Moisturizer quiz time: You’ve A) used the same products for years but never took the time to consider if they are the best option for you. B) your skin always feels too dry, even though you moisturize regularly. Or C) you’ve heard the buzz about a new gel moisturizer but not sure if it’s right for your oily complexion. Beyond texture and formulation, face creams and gels offer different benefits for your skin. Let’s check out the basics to get you properly hydrated.
Meet the Experts
Dr. Azza Halim is a board-certified multi-specialist physician.
Sunday Riley , CEO, founder and product formulator
Face Creams
Cream Moisturizer:
- Texture: Thicker, richer, and often oil-based.
- Formulation: Contains emollients and occlusives like oils, butters, and silicones, which form a barrier to lock in moisture.
- Benefits: Provides deep hydration and nourishment, helping to repair the skin barrier and prevent moisture loss.
- Suitability: Best for dry, very dry, and sensitive skin. It’s also beneficial for use in colder, drier climates where the skin tends to lose more moisture.
More emollient in texture, “cream moisturizers are thicker in consistency with a longer-lasting protective barrier for the skin,” adds Sunday Riley. Usually, creams are an equal blend of water and oils and are packed with skin-barrier-boosting ingredients like ceramides “to lock in moisture from within the skin barrier. Our moisturizers do more than just hydrate — they also act as treatments,” says Riley.
ICE Ceramide Moisturizing Cream
‘ICE is a rich, deep moisturizer powered by ceramides, which are crucial for our skin’s moisture barrier. Ceramides help lock in water and keep out pollutants and other harmful elements. Maintaining a healthy moisture barrier is essential, but factors like stress, weather, and hormones can disrupt it, and our skin produces fewer ceramides as we age. Infusing the skin with ceramides helps reset the clock, returning your skin to a more youthful state with a stronger moisture barrier. This isn’t just about moisturizing; it’s about restoring your skin to how it was before stress and harsh weather took their toll. By boosting ceramide levels, your skin retains more water, resulting in plump, dewy skin. ICE is also balanced with ingredients like pomegranate sterols and coconut. The delightful smell makes the application process enjoyable, encouraging you to stick to your routine. Consistent use of these powerful ingredients yields ongoing, visible results,’ adds Riley.
C.E.O. Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream
‘C.E.O Rich cream has a beautiful, thick, and rich texture that infuses the skin with hydration. It also contains a stable form of vitamin C, THD Ascorbate, known for its brightening and tightening effects. Unlike other forms of vitamin C that can irritate sensitive skin, this one is gentle and effective. Additionally, the moisturizer includes lime pearl extract, which gently resurfaces the skin. The combination of rich moisture and vitamin C helps eliminate dullness, even out skin tone and provides antioxidant protection. This is why it’s our number one moisturizer in the UK. Whether used day or night, this moisturizer is designed to deliver exceptional results,’ shares Riley.
Gel Moisturizers
Gel Moisturizer:
- Texture: Lightweight, water-based, and quickly absorbed by the skin.
- Formulation: Typically contains water as the main ingredient, along with humectants like hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate, which draw moisture into the skin.
- Benefits: Provides hydration without a heavy or greasy feel, making it ideal for oily and combination skin types.
- Suitability: Best for oily, combination, and acne-prone skin. It’s also suitable for those living in humid climates as it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin.
‘Gel moisturizers are lightweight and water-based, which makes them less likely to clog pores compared to heavier, cream-based moisturizers. Gel moisturizers like C.E.O. Afterglow provide the necessary hydration without adding excess oil, helping to maintain a balanced and shine-free complexion. Their quick-absorbing formula is ideal for oily or acne-prone skin types, leaving the skin feeling refreshed and moisturized without a greasy residue,’ explains Sunday.
Quick reminder: Oily skin still needs a moisturizer. Otherwise, it will over-produce sebum to hydrate the skin. Gels absorb quickly, while some creams might take time to soak in, depending on their ingredients. So if you tend to rush in the morning, bemoaning the time skincare takes to absorb before you can apply the next layer or your makeup, gels might be for you.
C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Gel Cream
‘C.E.O. Afterglow provides long-lasting hydration and brightening benefits. It is a fantastic product that I’m absolutely in love with. Its gel-cream texture is perfect for various skin types. If you have oily skin, you’ll appreciate its lightweight feel, and it’s equally great for those living in humid climates. This moisturizer will work well for you even if you have normal to dry skin. Formulated with high-strength Vitamin C (THD Ascorbate), this advanced formula drenches the skin in moisture, delivering 24 hours of continuous hydration and visibly brightening the skin in just seven days,’ adds Sunday. ‘Boosted with ergothioneine, soothing allantoin, and lutein, C.E.O. Afterglow provides a burst of antioxidants to protect your skin from environmental stressors. The glow and sheen are due to the skin being well-hydrated. With continued use, you’ll notice lasting hydration, improved skin tone, and overall transformation. This multitasking moisturizer is truly amazing for everyone, and it’s also popular among men due to its versatile texture. It’s one of my favorites as well.’
In an independent study:
- 100% of people felt their skin was significantly smoother and softer after using the product
- 97% of people had significant improvement in skin brightness (according to clinical visual grading) and felt that their skin felt more moisturized after using the product
- 94% of people felt that their skin had a healthy glow, was more elastic, and visibly improved after using the product
Hybrids, Layering, and Application
However, let’s not feel like we must tick either the “cream wearer” or “gel wearer” box. You can be both. Maybe the forecast dictates our skincare. “Just as the weather changes, so do our skin needs,” says Halim. “Summer heat and humidity usually increase sweat and oils. Therefore, one should opt for a lightweight gel moisturizer, and in the fall and winter months, you can switch to a cream.”
Maybe you have a morning and night switcheroo. In the morning, you might apply a gel. Says Riley: “Because gels absorb quickly and are oil-free, they can allow for better makeup application without the heavy, greasy feeling. C.E.O. Afterglow, as a skincare primer, can be applied before makeup to give a naturally radiant finish to your foundation and a smoother application and prevent any cakey- or powdery-looking dryness we all despise.” And then, at night, when your skin is a bit thirstier and does its repair work while you sleep, you can opt for a nourishing cream.
Application-wise, whether you choose a gel, cream, or a hybrid option like Afterglow, the way you layer your skincare remains the same. First, cleanse your skin, use a toner or essence, apply your serums and oils, then moisturize before you apply your eye cream and SPF.
YOUR AM ROUTINE
HOW TO USE
- Cleanse with CERAMIC SLIP.
- After patting your skin dry, mist PINK DRINK onto your face. Massage into your skin and let dry.
- Follow with 1-2 pumps of GOOD GENES to face and neck.
- Next apply 2-3 drops of C.E.O. GLOW to your face and neck, followed by 1-2 pumps of C.E.O. SERUM (or mix them together and apply as a skin cocktail).
- Apply C.E.O. AFTERGLOW to face, neck, and décolleté.
- Pat 1-2 pumps of AUTO CORRECT around the eye area, starting under the eye and continuing to the outer corners (in the crow’s feet area). Then apply under the brow bone, for a lifting effect.
YOUR PM ROUTINE
HOW TO USE
- After patting your skin dry, mist PINK DRINK onto your face. Massage into your skin and let dry.
- Follow with 1-2 pumps of GOOD GENES to face and neck.
- Next apply 1-2 pumps of A+ SERUM to your face and neck, followed by 3-4 drops of LUNA (or mix them together and apply as a skin cocktail).
- Using your ring and middle fingers, lightly tap a pearl-sized amount of 5 STARS onto the eye area and massage outwards around the outer crow’s feet, under the eye, and between brow bone and eyebrow.
- Before bed, massage in ICE onto the face, neck, and décolleté to lock in moisture.
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