Emollients...Why They Are Too Cheap For Your Skin

by Michelle Howard

A few days ago I shared with you how you need to make sure your summer moisturizer has humectants in them.  Now, let's flip it a bit and look at another popular skin care ingredient...Emollients.

What you don't need in your skin care products is emollients.  Sure, popular brands use them but if you have dry skin conditions, emollients like lanolin, mineral oil, and petroleum do nothing for your skin.

Emollients are skin care ingredients that lubricate the skin. Lubricate does NOT = moisturize.  Emollients are either oil or water based but regardless, they are not effective for making or keeping your skin soft and moist.

Emollients are cheap.  Moisturizers (and I use that word loosely) that contain oil based emollients leave an oily residue on the skin and don't penetrate for deep moisturizing or any moisturizing for that matter.  Moisturizers with water based emollients are not oily but they also don't do a single thing for your skin.  In other words, they are waste of space on your ingredient list.

Instead of cheap emollients, look for ingredients like collagen, aloe, shea butter and olive oil. These are much more effective if you want to combat dry skin.

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