Moisturizers: Are you a ‘body shop’ person or a ‘Nivea’ person? How about E45/ Clinique/ Dove etc? Which is the best moisturiser? Is simple vaseline as good as an expensive Clinique moisturising cream?

These are questions that friends, relatives and patient’s pose on a regular basis. Unfortunately, no body likes the answer I give them! I am glad that I can now quote a well written scientific article to support my statement that simple plain petroleum jelly is the best moisturiser available in the market and this is no inferior to a branded moisturiser containing fancy ingredients, so called ‘dermatologically tested’ and ‘approved by dermatologists’. These are all marketing gimmicks.

For those who are interested, there are four main classes of moisturizers:

1. Occlusives: Petrolatum and dimethicone- work by preventing evaporation of water from the skin and are particularly effective when applied to already dampened skin. Occlusives are the most common type of moisturizers used in formulations.
2. Humectants: glycerol or glycerin, hydroxy acids, propylene glycol, and urea – second major class of moisturizers, which increase the water content of the skin by enhancing water absorption into the skin surface (from the air and from the dermis underneath).
3. Emollients: essential fatty acids, which are found in various natural oils (coconut/ olive/ almond oil etc) – improve the appearance and texture of skin by filling in the spaces between the skin cells and thus contribute to increased softness and smoothness of the skin thus improving its overall appearance.
4. Rejuvenators: Collagen, keratin, and elastin- These are natural skin proteins intended to replenish essential proteins in this skin. However they do not penetrate into the skin and do not work as they are intended to. They only have a role similar to emollients and improve skin appearance by creating a film that aesthetically smoothens the skin and stretches out and fills in fine lines. They DO NOT rejuvenate the skin!

Note: Ceramides which are marketed in expensive branded creams probably only have an emollient effect and are no superior to occlusives.

For practical purposes petroleum jelly is the best moisturiser. However the best moisturiser really is one you like using and suits you well. Just remember that ‘expensive’ does not equal ‘good moisturiser’!

Moisturizers: Reality and the skin benefits

1. Katherine Nolan,
2. Ellen Marmur^*

Article first published online: 22 AUG 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1529-8019.2012.01504.x

© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Issue

Dermatologic Therapy

Special Issue: Update on Cosmetics

Volume 25, Issue 3, pages 229–233, May/June 2012