Moisturizing is a crucial step to maintaining your skin’s health and vibrancy. Unfortunately, far too many people opt to skip moisturizing as part of their daily skin-care regimen. Skin that isn’t properly moisturized can suffer more damage from the elements, accelerate the appearance of aging, and can even worsen acne! That’s why we’ve put together this list of seven reasons why adding moisturizing to your daily skin-care routine is a must!

1) The vitamins in most moisturizers increase skin’s firmness and reduce the signs of aging. As moisture seeps into your skin, it begins to fill with vitamins and nutrients from the inside out. Most moisturizers contain vitamins A and B that work in this way. This reduces the appearance of wrinkles and can even prevent new ones from occurring. Firm, smooth skin looks younger longer.

2) Moisturizing replaces oils that are stripped from skin after exfoliating, shaving, or even taking a hot shower. Sure, a hot shower feels great on the skin, but it strips the top layer of your skin from all of the healthy oils it needs. If you exfoliate or shave, you are removing a fine layer of your epidermis. Moisturizing when your skin is fresh and vulnerable will help the nutrients penetrate deeper into your skin. Hot showers and steam also leave your pores more open and help the moisture to get into the skin more deeply.

3) Moisturizing after sun exposure can help your skin recover. A sunburn is just about one of the worst things that can happen to your epidermis. After strong sun exposure, your top layer of cells will die. Sometimes this looks like peeling skin, but other times, you don’t even notice it. Applying a strong moisturizer after sun exposure helps the new layer of skin cells rise to the top. Applying a moisturizer with SPF prior to sun exposure is always the best course of action.

4) Moisturizing can even out the tone and appearance of your skin. For those with discoloration, rosacea, or scarring, moisturizing can greatly even out the tone of your skin. Good moisturizers brighten your glow and give your skin a glossy finish, detracting from the appearance of discoloration. For those looking for something stronger to even skin tone, some moisturizers have natural tanner or tinting in them that are not harmful.

5) Dry skin can worsen the effects and appearance of acne. For many, oily skin and acne go hand in hand. So it may seem oxymoronic to further moisturize skin that is oily and suffering from acne. But dry skin is actually worse for your acne than skin that is well moisturized. For those that use astringents or benzoyl peroxide-based creams, moisturizing afterward is crucial! Not all moisturizers are made the same. Some do contain oil for those that experience dry skin with acne, while other moisturizers contain no oil and simply refresh the skin’s natural moisture balance, helping to eliminate acne.

6) Moisturizing before applying makeup can keep skin healthier, cleaner, and free of acne or blemishes. When applying concealer or foundation to your face, you are pushing these products into your pores. This is why concealer is used to create flawless-looking skin. These chemicals stay in your skin all day, and when removing makeup, you often fail to get all of the product out of your pores. Opting to moisturize prior to applying makeup creates a barrier between your pores and the makeup and acts as a great healthy skin primer. This removes the negative effects that facial makeup has on your face and makes it easy to remove all makeup residue at the end of the day.

7) For those that experience itchy skin on a regular basis, moisturizing can make you much more comfortable. Sensitive and dry skin often becomes flaky and itchy. This itchiness is compounded by the feeling of clothing rubbing against your skin all day. Applying moisturizer to your entire body is a great method for eliminating itchy skin and for making clothing more comfortable to wear.