Why Moisturizing is a Must: How Skipping It Can Damage Your Skin

The moment we wash our faces after a stressful day, we religiously reach out for a dab of moisturizer to coat our faces with. While it may seem insignificant in our 7-step skincare routine, hydration is a cornerstone in maintaining healthy, plump skin. Although cleansing and SPF application are essential, your skin needs adequate hydration to fight off the inflammation and stressors that affect its barrier as well. This is exactly how moisturizer benefits us! If you are seeking to improve your skin health, then follow along to understand the science behind why is moisturizer important and the drawback of avoiding it in your skincare routine.

Keynotes:

• Moisturizing your skin plays a key role in hydrating your skin and creating a protective barrier against environmental factors and water loss (TEWL).
• The lack of a moisturisng agent in your skincare routine can lead to dry, rough and flaky skin, increasing its sensitivity to irritants in the environment.
• The steps towards picking the right face cream for you are by choosing products based on your skin type, ingredients and usage.
• Stay consistent in your skincare journey for radiant, resilient and soft skin.

Moisturizers are specialized creams and lotions formulated to boost the water content of the skin. They work by attracting and retaining moisture in the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the skin. This supplements it with a string of humectants, occlusives, and emollients that soothe and emulate the natural protective barrier. Regular use of such day creams leaves your skin feeling soft, hydrated and smooth, making a dry, flaky appearance a thing of the past.

Strengthens Your Skin's Protective Barrier

We have established that a resilient barrier function is key to healthy skin. Moisturizers not only keep your skin soft but also fortify this barrier so that it performs its crucial task of shielding the body against environmental aggressors like pollutants and bacteria. This blend of hydrating ingredients helps boost the skin's integrity, even under stress.

Prevents Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL)

Transepidermal water loss is a common condition that refers to the process of water evaporating from the deeper layers of the skin into the environment. It is a natural process, which may occur throughout the day. However, an excessive loss of water from your skin can leave it dehydrated, dry, and flaky. Occlusive agents like petroleum jelly, silicones, etc., in popular moisturizers help to form a layer on the skin's surface. This minimizes the rate of evaporation, allowing your skin to retain moisture and overall health.

Reduces the Appearance of Fine Lines and Improves Texture

You may have noticed that well-moisturized skin tends to boost a fresh and plumper appearance. This boost of hydration may also temporarily create an air of seamless appearance that reflects light more evenly. Thus reducing the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles. Such benefits of face moisturizers containing actives like hyaluronic acid may improve your skin's texture and elasticity, making it seem more youthful and radiant.

We get it; doing the same routine every day can feel tedious. Well, if you have to keep a step consistent, it is a hydrating moisturizer. Neglecting this can strip your skin of a manifold of moisturizer benefits. Here are a few detrimental effects you may experience as a result:

Dryness and Flakiness

Gradually removing moisturizers from your routine can relay immediate noticeable effects, such as dryness and tightness along the face. The act of simply cleansing your face without following it up with a moisturizing agent strips the skin of its natural oils without replenishing its hydration level. Such a predicament not only leads the path to a rough and uneven skin surface but also compromises its radiance, leaving the skin with an overall lackluster.

Compromised Skin Barrier

One of the integral benefits of face moisturizer is bolstering the skin with a layer of defense against environmental factors. The lack of it leads to an increased susceptibility towards irritants and damage. This compromises the skin barrier and turns it vulnerable to inflammation and even infections.

Increased Sensitivity and Redness

Following up, this damaged skin barrier makes your skin prone to irritation and inflammation. Moreover, dehydrated skin, when left exposed, coupled with external factors like irritants, sun exposure and weather changes, may potentially aggravate the skin. This may manifest in redness, itchiness and burning. It may further exacerbate conditions such as rosacea and eczema, making the symptoms difficult to manage.

Now, before you run to buy yourself the next cream you see on the market, here are a few pointers that can help you choose the right ones for your skin needs:

Know Your Skin Type

Understanding your skin type is the first step towards choosing products that may work best for you. The skincare community categorizes these types as dry, oily, combination and sensitive. As we can gather, rough and dry skin needs moisture, and hence rich creams and ointments with occlusives like petroleum and emollients like shea butter work best. On the other hand, oily skin may benefit from lightweight formulations like gels. That said, combination skin includes both and hence requires a balanced approach with products that offer oil control as well as hydration. Lastly, people with sensitive skin should go for irritant-free and hypoallergenic formulas that are gentle and soothing.

Look for Key Ingredients

Based on the above types, one can pick and choose the ingredients that best suit them. If you’re in search of an element that draws moisture into the skin, then humectants like glycerin, aloe vera, and peptides should be your go-to. For achieving smooth and soft skin, look for emollients in your moisturizers, such as ceramides, shea butter and coconut butter. Lastly, protect all that hydration with occlusives to prevent more water loss and protect the skin barrier.

Consider Your Concerns

Apart from relaying a layer of moisture to your skin, another moisturizer benefit is that it can be an optimal tool to carry actives and target concerns without irritating the skin. For those dealing with acne, they may opt for formulations with salicylic acid. As for individuals who need a collagen boost and improved elasticity to the skin, may opt for products with antioxidants like vitamin C and peptides.

Day vs. Night Moisturizers

Moisturizers are also categorized by when in the day they relay the best benefits. The formulations catering to the day are lighter (with SPF!), and the night ones are generally richer to boost skin health. For instance, among the Eucerin products, the Anti-Pigment Day Care SPF30 is a non-greasy day cream that not only provides sun protection but also contains Thiamidol to target dark spots. On the other hand, the Anti-Pigment Night Care cream bolsters a combination of Thiamidol and Dexpanthenol that targets skin irritation and rejuvenates the skin overnight.

Lets understand how to use moisturizer optimally for smooth and soft skin:

Step 1: Begin with freshly cleansed skin to get rid of any dirt or impurities.

Step 2: While your skin is still damp (after serum application), take a coin's worth of moisturizer and dab it all over your face and neck.

Step 3: Gently massage the excess moisturizer into your skin using upward circular motions without tugging.

Step 4: Allow the moisturizer a minute or two to seep into the skin, after which you may continue with your SPF and makeup.

As the seasons change, being the first line of defense, your skin confronts a range of challenges. Now, be it dry weather, irritating skin conditions or unrelenting heat. Between these, one thing that soothes the skin (while SPF protects it) is a high-quality moisturizer. Hence, crafting a skincare routine with a hydrating moisturizer ensures that your skin is resilient and radiant against daily stressors. It is just what you need to experience plump, soft and happy skin all year long!

1. How often should I moisturize?

   Consider moisturizing every time you wash your face. This could be either once or twice a day, depending on the climate.

2. What happens if I don’t moisturize my skin?

   Skipping moisturizer may lead to dehydrated skin that may potentially turn dry and flaky. Without it, you may risk a compromised skin barrier, which is sensitive to irritation and inflammation.

3. Can oily skin skip moisturizer?

   Individuals with oily skin types also need to moisturize their skin daily. Even oily skin may experience dehydration, leading to excess sebum production, leading to an oilier disposition. Hence, opt for a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer for the best results.

4. What ingredients should I look for in a moisturizer?

   While choosing ingredients, pick the ones that cater to your specific skin needs. Humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin work to absorb and relay moisture, and emollients like shea butter are heavy and reinforce the skin barrier. Occlusives like silicones or petrolatum act as a barrier and reduce moisture loss.

• Harwood A, Nassereddin A, Krishnamurthy K. Moisturizers. [Updated 2024 Feb 12]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545171/
• https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-barrier
• Purnamawati S, Indrastuti N, Danarti R, Saefudin T. The Role of Moisturizers in Addressing Various Kinds of Dermatitis: A Review. Clin Med Res. 2017 Dec;15(3-4):75-87. doi: 10.3121/cmr.2017.1363. Epub 2017 Dec 11. PMID: 29229630; PMCID: PMC5849435.
• Harwood A, Nassereddin A, Krishnamurthy K. Moisturizers. [Updated 2024 Feb 12]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545171/
• Luo, Yajun & Hoshi, Aya & Kasakawa, Yumi & Ou-Yang, Hao. (2023). The Benefits of Regular Use of Moisturizer to Skin Aging Prevention: A Six-month Evaluator-Blinded Randomized and Controlled Clinical Study. 10.13140/RG.2.2.29219.43042.
• https://www.healthline.com/health/cosmetic-safety/healthy-facial-moisturizers#What-s-Your-Skin-Type