There’s something extraordinarily cathartic about watching humans doing human things on the internet. A parent artfully folding baby clothes or someone steam-cleaning grout until it gleams nearly turns my brain off, for some reason. But nothing lulls me quite like the soft sounds of skin-care products mixing in palms.
Yet the mental calm brought on by watching extensive skin-care videos is often interrupted by a negative, intrusive thought. I fall into a kind of “what are we teaching young people here” spiral, knowing that someone watching these lengthy videos may not categorize them as relaxing but instead as instructive.
The truth is that no matter how lovely those videos are to watch, healthy skin doesn’t require a dozen steps. Just a few essentials matter most, and they’re often the least glamorous. Moisturizer is one of those fundamental essentials (along with cleanser and sunscreen) that most people actually do need. And since I can’t even watch a simple video without worrying about beauty marketing’s grip on young minds, trust me when I say that I don’t use the word essential lightly. When we at Wirecutter tell you that nearly everyone needs a moisturizer, we mean it—and I’m here to tell you why.
Your skin loses water, and moisturizer helps to replenish it. You won’t see it happening, but water is evaporating from your body daily. “Some studies suggest about 400 ml of water—a Starbucks Tall—evaporates from our skin every day,” senior staff writer Rory Evans explains in our guide to the best face moisturizers.
This natural process, known as transepidermal water loss (TEWL), refers to the skin’s gradual release of water through the skin barrier, the matrix of skin cells and lipids making up the outermost layer of the skin. Some water loss is normal, but failing to replenish moisture—both internally (by drinking water) and externally (with moisturizer)—can lead to varying degrees of dryness.
When skin dries out, it can respond in various ways: Dry skin can look dull and feel rough, and it can accentuate the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Even those with oily skin can benefit from using a moisturizer (though people with oily skin may prefer lightweight options). Dryness can also lead to itchiness, flaking, and inflammation, so using a moisturizer can have aesthetic benefits as well as contribute to maintaining skin health and function.
