Moisturizer vs. Hydrator: What’s the Difference?
January 5, 2021
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Recently, we published an article titled “Why Doesn’t Dr. Belo Approve Of Using Moisturizer?” which made the rounds on social media. It sparked online discussions and Twitter threads anew. But Dr. Vicki Belo’s anti-moisturizer philosophy is nothing of a surprise—in fact, this has been her belief since the very early days of her practice. But despite the many magazine articles and YouTube videos in which she exclaims, “Don’t use moisturizer!” there are three instances in which the beauty expert actually wants you to use it. Read thoroughly, and take notes:
1. When abroad, especially in cooler climes.
“I really don’t advise the use of moisturizers here in the Philippines because it’s already quite hot and humid. Moisturizers are useful in cold countries, where you can actually feel your face drying up. But in a tropical country, a moisturizer will only make you more oily. It will clog your pores and could potentially cause breakouts,” Dr. Belo advised in a 2018 interview with Preview.ph.
That means you should be packing a totally different skincare kit for April in Boracay and for November in New York City, naturally! It helps to have a dedicated pouch just for traveling, too, with your essentials already in your suitcase.
2. On your neck.
In a recent TikTok video, Dr. Belo answered “Yup!” to the question “Should I apply moisturizer on my neck to prevent wrinkles?” No room for doubt here!
But what makes the skin on your neck different from the skin on your face? “The neck doesn’t really have a lot of oil glands, so you should really moisturize there,” she said at the 2018 Cosmopolitan Beauty Block. “But on the face, we have a lot of oil glands.” The skin on your neck is similar to the skin around your eyes—it’s thinner, so it’ll be one of the first areas to show signs of aging. As soon as you hit 25, begin treating your neck right! Future You will thank you.
3. On your body.
The same principle applies for the neck and body, according to Dr. Belo. “Put it on your elbows, put it on your knees. Your body needs it. It doesn’t have as many oil glands. The face doesn’t need it,” she said to Pep.ph at the 2018 Belo Beauty Suite. Use a double-duty product like the Belo Illuminating Cream, which contains alpha arbutin and liquorice to brighten.
We hope this settles everything! Moisturizer isn’t completely out in Dr. Belo’s book—it just needs to be applied in the correct areas and the right situations. If you have any more moisturizer-related questions, feel free to book an online consultation with Dr. Belo herself (you read that right!) by clicking here. Happy hydrating!
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