Know what you are working with
Skin type decides texture, not the number of products. Oily skin looks shiny by midday and does best with a light gel or lotion labeled non-comedogenic, which means it is formulated not to clog pores. Dry skin feels tight after washing and wants a thicker cream. Most people are a combination, oily through the forehead and nose and drier on the cheeks, and a plain mid-weight lotion handles that fine. Oily skin still needs moisturizer; skipping it often makes the skin produce more oil.
How moisturizer works
A good moisturizer does three jobs. Humectants such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid pull water into the outer layer of skin. Emollients such as ceramides and fatty alcohols smooth the gaps between cells. Occlusives such as petrolatum and dimethicone seal it all in. Lotions are mostly water and suit the face and summer. Creams in a tub are heavier and suit dry legs, hands and winter. Plain ointment is the heaviest and is the right thing for cracked heels, chapped lips and knuckles that split in cold weather.
Apply to slightly damp skin, within a few minutes of washing. Wash your face with lukewarm water and your fingertips for about thirty seconds, and pat it dry. Washcloth scrubbing and gritty exfoliants make acne and redness worse, not better.
Order and patience
The rule for layering is thinnest to thickest, with sunscreen last in the morning. Add one new product at a time and give it two weeks before adding another, so that if your face reacts you know the culprit.
For ordinary acne, three over-the-counter ingredients have real evidence behind them: benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and adapalene. Pick one, follow the label, and expect to wait eight to twelve weeks for a fair verdict. Most people quit at week three, before it has had a chance to work. Picking and squeezing turn a one-week spot into a mark that lasts months.
When to see a dermatologist
Book a visit for deep, painful cysts that leave scars, for a rash that has not cleared in two weeks, and for any mole that is asymmetrical, has a ragged border, mixes colors, is wider than a pencil eraser, or is changing. The inexpensive drugstore products work as well as the luxury ones for everything else, since the active ingredients are the same.
Tip Keep a second tub of plain moisturizer beside the sink you use most, because hands washed ten times a day need it more than your face does.
