Why choosing the right moisturizer is so important

Though I had talked to multiple experts - from dermatologists to grooming professionals - I still had no idea what I was doing when I started my skincare journey.

I decided to try using sunscreen and moisturizer basically on a whim, as it stumbled into my possession, given to me by a skincare company. I tried one product only a few times before I couldn't stand it anymore.

I have normal skin, but after applying the product my skin looked greasy and disgusting by the end of the day. The product's smell was thick and cloying, with a heavy "manly" fragrance trying to mask the strong smell of sunscreen.

By the end of the day, I was completely sick of it.

I wondered how someone could wear this every day, and the potential upsides didn't seem worth the downsides. I concluded that using moisturizer just wasn't for me. I would deal with the long-term consequences later.

I continued to not practice skincare for months, until another moisturizer and sunscreen fell into my hands - this time, it was Kiehl's Facial Fuel. I decided to give skincare another shot with this product, a noticeably upmarket version of what I thought was basically the same product I was using before: a moisturizer with SPF 15 sunscreen.

Still, I wasn't quite convinced - you've seen one moisturizer, you've seen them all, right?

How wrong I was. It turns out the right product makes all the difference.

Not only does the Kiehl's product have only a faint and pleasant smell, but it also doesn't smell like sunscreen. It's made for normal to dry skin, so it doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy at the end of the day, wears light, and washes off super easily before I go to bed.

It also has a bit of menthol in the formula, which wakes me up a little bit when I put it on my skin in the morning.

What can you take away from this? Don't assume all products work the same, even though it seems like they should. It's worth trying a bunch of different products before you find the right one for your type of skin, whether that's dry, oily, normal, or a combination.

Find the one that works best for you and your skin, one that you won't mind using every day.

Sure, at $25, the Kiehl's product is a bit expensive for a relatively small tube, but it's worth it for me. If you don't like the product, you won't use it - it's as simple as that. A product you love, that you look forward to using every day, will make all the difference.