Which moisturiser suits you?

What is your skin type?

When choosing a new face cream, it helps to start by identifying your skin type. Cleanse your face, then look at and feel your skin to see whether it is normal, oily, dry, combination or sensitive. This tells you what your skin really needs.

• Oily skin looks shiny across the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin).
• Dry skin feels tight and often looks dull. It may even flake in places.
• Combination skin has an oily T-zone, while the cheeks feel dry.
• Sensitive skin often looks red, can feel itchy and may react to certain products.

The right formula

Once you know your skin type, choose a cream with the right purpose and ingredients. A cream for dry skin usually contains hyaluronic acid and added lipids to keep moisture levels in balance. Oily skin, on the other hand, calls for something lighter. These are often airy, gel-like formulas that help regulate sebum production.

• A day cream for oily skin helps regulate sebum and reduce blemishes, so it should not be too rich or creamy. It often leaves a mattifying finish as well.
• A cream for dry skin contains hyaluronic acid and added lipids, giving it a richer texture.
• A cream for combination skin contains hyaluronic acid to address dryness on the cheeks.
• A cream for sensitive skin is fragrance-free and contains soothing ingredients that calm the skin and make it less reactive, while an SPF offers protection.

Moisturisers with different formulas

For oily, combination or blemish-prone skin:
The Clarifying Gel Moisturizer by The Organic Pharmacy is a light gel moisturiser that reduces blemishes and balances sebum production.

For dry skin:
With its silky texture and intense hydration, the Diamond Luminous Perfecting Cream by Natura Bissé helps restore a fresh, radiant glow.

For sensitive skin:
The Balancing Complex Moisturizer by Jorgobé contains liquorice root and oat kernel extract to soothe irritation and reduce redness.

Specific needs

Perhaps a pigment spot has suddenly caught your eye, or you notice your skin becoming less firm. In that case, you can look for specific ingredients that address visible signs of ageing such as hyperpigmentation, loss of firmness or fine lines. What you need then are creams containing, for example, a combination of antioxidants, collagen, vitamins C and E, retinol or niacinamide.

• Antioxidants protect healthy cells and tissue from free radicals and help keep the skin young and healthy.
• Collagen gives connective tissue its firmness, though its production begins to decline from around the age of 25.
• Retinol (vitamin A) stimulates cell renewal, evens out and firms the skin and reduces wrinkles.
• Niacinamide (vitamin B3) helps reduce pigment spots, redness, blemishes, dullness and fine lines.

Moisturisers for specific skin needs

• The Niacinamide Restorative Cream by Malin+Goetz is a multifunctional moisturiser with niacinamide that addresses as many as six signs of ageing.
• The Procellular Defence Day Cream by Olverum is powered by an antioxidant complex and a potent antioxidant derived from algae.
• Perricone MD High Potency Classics Face Finishing & Firming Moisturizer with vitamin C Ester softens, plumps and firms the skin, and adds radiance to the complexion.