Skincare for beginners: This is why you need to moisturise

It’s one of the cardinal rules of skincare for beginners: Drink plenty of water, moisturise and wear sunscreen. So, chances are you don’t think too much about the benefits of this essential step. But essential it is; no matter your skin type, moisturiser is a no-ifs-or-buts inclusion in your skincare routine (yep, even for oily skin!) Here’s why.

In today’s skincare 101 for beginners lesson, we’re taking a little trip back to high school science to understand the skin barrier. Our skin is made up of multiple layers, each with a different job to do. The very top layer, called the stratum corneum, is also known as the skin barrier. It’s made up of heaps of tough skin cells, packed with keratin and natural moisturisers. They’re kind of like bricks in a brick wall.

Those bricks in our skin barrier are basically doing two things: Keeping all of the nasty environmental germs out of our bodies, and keeping all of the water inside our bodies. Every day, our skin barrier is battling against a whole stack of threats – think pollution, sun exposure, chemicals, dirt, humidity. If our skin barrier becomes impaired, it can lead to water loss and, in turn, become dehydrated.

Image credit: Anna Shvets - Pexels

Which is where moisturiser comes in

With dry skin comes a litany of skin issues: redness, acne, fine lines, wrinkles and an overproduction of oil. But studies – like this one – show that applying a moisturiser can help to restore the integrity of our skin barrier, acting to prevent water loss and re-hydrating and smoothing our hard-working skin. And this study concludes that our moisturisers don’t just sit on the skin inactively; they penetrate the skin, influencing the structure and function underneath. 

But wait, there’s more.

So far, so impressive. But, incredibly, there’s a way that we can further dial up the benefits of using a moisturiser in our beginner skincare routine. Enter: Added ingredients. Glycerin, aloe vera and panthenol are what we like to call our hydration heroes, helping to soften and sooth the skin and retain moisture. Pentavitin provides a whopping 72 hours of hydration while protecting the skin barrier. And then there’s the MVP of hydration: Superox-C™, a super-potent form of vitamin C that doesn’t just hydrate the skin, but also fights free radicals (molecules which can destabilise your skin) and sun damage. So if you could get your hands on a moisturiser with ALL of those added ingredients, you’d feel pretty darn pleased with yourself, wouldn’t you? 

Find your perfect moisturiser

The spectacular news is you don’t have to look very far: Both our Pump + Glow and Spray + Glow moisturisers are bursting with all of those good-for-you ingredients and then some. It means you’re going to get maximum results from minimum products – the ethos of Cinch’s simple, 2-step routine. The result is plumped, glowy, hydrated skin – and a very happy skin barrier.