Face cream: which cream is right for you and your skin

When you go to a perfumery, supermarket or pharmacy to buy a face cream, there are many doubts because there are so many face creams on the market. How do I choose the one best suited to my needs? Is this cream suitable for resolving a small blemish I have? Will the face cream I am buying take care of my skin?
Here is a small guide to choosing the right cream for your skin. Read it in one go!

Choose the cream according to age and skin type

There are several factors to take into account when choosing a face cream. We list the most important ones:

• age and skin type: young skin, mature skin, very mature skin
• active ingredient used.

Skin age and active ingredient used in the cream: follow our advice when choosing the most suitable and skin-friendly face cream for your skin

First of all age, creams can be divided into creams for young skin, for mature skin and for very mature skin.
In these three types of skin creams, the active ingredients used change

Young age and young skin: the moisturising factor is very important

For young skin it is important to take the moisturising factor into account, but at the same time it must be creams that also have a sebum-regulating effect. In this way, shiny skin and the formation of blackheads and blackheads can be avoided. For those with acne problems, there are specific products enriched with skin-purifying, antibacterial and inflammation-fighting ingredients such as zinc and sulphur.

From the age of 25 onwards, it is important to choose a face cream rich in collagen and hyaluronic acid

As early as the age of 25, it is a good idea to start using a face cream that is particularly rich in collagen, hyaluronic acid or otherwise substances that stimulate their production. At this stage it becomes important to prevent the appearance of wrinkles and to pay particular attention to the area around the face and lips, which suffer most from the effects of advancing age. A good novelty that can help to have amazing effects with a single product are creams based on snail slime, which as well as moisturising and stimulating the production of collagen, also has a healing effect and helps young skin to recover from the signs left by acne.

30 years old, mature skin: which cream to use?

After the age of 30, one can opt for an anti-wrinkle cream, because at this time, expression lines begin to be more pronounced, the production of hyaluronic acid and collagen begins to degrade and slow down, and the skin is therefore likely to become thinner, drier and duller.

Very mature skin: after 40, choosing the right face and body cream becomes crucial

After the age of 40, the advice is to choose face creams that are also able to fill in the first wrinkles, i.e. not simply prevent them, but stretch the features. Often what changes between a cream for an age group of 30-35 and 35-40 is the percentage of active ingredients used.

Day cream or night cream? Better both!

Once the cream has been chosen by age group, it is necessary to assess whether it is more appropriate to take a day cream or a night cream.

What night cream is and what it is used for

Night cream is usually heavier, but also richer in active ingredients.
It has no UV filters precisely because it is designed for night use. This type of cosmetic takes advantage of the fact that the skin is more receptive at night and consequently more benefits can be derived from its use.

What day cream looks like

The day cream has different characteristics because it must moisturise for a long time and nourish, but it must also have a UV protection factor so that the sun’s rays cannot damage the skin and it must have a texture that can support make-up.
Reversing the use of these two products can therefore create some discomfort.

Can serum replace face cream?

Another frequently asked question is: cream or serum? Can a serum adequately replace a face cream? These are the questions my customers ask me, from the other side of the counter of the pharmacy where I work.
Providing the right advice for the best possible choice among the numerous cosmetic products becomes crucial for your skin.

Face serum and face cream: the differences you need to know for your skin

Compared to a moisturising cream, the serum is devoid of the oily part and has a very high concentration of active ingredients.
These characteristics allow it to penetrate the skin quickly, just a few drops being absorbed by the skin in a short time with a light massage. The
choice between cream and serum is entirely personal; in many cases the two products can also be combined, i.e. a few drops of serum can be applied to the face first and then the moisturising cream, perhaps with different active ingredients.
There are also serums on the
market specifically for certain areas that need more attention, e.g. around the eyes, in which case both products can be used.

Serum is recommended in old age

The serum is particularly recommended in the case of advanced age because a good anti-ageing product gives results in a short time and deep hydration of the skin. Not only that, as it is devoid of the oily part, the serum is also suitable for those who have oily skin and want to nourish it without weighing it down and having a shiny effect.
Finally, the serum is also recommended in the summer because sweating combined with moisturising cream can make the skin really oily, which is why many people give up moisturising cream in the summer, which is very wrong because the skin is not only stressed by the sun, but also deprived of nourishment and therefore tends to age faster.

How to choose a face cream brand: choose for your skin

Once the type has been chosen, the question remains as to which brand you prefer: you must make this choice in relation to your skin. If you have delicate skin, you must remember to read the Inci carefully.

Delicate skin: choose the cream with the right ingredients for your skin

If your skin is particularly delicate, you should prefer products specifically for intolerant skin and therefore without parabens and petrolatum in general. This reduces the risk of redness and irritation. There are good organic products on the market today that exploit the properties of ingredients of natural origin. These products are not only eco-friendly, but also particularly gentle.

Read the INCI carefully

In order to choose a brand, one must learn to read the inci, and it should be emphasised from the outset that an expensive product is not always also a good cosmetic.

On how to read the INCI, we recommend you read our article ‘INCI: WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT IS FOR, HOW TO READ THE INCI’.

The inci, i.e. the list of ingredients, stipulates that they are arranged in descending order, i.e. from the ingredient present in the largest quantity to the one present in the smallest quantity. Often you will see water in the first places, but in order to have an effective product, it is good to check whether the active ingredients are in the first places. For example, if a cream is described as snail slime-based, in order for the benefits of this ingredient to really be present, it is a good idea to have it in the first places in the inci, ditto for other active ingredients such as argan oil, almond oil or whatever other ingredient/active ingredient is sponsored. Animal lovers should also check that the face cream is cruelty free, i.e. not tested on animals.