Skin: everything you need to know about creams

Taking care of oneself is a must for everyone, men and women, and the main way to do this is with cosmetic creams.
These can be specific for different parts of the body and have different functions.
Here’s what you need to know about creams, follow our advice in the Dermablog and you won’t regret it.

Skin creams: make the first distinction between face cream and body cream

The first distinction must be made between face creams and body creams.
Face creams are specific for the face and are divided by age group. Body creams have different types of use and can be targeted for certain areas of the body.

Face creams: which face cream to choose according to your skin type

This means that a face cream for mature skin may be unsuitable for someone with young skin. In the latter case, the main purpose of creams for mature skin is to moisturise, but a light product, perhaps enriched with sebum-regulating and purifying factors, is sufficient. Young skins
in fact also tend to be oily and develop acne.
For mature skin, the main objective is to avoid the formation of wrinkles, around the age of 30, while after the age of 40, wrinkles on the face need to be filled in. Hydration is important for mature skin, but above all it is important to supplement hyaluronic acid and stimulate collagen production. These two elements help to moisturise and maintain hydration throughout the day, and also plump the skin and relax the features.

Face cream for the eye contour

Specific facial products can be bought for the eye area. This area is characterised by thinner and more fragile skin, and bags and dark circles frequently form. To alleviate these signs, specific face creams can also be used in serum or gel form.

How to apply eye contour cream

Applied with a gentle massage, they relax the features and give an immediate feeling of freshness.

Day and night face cream

Face creams can also be divided into day and night creams. Day creams are enriched with UV protection factor and are lighter because they must also allow make-up to hold.
Night creams are richer in active ingredients and seek to exploit the regenerating effect of the night hours.

Body creams have different purposes: let us analyse them together

Body creams have different functions, and here are some of their uses:

• moisturising creams: to regenerate the skin and make it supple;
• Anti-cellulite creams: to fight cellulite;
• anti-stretch mark creams: to treat and curb the annoying presence of stretch marks
• exfoliating creams: to eliminate dead skin cells.

Moisturising body creams: the moisturiser for your skin

Body creams, therefore, have several functions, the most common being moisturising creams that can be used from a very young age. They provide immediate relief because they regenerate chapped skin, make it elastic and protect it from the effects of heat and cold.
As we get older, however, it may be necessary to use specific body creams.

Anti-cellulite creams: they are necessary with advancing age

The most commonly used are anti-cellulite creams and creams for stretch marks. Anti-cellulite creams aim to reduce localised fat pads, improve microcirculation and have a draining effect. They are based on various active ingredients including carnitine, caffeine and seaweed.

Anti-cellulite creams: how this body cream works on the skin

The aim is to dissolve fat cells that compress blood vessels, impairing microcirculation and consequently increasing the amount of fluid ‘stuck’ in intracellular spaces. The fat cells once dissolved are naturally eliminated through the body’s purification system. Very important in the application of any anti-cellulite cream is the massage, which must aim to improve microcirculation.

Orange peel skin: anti-cellulite cream if used from a young age counteracts this unsightly blemish

Orange peel skin is more frequent in women and starts appearing as early as adolescence, which is why early use of anti-cellulite creams may be recommended.

Stretch mark creams. Take care of your skin on abdomen, breasts, thighs, buttocks and arms

Stretch marks are streaks that form on the skin, particularly on the abdomen, breasts, thighs, buttocks and arms. They
are due to insufficient skin elasticity and occur especially in the event of sudden increases and decreases in weight. Particular attention must be paid in the development period and during pregnancy.

Anti-stretch mark body creams: check the ingredients used because they are our skin’s best ally

Body creams to prevent and reduce stretch marks are mainly based on natural oils, in particular sweet almond oil, olive oil and lavender oil with healing powers.
Oils are particularly recommended for the prevention of stretch marks during pregnancy, because they are natural products that have no contraindications; creams with ingredients that are aggressive to the foetus should be avoided during this period.
Stretch mark creams often also contain retinol, a derivative of vitamin A that can repair broken collagen fibres.
Glycolic acid, on the other hand, has exfoliating power and stimulates the synthesis of collagen fibres.
For the use of creams with retinol and glycolic acid during pregnancy, it is best to consult your doctor first.

Exfoliating creams: they help the skin to regenerate easily, if you increase their action afterwards by using moisturising body creams

Among the body creams that must not be forgotten are those with exfoliating action for the skin. These should be used in the shower, their aim being to eliminate dead skin cells, so that the subsequent moisturising and nourishing products will be better absorbed and thus increase their effectiveness. Exfoliating creams should also be used to avoid ingrown hairs that form when epilating with waxing, epilators or razors. They can be specific for body and face and usually contain clay, Himalayan pink salt and other ingredients of natural origin that deeply cleanse the skin.

How to choose the right creams for your skin: here are our tips

Whatever the goal, on the shelves of perfumeries, pharmacies or in supermarkets you can choose from many different brands and finding the right face or body cream is very difficult.
In order to assess this well, it is necessary to read the inci. We
have already talked about this in this post, which we recommend you read: INCI: WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT IS FOR, HOW TO READ THE INCI
In order for the product
to be of quality, the active ingredients must be present in the first positions in the INCI, thus ensuring a good quantity of active ingredients and therefore effectiveness. In the INCI, the last ingredients are those present to a lesser extent.

If you have delicate skin, choose organic, paraben- and silicone-free products

If you have particularly delicate skin, it is good to choose organic products, made with ingredients of natural origin, without parabens, silicones and other aggressive agents. These products are used as preservatives in cosmetics as they prevent bacterial growth. They are, however, considered toxic to the human body, parabens in particular being suspected of being carcinogenic to the extent that seven types have already been banned by the European Commission. These parabens are:

1. isopropylparaben,
2. isobutylparaben,
3. phenylparaben,
4. benzylparaben,
5. pentylparaben,
6. propylparaben
7. butylparaben.

Cosmetics that do not contain parabens can be recognised because this is specified on the packaging.