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Using a night cream is one of the best habits when it comes to anti-aging skincare. This essential step to your routine can help your skin repair itself overnight to fight against damage that causes the signs of aging, because most night creams are formulated with nourishing ingredients that hydrate and heal the skin. But there is one type of night cream most dermatologists agree you should stop using, because it has the potential to ruin your skin.
With all skincare products, it is important to read the ingredients to make sure you’re getting the right benefits for your specific skin type. And when it comes to moisturizers and face creams, dermatologists say you should try to avoid those made with mineral oil.
Mineral oil moisturizers help the skin look and feel hydrated, but can dry out your skin over time and prevent it from protecting itself.
"Mineral oils can retain moisture so effectively that the skin will become too moist," Dr. Jetske Ultee explained to The Skincare Edit. "Your skin will look good at first (because the lines are stretched out), but in the long run various cellular processes will work somewhat less efficiently. Eventually this will lead to your skin not being able to protect itself and you find yourself in a vicious circle; your skin quickly dries out if you don't put any cream on and so you keep applying it."
To avoid using a face cream made with mineral oils, make sure your products don’t contain ingredients listed as paraffin oil, liquid paraffin, paraffinum liquidum, liquid petroleum, petroleum oil, petrolatum, petrolatum liquid or white oil.
What To Use Instead Of Mineral Oil
Experts love night creams made with hyaluronic acid. Unlike mineral oil, this ingredient is known to hydrate the skin while repairing the moisture barrier to lock-in hydration.
If you're in need of a new night cream, try the Vichy Aqualia Thermal Hydrating Night Cream with hyaluronic acid. This restorative moisturizer repairs and softens the skin overnight, with the help of conditioning oils and reliable hyaluronic acid - which has earned it a ton of 5-star reviews on Ulta.
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Hydrating Night Cream with Hyaluronic Acid ($28)
