Signs of over-moisturizing the skin // Can you MOISTURIZE TOO MUCH? @DrDrayzday

Summary

This video explores the possibility of overdoing it with moisturizer and whether it can be detrimental. It explains the role of moisturizers in maintaining skin's natural barrier by reducing water loss and keeping irritants out. The script delves into the skin's stratum corneum, its composition, and the importance of water content for skin health. It addresses common misconceptions, such as causing oiliness or acne, and conditions like diaper rash and maskne, which are not caused by moisturizer overuse. The video concludes that while overuse is possible, it's unlikely with typical moisturizer application, and they are generally beneficial for skin health.

Takeaways

• 💧 Moisturizers are essential for maintaining skin health by reducing water loss and keeping irritants out.
• 🧱 The skin's outermost layer, the stratum corneum, functions as a barrier with 'bricks and mortar' made of corneocytes and lipids.
• 🌊 Natural Moisturizing Factors (NMFs) within the skin help bind water and maintain hydration.
• 🛡️ Environmental factors like detergents and pollutants can damage the skin's protective barrier, leading to dryness and irritation.
• 💦 Humectants in moisturizers mimic the skin's NMFs by attracting and binding water to the skin's surface.
• 🔒 Occlusives in moisturizers form a barrier on the skin's surface, trapping water in and preventing transepidermal water loss.
• 🚫 Over-moisturizing is unlikely with typical use, but conditions like diaper rash and 'maskne' can occur from excessive hydration.
• 🏊‍♂️ Swimmers may experience acne due to hyper-hydration from prolonged water exposure, not from moisturizer use.
• 👐 Frequent hand washing can disrupt the skin's lipid barrier, making regular hand moisturization important.
• ☀️ Sunscreen is considered a type of moisturizer as it contains humectants and is occlusive, helping to reduce water loss and protect from UV damage.

Q & A

Is it possible to overdo it with moisturizer?

Yes, it is possible to overdo it with moisturizer, but it's not likely to cause issues like diaper rash or trench foot, which are due to prolonged contact with water, not moisturizer use.

What is the primary function of moisturizers?

Moisturizers primarily help the skin by reducing water loss and helping to keep irritants out.

How does the skin naturally protect itself from water loss and irritants?

The skin naturally protects itself through the stratum corneum, which is composed of dead cells called corneocytes enmeshed in a lipid protein matrix, acting like bricks and mortar.

What are the two strategies moisturizers employ to help the skin?

Moisturizers employ two strategies: increasing water content in the stratum corneum with humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, and depositing a water-insoluble oily substance on the skin surface to mimic the skin's lipids and trap water in.

Why is petrolatum a favorite occlusive in moisturizers?

Petrolatum is a favorite occlusive in moisturizers because it can reduce water loss out of the skin by 99% and does a good job mimicking the skin's lipids.

Can moisturizers cause acne or oiliness?

Moisturizers do not cause acne or oiliness. Oil production is governed by hormones and is not influenced by moisturizer application.

What is 'maskne' and how is it related to moisturizers?

'Maskne' refers to acne caused by wearing masks, which can trap sweat and moisture against the skin. While moisturizers are not the direct cause, using an occlusive moisturizer can help prevent further irritation and promote skin healing.

How often should one apply moisturizer?

The frequency of applying moisturizer depends on individual skin needs and conditions. Generally, after cleansing, and more often if hands are washed frequently or if one has dry skin conditions like eczema.

What is the role of sunscreen as a moisturizer?

Sunscreen acts like a moisturizer by containing humectants and being occlusive, helping to reduce water loss from the skin and prevent dryness caused by UV exposure.

Can using too much moisturizer cause contact dermatitis?

Using too much moisturizer can potentially cause contact dermatitis if one is allergic or sensitive to an ingredient in the moisturizer, but this is not due to the hydration itself.

What is the recommended approach to moisturizing for swimmers?

For swimmers, it is recommended to use an occlusive moisturizer before entering the pool to prevent the skin from absorbing too much irritating pool water, and to rinse the skin after swimming to remove chlorine.

Outlines

00:00

💧 Moisturizing: How It Works and Its Importance

This paragraph discusses the role of moisturizers in maintaining skin health. It explains that moisturizers help reduce water loss and protect the skin from irritants. The skin's outermost layer, the stratum corneum, is composed of dead cells and lipids that form a protective barrier. As we age or under certain conditions, this barrier can become compromised, leading to dry and irritated skin. Moisturizers combat this by increasing water content and depositing an oily substance on the skin's surface to mimic the skin's natural lipids and prevent water loss. The paragraph also dispels the myth that moisturizers are not suitable for oily skin, emphasizing that everyone can benefit from their use.

05:03

🚫 Debunking Over-Moisturizing Myths

The paragraph addresses the possibility of overdoing moisturizer application. It explains that while there is a point at which the stratum corneum can become overly hydrated, it is unlikely to occur from using moisturizers. Conditions like diaper rash and 'maskne' are cited as examples of over-hydration, but these are due to external factors like prolonged moisture exposure, not moisturizer use. The paragraph also discusses how occlusive moisturizers can actually help in these situations by reducing water loss and preventing further irritation. It concludes by mentioning that using too much moisturizer does not increase oil production, which is hormone-regulated, and that swimmers may experience acne due to water absorption rather than moisturizer use.

10:04

🛑 When to Use Moisturizer and Potential Side Effects

This paragraph provides guidance on when to apply moisturizer, suggesting that it should be used after cleansing and possibly more frequently for those with dry skin conditions or in winter. It also recommends reapplying moisturizer to the hands often, especially due to frequent handwashing. The paragraph touches on the benefits of using sunscreen, which acts like a moisturizer by reducing water loss and protecting against UV rays. It concludes by discussing potential adverse effects from using any skincare product, such as contact dermatitis from allergens or irritants, and notes that moisturizers can actually help to reduce irritation by keeping the skin hydrated.

Keywords

💡Moisturizer

A moisturizer is a type of skincare product designed to hydrate the skin and prevent water loss. In the video, it is explained that moisturizers are essential because they help maintain the skin's barrier function by replacing lipids and hydrating factors that can be stripped away by various environmental factors and cleansing routines. The video emphasizes that moisturizers are beneficial for everyone, including those with oily skin, as they help to restore and maintain the skin's natural moisture balance.

💡Stratum Corneum

The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of the skin, composed mainly of dead skin cells called corneocytes. It acts as a protective barrier to prevent water loss and entry of irritants. The video discusses how the stratum corneum's health is crucial for skin integrity and how moisturizers can support its function, especially when it becomes compromised due to aging or certain skin conditions.

💡Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL)

Transepidermal water loss refers to the evaporation of water from the stratum corneum. The video explains that moisturizers work to reduce TEWL by using occlusive ingredients, which form a physical barrier on the skin's surface to lock in moisture. An example given is petrolatum, which is highlighted for its effectiveness in significantly reducing water loss.

💡Hydroscopic Factors

Hydroscopic factors, also known as natural moisturizing factors (NMF), are substances within the skin that can bind water and help maintain hydration. The video mentions that moisturizers often include humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid to mimic the skin's natural moisturizing factors and enhance hydration.

💡Occlusives

Occlusives are ingredients in moisturizers that create a barrier on the skin's surface to prevent water loss. The video discusses how occlusives like petrolatum are effective in trapping water within the skin and protecting it from external irritants, thus supporting the skin's natural barrier.

💡Diaper Rash

Diaper rash is a condition where the skin becomes excessively moist and irritated due to prolonged contact with moisture. The video uses diaper rash as an example of how over-hydration of the stratum corneum can impair the skin barrier, leading to increased water loss and potential bacterial or yeast infections. It contrasts this with the safe and beneficial use of moisturizers.

💡Maskne

Maskne is a colloquial term for acne that can be exacerbated by wearing masks for extended periods, leading to excess sweat and moisture trapped against the skin. The video explains that maskne is another example of over-hydration of the skin, similar to diaper rash, and that using occlusive moisturizers can help mitigate the issue by reducing friction and further irritation.

💡Sebum

Sebum is an oily substance produced by the skin's sebaceous glands, which helps to lubricate and protect the skin. The video clarifies that sebum production is not affected by the use of moisturizers, contrary to some misconceptions. It also mentions that swimmers might experience acne flare-ups not due to moisturizer overuse but because of the skin's interaction with water and irritants like chlorine.

💡Contact Dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is a type of skin inflammation that can occur from direct contact with an irritant or allergen. The video mentions that while moisturizers are generally beneficial, some individuals might experience contact dermatitis due to an ingredient in a moisturizer they are sensitive or allergic to, highlighting the importance of individual skin reactions to skincare products.

💡Sunscreen

Sunscreen is a product that protects the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The video notes that sunscreen can also function as a moisturizer because it often contains humectants and has occlusive properties, which help to reduce water loss from the skin. It emphasizes the dual benefits of sunscreen in preventing both UV damage and skin dryness.

Highlights

Moisturizers help reduce water loss and protect the skin from irritants.

The stratum corneum, the outermost layer of skin, is composed of dead cells and lipids that protect the skin.

Natural moisturizing factors within the skin help to bind water and maintain hydration.

Environmental factors like detergents and pollutants can impair the skin's protective layer.

Moisturizers work by increasing water content and depositing an oily substance on the skin's surface.

Petrolatum is an effective occlusive ingredient that reduces water loss from the skin.

Moisturizers are beneficial for all skin types, including oily skin, contrary to a common myth.

Over-hydration of the stratum corneum can lead to skin issues like diaper rash and maskne.

Using an occlusive moisturizer can help treat conditions caused by over-hydration.

Trench foot is a severe condition caused by prolonged exposure to water, not by using moisturizers.

Moisturizers do not cause oiliness; oil production is governed by hormones.

Swimmers may experience acne due to hyper-hydration of the skin from prolonged pool exposure.

Using an occlusive moisturizer before swimming can help prevent skin issues related to pool water.

Sunscreen is considered a moisturizer as it contains humectants and is occlusive, helping to reduce water loss.

It's unlikely to overdo it with moisturizers, but excessive use is not recommended.

Moisturizers can help make other skincare ingredients more tolerable by reducing skin irritation.

There is no strict definition for how much moisturizer is too much; it's applied on an as-needed basis.

The video also includes a personal recommendation for a UV-protective clothing brand.

Transcripts

well hey guys in this video i'm going to

be talking about over doing it with

moisturizer is that even possible can

you have too much of a good thing why do

we even moisturize in the first place

moisturizers help our skin in terms of

reducing water loss and helping our skin

to keep irritating things out but isn't

that the job of our skin in the first

place yes

how does it do that well skin the

outermost layer is called the stratum

corneum it's composed of essentially

dead cells called cornea sites that are

enmeshed in this lipid protein milieu

think of it as bricks and mortar there

are specialized proteins in between the

cornea sides called cornea desmosomes

that rivet between them and with time

those degrade and that allows for

shedding of the cornea sites and what's

called declamation or basically

exfoliation now when the water content

of the stratum corneum drops that can be

delayed and of course with age and in

certain dry skin conditions that can get

a little slow as well and that is what

leads to

dry heaped up skin cells and ultimately

that can impair the health of that

barrier function now also within that

you've got these lipids that help to

seal water in and keep irritating things

from getting getting into the skin and

causing problems for you within that

milieu you also have hydroscopic factors

that bind water there and hold it in

place that's referred to as natural

moisturizing factors

now it'd be all well and good if that

just was there on the top of the skin

doing its thing plugging and chugging

along during our day-to-day life though

we are exposed to a lot of things that

kind of eat away at that protective

layer detergent surfactants that we are

encounter with washing our hands

cleansing cosmetics makeup dirt

impurities pollutants all sorts of

things settle on the surface of the skin

that protective layer can become

impaired you can start losing more water

and water plays a critical role in the

function of the skin barrier it's

important for enzyme activity when our

moisture barrier is impaired then we

lose more water from the skin we're more

prone to irritation that can lead to

acne flares redness all sorts of skin

problems so herein is the role for

moisturizers and why they are helpful

moisturizers employ two strategies the

first is to increase the water content

in the stratum corneum through the

inclusion of hydroscopic

ingredients namely humectants things

like glycerin hyaluronic acid that bind

water there they kind of mimic your

skin's natural moisturizing factor and

the second strategy behind moisturizers

is to deposit a water insoluble oily

substance on the surface of the skin

that will kind of mimic the skin's

intracellular lipids to trap water in

there and prevent trans epidermal water

loss those ingredients are known as

occlusives and one of my favorites is

petrolatum why because it can reduce

water loss out of the skin

by 99

and it does a good job mimicking the

skin's lipids it can intercalate between

those cornea sites and moisturizers help

address the needs of the skin barrier

and everyone can benefit from that

including people who have oily skin it

is a myth that if you have oily skin

then you know moisturizers are somehow

beneath you can you have too much of a

good thing can you have too much

moisture in the skin the short answer is

yes but it's not likely because you are

using a moisturizer so there is a

tipping point where you can have too

much hydration in the stratum corneum it

can be hyper hydrated there are a few

conditions in which that occurs the

first situation that comes to mind is

diaper rash and diaper rash happens

because you have a moist environment in

the diaper with sweat

you know maybe urine or whatever getting

on the skin compromising the health of

the moisture barrier and it ends up

actually becoming hyper hydrated and the

end result of that is actually losing

even more water out of the skin so it's

kind of going too too far and impairing

the function of the moisture barrier and

that actually facilitates overgrowth of

certain types of bacteria and yeast and

can lead to

painful irritated rashes in the diaper

area but it's not just babies we have

another kind of similar

process that a lot of us experienced

over the past few years with the

pandemic and that is mask knee the same

sort of principle of over hydration of

the stratum corneum from trapping of

sweat moisture maybe saliva that gets

around your mouth as well

and that can end up causing a lot of

irritation

interestingly enough the remedy for both

of these situations is to use an

occlusive moisturizer to act as a

barrier to water loss out of the skin

and to prevent friction and further

irritation and compromise so that your

your skin can't heal and recover

same thing can also happen

in anywhere where you have skin on skin

contact under the armpits if you have

pendulous breasts or abdominal folds

especially in the heat of the summer you

get a lot of sweat that's trapped under

there hyper hydration of the stratum

corneum further irritation a moist humid

environment leads to overgrowth again of

yeast that causes a lot of inflammation

i mean there you have you have breakdown

of the skin barrier by virtue of

maceration and again the solution in

those situations is a topical barrier

cream so moisturizers remedy the

situation they don't cause it then you

have trench foot or immersion foot

syndrome

uh which is due to hyper hydration of

the stratum corneum of the feet this was

originally seen in world war one

soldiers

on the western front who had prolonged

exposure to wet muddy

immersion of their feet and what ends up

happening is the

stratum corneum of the bottom of your

feet is actually very very thick and it

can act as a sponge for water and absorb

200 percent as dry weight and water that

ends up leading to painful swelling of

the feet it can cause

nerve damage and it's actually you know

can be quite deadly and it's again a

hospitable environment for bacterial

overgrowth you can get deadly skin

infections so it was definitely a

problem

in soldiers and now they have better

shoes and whatnot better boots jungle

boots i think they're called

but it certainly still can happen we see

it a lot more now in like the homeless

population unfortunately but we're

talking days of exposure to water alone

it's not a situa it's not a condition

that is caused from using too much

moisturizer

now the treatment in that disease is to

rapidly dry the skin so there we

actually try and dry it out but again

this is not something that's going to

happen to you from using moisturizer now

i see a lot of musings on the interwebs

that using too much moisturizer can

actually end up making you oilier and

that is not true either oil production

is governed by your hormones and it's

not going to be influenced by putting

moisturizer on your skin now a group of

people however that can end up with

excessive oiliness and acne flares due

to hyper hydration of the stratum

corneum are actually swimmers but in

this case it's because they're in the

pool so much

and it has nothing to do with them using

too much moisturizer what ends up

happening is that and some in some

swimmers it's not everyone but the

stratum corneum ends up absorbing a lot

of water and it's thought that it kind

of acts like a sponge it swells and it

kind of blocks the pore

and

once that kind of remits a bit

then you have this outflow of sebum that

was prior previously kind of blocked up

from the swelling of the hyper hydrated

stratum corneum and those folks also can

develop acne flares now some of that

also has to do with the fact that

chlorine in the pool water is an

irritant to the follicle and can trigger

acne so it's a combination of things for

those individuals and again

interestingly enough the treatment here

or the prevention of this is to use

something occlusive

an occlusive moisturizer to the skin

before getting in the pool to prevent

that irritating pool water

your skin from soaking up too much of

that irritating pool water and then when

you get out oddly enough even though

it's a hyper hydrated stratum accordion

that you know we recommend swimmers

actually rinse their skin to remove that

chlorine water that is irritating so

there's a mechanism there for an acne

flare due to a hyper hydrated stratum

corneum in swimmers if you are a swimmer

i do have a video all about these little

skin manifestations that swimmers can

encounter so definitely check that out i

will link it down below in the d box

do you know what the d box is a side

note it's a description box there's like

a little arrow that you can expand it

and i put all sorts of stuff in there

that's where the time stamps are

and all sorts of goodies if i you know

reference a paper you'll find the

reference in there

so these skin conditions they come about

due to over hydration of the stratum

corneum but they're not due to using too

much moisturizer it's you know prolonged

contact with water

plus you know and or maceration i'm

hesitant to say that you can't overdo it

with moisturizer because i know there

you know will be inevitably someone out

there who goes overboard and is like

putting moisturizer on you know every

every minute

on the minute or something like that and

yeah that is excessive you certainly can

always overdo anything so i'm not

advocating for excessive use of

moisturizers i always encourage people

to use a moisturizer to the skin after

they have cleansed because the cleansing

action does disrupt some of the lipid

barrier and a moisturizer can help

reduce water loss out of the skin so if

you wash your face twice a day then

you'd be using a moisturizer twice a day

now if you have eczema or some other dry

skin condition or just a you know

tendency towards dryness maybe because

it's winter then you may find that you

benefit from putting on moisturizer

again at some other point in the day

when it comes to your hands i do

advocate

reapplying moisturizer to the hands a

bit more frequently because you are

going to be washing your hands a lot

especially if you you know

occupationally we're all washing our

hands a lot in that case you know that

constant stripping of the lipid barrier

it sets you up for dry hands and so

using a lot of occlusive moisturizer to

the hands is recommended and will

benefit those issues and then of course

sunscreen is basically a moisturizer

because it often will have humectants in

it and it is occlusive it helps reduce

water loss from the skin and if you're

going to be outdoors you need to be

reapplying sunscreen every two hours

ideally you know uv rays obviously they

put you at risk for skin cancer and

accelerated skin aging damage the

collagen in your skin and they aggravate

diseases of hyperpigmentation melasma

etc but they also make your skin drier

because they damage those proteins that

are part of that that outer shell and so

you do end up with more dryness

due to uv exposure and so you know

sunscreens not only are they protecting

you from the uv rays but they're also

kind of helping reduce water loss from

the skin and helping with just the

symptoms of dryness overall you know

you're not going to get trench foot

or

diaper rash from using moisturizers you

can develop adverse effects however to

using any skin care product probably one

of the most common adverse side effects

of using any skin care product is going

to be a contact dermatitis because on an

ingredient in the product you are either

allergic to or it's just your skin is

easily irritated by it most common

ingredients would be things like

fragrance

certain preservatives which really

aren't found too much in levon products

methyl isothiazolinone i don't find too

often in levon moisturizers although the

hota labo skin plumping gel cream that i

used to use does have that and i stopped

using that the other issue you can

encounter with moisturizing products is

that humectants they do increase the

penetration of other things

like for example hyaluronic acid

humectant it can help enhance

penetration of other things and when the

skin is well hydrated penetration of

things is greater so certain humectants

i can't increase the penetration of

other active ingredients and may make

them more irritating but actually using

a moisturizer ends up making it easier

to tolerate many irritating ingredients

just by helping to moisturize the skin

and reduce irritation i feel like i'm

going to get this question like well how

much is too much well how much is too

much

honestly there is not a definition if

you are putting moisturizer on every you

know minute two minutes three minutes

that's extreme

it's on an as needed basis so

you can overdo it if you're just

surreptitiously putting moisturizer on

that is not likely going to help you

it's just wasting the moisturizer all

right you guys i hope this helped answer

the question can you overdo it with

moisturizer water content is really

critical for the health and integrity of

the moisture barrier and the function of

the skin and moisturizers aim to

mimic your skin's natural moisturizing

factor ability for binding water and

then also those lipids for reducing

water loss and preventing irritating

things from getting into the skin so

moisturizers kind of step in and act

like second skin it's unlikely that you

can overdo it with them although you

know with the caveat that you certainly

can go overboard and unnecessarily

surreptitiously be applying moisturizer

but when used appropriately no you're

not going to be over doing it

anyways one last thing this shirt that

i'm wearing it's a new belief top i got

on the amazonian

i'm loving this color

it's got of course the hand sleeves and

it's just a little quarter zip

um i think it was like under 15

this brand believe i'm not sponsored by

them or anything

they i have like four or five

different upf 50 tops from them and they

hold up well

so highly recommend this it's very

comfortable very breathable

anyways

i hope you guys enjoyed this video if so

give it a thumbs up share with your

friends and as always don't forget

sunscreen and subscribe i'll talk to you

guys tomorrow bye

[Music]

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