Why it’s ok to give up your moisturizer in the summer

Hello loves!

I took a couple of days off blogging to mentally check out and enjoy the warm weather with friends, and I got caught up watching a marathon of Sex and the City to celebrate its 20th anniversary. 💃🏽

Lately, my skin has been so dewy and alive that I had to give up using my moisturizer as the weather has changed, and I felt there is no real need to use a moisturizer as I already use an Essence as well as a potent serum.

According to Zein Obagi, MD, a Beverly Hills-based dermatologist and founder of skin-care line ZO Skin Health, using moisturizer was not only a waste of time but potentially damaging to our skin. “When you use moisturizer every day, you run the risk of making your skin older, not younger,” he warns. “If you apply a lot of moisture, the skin will become sensitive, dry, dull, and interfere with natural hydration.”

Dr. Obagi believes skin gets addicted to replacement moisture and stops supplying its own hydration from within the body. And your natural hydration, he says, is what keeps skin healthy and young. “The tree gets its nutrients from the ground; no matter how much you spray the tree, it will become dry,” he says.

“Almost zero percent of my patients actually require a moisturizer,” he explains. “All your skin really needs is cleansing, stimulation, and protection.” Even season changes don’t count. Daily moisturizer should not be needed any matter the calendar, he says. 🤔

His skepticism of moisturizers is almost at conspiracy level. “My feeling is there is an abuse of moisturizer,” he says. “Because it is so easy to formulate and sell, the brainwashing started in the late 50s and 60s from all the cosmetic companies. They sold everyone that idea that you will dry and age. This is absolute nonsense.”

So, what to do if you’re addicted to your moisturizer? Obagi says you should stop using it cold turkey —even in the winter — and wait three to six weeks. “As you break the habit, you may feel dry and irritable,” he admits. “Your skin may feel like it’s missing something or like it’s stinging or burning, depending on how long you were using moisturizer.” But the withdrawal, he claims, is worth it: “When patients come back in about five weeks, they thank me. It wakes up the skin and gets the cells to start working in harmony.”

I don’t know about you, but living in New York; its harsh climate in the winter, so I will not give up my moisturizer. However, while summer humidity will do my moisturizer’s job, I am happily able to eliminate it as part of my skin routine for now.

Sending beauty week vibes! 💋

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Photo credit:  Neffis saved to tumblr grafika flowers, chanel, and rose

 

 

14 Comments

  1. Kerry LifeandLoves

    Ohhh now this made me come out in hives haha! I wont be giving up my moisturiser either, but its an interesting concept. Even if I dont agree, I totally respect other opinions and find them interesting. Glad you have been enjoying the weather, and I too have been watching the odd random SATC episodes. I blooming love those ladies!

  2. Reen

    Interesting to hear this and that too for the first time, I definitely feel better about not moisturizing for the longest time hehe. Kind of makes sense but I think it all depends on one’s skin needs. Great Read!

  3. SimpleSerenity

    I always adapt my skincare to season and weather. Right now I’m using high spf as it is so sunny here, so I don’t really use regular face moisturizer. Gotta say I’m quite interested in this concept. xx

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