Moisturizers

Moisturiser is the step oily skin most often skips and most often needs. Dehydrated skin compensates by producing more oil — so skipping it to control shine usually produces more shine, not less.

Dry skin and dehydrated skin are not the same

  • Dry skin lacks oil. It feels rough, flaky and tight all over, all the time.
  • Dehydrated skin lacks water. It can be oily and dehydrated at once — shiny by midday, yet with fine crepey lines and a dull, tired look.

Most people in Nairobi's dry, high-altitude, dusty air are dealing with dehydration rather than true dryness. The fix is a humectant-led moisturiser, not a heavy occlusive cream.

What to look for

  • Humectants — glycerin, hyaluronic acid — pull water into the skin
  • Ceramides — rebuild the barrier that stops water escaping
  • Niacinamide — supports the barrier and evens tone
  • A light texture — heavy creams pill under sunscreen and feel unbearable in humidity

Applying it properly

Apply to slightly damp skin, after your serum. Damp skin gives the humectants water to grab onto — on bone-dry skin they can pull moisture from deeper layers instead, which is the opposite of what you want.