Is moisturiser really necessary?

When it comes to skin care, the one step that has been emphasised the most is moisturising. In fact, most people spend vast amounts of money on fancy face creams and oils. However, a new study suggests that they may not be needed and may actually be doing us harm. Cosmetic dermatologist Dr Rachael Eckel claims moisturisers lead to "the accumulation of dead surface skin cells, dryness, large pores, acne and sensitivity" and that only 15 per cent of us actually need one. She says, "Normally the skin's surface is renewed every six weeks, but from age 25 this process slows. Dead cells gather on the skin's surface, making it rough and dull. When a woman first notices this, she assumes it is caused by dryness, so buys a light moisturiser. The skin stops producing its own moisture and her skin starts to feels tight after the shower, so she buys a thicker moisturiser. But what she really needed was an exfoliator." In this way, she says, the moisturisers make skin lazy, so it becomes less able to hydrate itself.

Moisturiser is needed
Dr Apratim Goel, dermatologist and laser surgeon, Cutis skin studio says she totally disagrees with the findings. "There is no proof to these claims. Agreed that skin has its own NMF (natural moisturising factors) but let's not forget that those are under ideal conditions of environment as well as nutritional and hormonal status. In a stressful and polluted city like Mumbai, this is impossible. How many of us are really nourishing and hydrating our skin from inside the way we should? There are many positive benefits of moisturisers. However, one needs to choose their moisturiser wisely. Skin needs more of water based moisturisers which can penetrate the skin cells easily and hydrate fast. So water content, and some additives like hyaluronic acid etc would be my preferred ingredients in a moisturiser. For those with very dry skin, an additional layer of serum would be helpful," she explains. "Frequent use of a wrong product is definitely a skin care blunder and that's where one needs to consult a dermatologist to make the right choice. Don't get carried away by labels. You would be surprised to know that our skin is very simple and has very basic needs. All we need is to understand it," adds Dr Goel.

Know your skin type
People conventionally tend to use moisturisers which are cream based. While a genuinely dry skin improves with cream, applying a heavy formulation on oily to combination skin can be disastrous says Dr Madhuri Agarwal, dermatologist and aesthetic physician at Yavana Aesthetic Clinic. "It does not get completely absorbed in the skin, lies on top of the skin, attracting more dirt and pollutants and blocking the skin pores leading to further worsening of acne. The skin in actuality requires an exfoliator to reduce the dead skin and make it normal. Also, with growing awareness about acne, people end up using multiple products to reduce the oiliness. In this self-medication process, the anti-acne products result in skin becoming more dry and irritable. It is always best to consult a certified dermatologist for a proper skin regime specially in problem cases."

Avoid unnecessary application
Dr Shefali Trasi Nerurkar, MD Skin, consultant dermatologist, Dr Trasi's Clinic & La Piel feels any cream applied unnecessarily can cause skin problems. "Moisturisers should be applied only when needed by the skin. For normal to oily skin there is no need for creams. Further frequent use of creams and oils can cause adult acne overtime. Follow a cleansing toning and moisturising routine together with anti-ageing creams or depigmenting creams that can help attain glowing skin."