Reasons why you should use body moisturiser

How often do you moisturise your body? Every day? Once a week? Never? When it comes to looking after your bod – using a body butter or lotion is one of the easiest ways of doing it.

Thanks to Reviva who provided us with these very interesting tips!

Your skin is your body’s biggest organ

Your skin is incredible important. After all, it’s the largest organ in your body, and the one primarily responsible for protecting everything else within your body. It’s a barrier against bacteria, viruses, infection, etc., so it’s important to keep your skin healthy and hydrated at all times.

Doesn’t my body produce its own moisture?

Actually, your body is incredibly efficient, and keeping your body healthy goes a long way toward keeping your skin healthy. However, there are several factors that can “pull” moisture from the skin. Internal issues such as illness, poor diet, smoking, and stress can cause skin to become dry. Externally, pollution, extreme cold or heat, and exposure to the sun can all dry out your skin. Keeping your skin properly moisturised can combat many of these internal and external factors.

Protecting skin’s barrier

Your skin’s “barrier” is the outer layers of the skin – the part you can see. Keeping these outer layers healthy and soft goes a long way toward keeping skin healthy overall If your barrier is dry and damaged, its more likely that skin will develop wrinkles, blemishes and scarring. And one of the most important ways to protect skin’s barrier is by limiting sun exposure. UVA & UVB rays can cause long-term damage to the skin, and are the number one cause of skin damage. Using sun protection every day is crucial for keeping skin safe and healthy.

Emollients vs. humectants vs. occlusive agents

Humectants function by attracting water from the inner layers of the skin to the outer layers of the skin. It can also attract and retain moisture from the air. Some examples of humectants are: propylene glycol, hexylene gloycol, butylene glycol, alpha hydroxy acids (such as lactic acid), urea, and aloe vera gel.

Emollients are designed to make the surface of the skin softer and more supple by reducing evaporation and providing a protective barrier. Emollients commonly used in skin care include: olive oil, acetyl alcohol, shea butter, mineral oil, lanolin, coconut oil, almond oil, sesame oils, jojoba, and other plant oils.

Occlusive agents, like emollients, increase skin moisture by creating a barrier to prevent moisture loss. Emollients provide some of the same benefits as occlusive agents, though occlusives tend to be heavier and are usually balanced out with other emollients and humectants. Some examples of common occlusive agents found in skin care are: petrolatum, lanolin, zinc oxide, silicones, oils, and waxes.

All skin types need to be moisturised

Even if you have oily or acne-prone skin, it is important to moisturise. In fact, moisturizing is particularly important when using harsh acne medications. In some cases, blemishes are formed not because the skin has too much moisture, but because it’s lacking in moisture. Often, skin that is lacking moisture produces extra oil to combat the dryness, which can lead to blemishes.

It is important to choose a moisturiser that fits your skin’s needs. Skin that tends toward dryness may require a heavier cream moisturiser to maintain proper hydration, where oily skin will likely require an oil-free lotion that can keep skin hydrated without extra oils. And ageing skin may require a heavier moisturiser, as skin tends to lose moisture as we age.

In addition to choosing a moisturiser based on your skin type, your daytime moisturiser should also contain sun protection. Even in the winter months, your skin is being exposed to the sun’s rays, and it’s important to protect your skin from sun damage.

If you’re looking for a brilliant, easy to use body cream, grab a bottle of Dr. Spiller Rahima Body Butter. This is a caring body butter with African active ingredients. For a sensuous pleasure and a long­lasting feeling on the skin. A rich, sensuous body care with Mango butter and Marula Oil moisturises deep into the skin. These sensuous products feature native African active ingredients such as Blue Lotus and Red Tulip Tree extract to revitalize the skin and awaken the senses.