The American Academy of Dermatology classifies skin cream as a cosmeceutical, which is a "product applied to the skin that contains one or more ingredients said to improve the skin's function." The AAD indicates that moisturizer is one of the most important skin care products because it prevents dry skin, a common dermatologic condition. Skin regulates temperature, protects muscles and organs, and gives us a sense of touch. When it becomes dry, cracked and wrinkled, skin's usefulness is inhibited.
Different Kinds of Skin Creams
Moisturizing skin cream is formulated to treat skin that is dry or scaly. Ingredients in these products include humectants, which absorb moisture from the air and lock it into skin. Emollients, made up of mineral oil and coconut oil, for instance, help replace moisture that leaves the skin. They also lubricate rough skin. Skin creams containing alpha hydroxy acids help hydrate, but they help remove dead skin cells as well. Lotions with this ingredient often are used by people with oily or combination skin and those who have acne breakouts.
Skin Cream for Aging
The National Institute on Aging reports that as we age our skin becomes drier, especially on the legs, elbows and lower arms. Some diseases like diabetes and kidney disease can cause dry skin. The institute suggests using skin moisturizer daily to keep skin healthy and hydrated.
Keep Skin Healthy
One of the skin lotions most used to keep skin healthy is sunscreen. Not only does sunscreen prevent the skin from burning, but it also protects from the unhealthy ultra violet rays emitted by the sun. Without a sunscreen in skin cream, we could increase our chances of developing skin cancers. Although some creams are used solely as a sunscreen or a sun block, more often, creams manufactured to treat dry skin, eliminate wrinkles or fight breakouts contain the ingredients that prevent the sun from penetrating the skin.
Benefits
The benefits of using skin cream have been proved. A study published in the American Journal of Infection Control in 2000 found that using skin lotion formulated with oil helps protect against "drying and chemical irritation, preventing skin breakdown and promoting more frequent hand washing." In 1996, researchers at Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia found that skin cream containing alpha hydroxy acids increased skin thickness by about 25 percent, improved the quality of elastic fibers and decreased collagen density. The results showed that glycolic, lactic or citric acids in skin creams helped improve the health and appearance of aged skin.
Warnings
Along with all of the positive characteristics of skin lotions, there's also a dark side. Cosmetic manufacturers would love for us to believe that skin lotions can solve all of our problems. Vitamin E, for instance, is added to skin cream and marketed as a remedy and cure for scars. However, a study by the University of Miami Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery in 1999 found that in patients who used vitamin E to treat scars, 90 percent experienced worsened symptoms or no effect at all.
When to Use Skin Cream
It's recommended to use skin cream daily. It helps moisturize dry skin, can reduce the appearance of aging and helps protect from harmful environmental forces like pollution and the sun's UV rays. However, knowing what is in your skin cream is important. Fragrances, for example, are the No. 1 irritant added to lotions. And they're not always used to make the product smell pretty; they're often added to hide the scent of the other ingredients. Further, the American Academy of Dermatology reports that if skin is very dry or injured, some ingredients in skin moisturizers can cause severe irritation, burning, stinging, itching and redness.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Moisturizers: Options for softer skin
- Senior Journal: Women's Skin Ages Faster than Men's, Says New Test to Measure Skin Aging
- Skin911: Sunblock & Sunscreen Protection Ingredients
- American Journal of Infection Control: Use of a Cream and Lotion for Protecting Hands
- Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology: Effects of Alpha Hydroxy Acids on Photoaged Skin
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