and anti-aging eye cream with antioxidants, vitamin complexes, mild acids, coenzyme Q10.

Criterion 4. Adjusting to the season

It’s important to remember that there are different face creams for summer, fall and winter that work differently:

During the hot summer months, you want light creams that absorb quickly and don’t leave a sticky layer or film on your skin. In spring and summer, women with all skin types need creams with antioxidants and SPF from 30 to 50 to protect their skin from ultraviolet rays.
The analogues of common creams will be useful in summer – special fluids, emulsions and serums – they are light, silicon and essential oil-free, solve various skin problems (drying, matting, deeply moisturizing, nourishing, preventing wrinkles, suitable as a makeup foundation).

What face cream for winter? For fall and winter, you need a dense texture creams that will protect the skin of the face from peeling and irritation caused by wind and frost. It is necessary to choose protective creams with vitamins, oils, nutrients, with a slight warming effect.

Criterion 5. Selecting day and night care

It’s good if your skin is young and can look great even after a gram of all-purpose cream. But as we get older, we have to watch our skin more closely and special day and night creams are needed. Here’s how they work:

Day cream is all about protecting the skin from external negativity. In summer you need moisturizing day creams with a light texture, and in winter – thicker creams that will nourish and protect the skin. But at any time of the year you should remember about SPF-factor. If it should be between 30 and 50 in summer, it should be at least 15 in winter.
Night cream is always more complex and thickly textured. It helps the skin recover and works all night long while we rest. Nourishing night creams are necessary in summer and moisturizing night creams in winter. This is due to the fact that in summer the skin is “dried” by the sun and in winter by the heating.

What else should I look for when choosing a cream?

Even the most expensive and high-quality face cream will not have the desired effect if you have the wrong lifestyle or have other features. For example:

If you live in a metropolis, you need creams with powerful antioxidants at any time of year, at any age and with any skin type. But people from the countryside can be happy with a normal all-purpose cream.
Climate also plays a role. The more sunny days per year, the greater the risk of photoaging and wrinkles. In this case, you cannot do without sunscreens with an SPF of at least 30. In our climate, creams with a factor of 15 are sufficient.
Sleep quality. The longer you sleep, the better you look. In a megalopolis, where stress and chronic fatigue due to lack of sleep every day, we have to use creams with hyaluronic acid and plant extracts.
A proper diet keeps the skin beautiful and healthy from the inside out, while the cream works only on the outside. Eat healthy foods in your diet and you won’t need to buy eye cream before you’re 35-40.

We hope our article will help you make the right choice and find that perfect care that’s 100% appropriate for your skin’s needs!