"My skin is oily, I don't need moisturizer."

I hear this claim at least once a day while working on the cosmetics floor. Being an oily skinned person myself I can totally relate to this logic. I hate the feeling of a thick day cream slathered all over my face. I know that within five minutes I'm going to look like I ran 3 miles in the sahara desert because; lets face it Oil looks alarmingly similar to sweat. If you wear a full face of makeup like I do on a daily basis, this becomes a problem. Although our skin makes an abundance of its own sebum we still need to hydrate. Hydrate is your new word. There are basically two different kinds of moisturizers; Oil based and Water based. In the world of skincare, moisturizers with keywords such as, rich and nourishing are most likely chalk full of essential and synthetic oils. If you pick up a jar with words like, light, clean and hydrating then that product is likely a water based moisturizer. This is the type of moisturizer that you want. When I am teaching skin to clients I like to give this analogy, When you are thirsty, what is your body craving? A big ol' cup of oil? No, it wants water. Same with your oily skin, it's crying out for moisture but just a lighter version. Alot of light weight moisturizers designed for oily skin will most of the times lack the fun stuff, such as anti-agers, collagen, retinol and peptides. These wonderful time fighters are often reserved for the older consumer who has aging drier skin and therefore prefers to purchase the thicker, more emollient creams. We might get a little bit of Hyurluronic acid (A fancy smancy word for a humectant that plumps the top layer of skin with the use of your own body fluid and collagen.) but not much else. I am all about reversing time, slowing it down whatever I can do to look like I am still in my 20's so I save the heavier creams for bedtime. It is at night that your skin goes into recovery mode and will make the most use of anti-agers; so it is perfectly fine to use the night or day creams while you sleep, as long as you make it a habit of washing your face in the morning as you will wake up with the thickest layer of sebum on your skin as never before. You can go out looking for the perfect oil free, hydrating firming, toning and light weight daytime moisturizer because they are out there but it may take a few trial and error purchases and countless visits to many different counters. I sometimes find that the hunt is just as enjoyable as the satisfaction of buying your coveted prize but most of the time I'll purchase the expensive and more intense serum that usually accompanies the greasy daycreams and just wear a light oil free day lotion over it with an spf. I like one by Clean and clear with a whopping price tag of $4.99. The lotion provides the moisture you want and some sun protection while the serum is the show stopper that provides your long term skincare needs as well as some fabulous instant results. Please don't skip the moisture ladies! Remember, dehydration of 50% of the aging issue.