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  Moisturizers are helpful in preventing and treating dry skin, wrinkles, fine lines and pre-mature skin aging. Apart from this, they can also protect sensitive skin, provides improvement to skin texture and tone and masks imperfections. From dull skin to clogged pores, just about every skin care concern you have can be addressed by moisturizers. 5 major reasons why you need moisturizers for your skin are:   Holding and Retaining Moisture   Moisturizers hold water in the outermost layer of your skin and forms a temporary barrier providing damaged surface cells time to repair themselves. Moisturizing creams and lotions are made up of a combination of humectants and emollients along with other ingredients that help cell membrane health.   Absorbing water from the air   The Humectants (glycerin, lactic acid, urea, alpha hydroxy acids and hyaluronic acids) absorb water from the air and hold the moisture in the skin. Very high humidity levels are necessary for the humectants to be effective. Another area where the humectants can be useful is softening thickened, rough or scaly skin.   Filling in spaces between cells   Emollients in the moisturizers help fill spaces between the skin cells smoothening and lubricating the skin by helping replace lipids. Emollients can be oil based, meaning that a small amount of water is dissolved in oil, or it can be water based, meaning that they are primarily water having a non greasy and light feel. Compared to water based creams, oil based creams have more staying power and they leave a slight residue on the skin. Most of the creams available in the market are water based.   Keeping skin hydrated   A high quality moisturizer is necessary to keep your skin hydrated because skin that is exposed to sun and or other elements get depleted and dehydrated. A good moisturizer will lock in the moisture and help the fine lines and sagging to disappear.   Keep signs of pre-mature aging at bay   Free-radicals or tiny unstable molecules arising naturally, kill healthy cells. Lack of elasticity and wrinkles in the skin are caused by these free radicals. Pollution, chemicals and exposure to cigarette smoke only contribute to enhanced production of free radicals.   To keep the free-radicals at bay, you should also be eating an antioxidants rich diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables will fit the bill. Antioxidants skin care products with a high percentage of antioxidants will also be helpful.   In addition to moisture and hydration, you also need good nutrition for younger-looking skin. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, low in chemical additives will contribute to your overall health which in turn will be reflected in the skin and complexion. You can read also levaquin 500 mg