Can You Over-Moisturize Your Skin? An Expert Explains

Dry skin? Moisturize. Just got out of the shower? Moisturize. Sunburned? Moisturize. All of this talk about the miracle of moisturizing has made us wonder—is it possible to over-moisturize? Short answer according to Skincare.com expert and celebrity facialist Mzia Shiman? Not in the slightest.

Shiman says that “you should moisturize the skin after each time you use cleanser and toner, every morning and evening, or as needed.” She also let us in on a little moisturizing rule of thumb: if you experience problems with your skin after using a specific moisturizer, it could be due to the fact that you are using the wrong one. “Moisturizer that is not for your skin type can cause your skin to react, rather than help it,” she says. Not sure what kind of moisturizer is right for your skin? Don’t worry, we got you.

While it may seem counterintuitive to apply hydration on skin that appears saturated, you have to moisturize oily skin. Skipping this step can cause your skin to compensate by producing even more oil. If you have oily skin, you’ll want to apply a lightweight moisturizer, but only once a day. Oily skin can be the most prone to acne, so you may also want to look into moisturizers that are oil-free and non-comedogenic, to prevent your moisturizer from making a new home in your pores. We recommend the Tea Tree Mattifying Lotion from The Body Shop, it’s light, oil-free, and can even provide shine control while working to keep your skin hydrated.

Dry skin is often parched and not only in desperate need of hydration, but in desperate need of a lot of it. If you have dry skin you can get away with applying hydrating creams, balms, and gels multiple times a day. Apply your moisturizer to damp skin to help lock in hydration. When it comes to combating dry skin, we love the Ultra Facial Deep Moisture Balm from Kiehl’s, as it can help lock in moisture while soothing the skin. In addition, its formula contains Edelweiss flower extract, which helps to strengthen the skin’s barrier function.  

For combination skin, or skin that experiences dryness in certain areas but is oily in others, you’ll want to use moisturizers the way you would masks when you're multi-masking. Evaluate which areas of your skin are oily and which are dry and address them with moisturizers that were developed for their specific needs. For example, if you experience dry cheeks and an oily T-Zone, you could try applying a heavier moisturizer to your cheeks and a gel-based oil-free moisturizer or a lightweight lotion to the T-Zone area.  

Lucky, lucky you. When your skin is normal you can pretty much use products that are suitable for all skin types. We love the Rénergie Lift Multi-Action Day Cream from Lancôme. It contains SPF 15 and comes in a night cream, as well.   

For those with sensitive skin, avoid moisturizers that contain fragrances, as some scents may aggravate your skin. Look for a moisturizer that has calming formulations, such as green tea polyphenols, chamomile, and aloe. We can’t get enough of The Body Shop’s Aloe Vera Soothing Moisture Lotion. It provides sun protection with added SPF 15, soothes sensitive skin, and leaves the skin feeling refreshed, and hydrated.