What Are the Different Types of Beauty Cream?

Different types of beauty cream include cleansers, exfoliators and various types of moisturizing creams. Typically, if a product is advertised as a "cream," it is often of a thick texture and may be sold in a jar or in a squeeze tube, though some cosmetic experts urge people to opt for skincare products that are sold in tubes, as wide mouth jars can leave products vulnerable to contamination after opening. These creams can vary considerably in price as well as the types of ingredients used in their manufacture. Both women and men may use beauty cream as part of their skin care routine.

Cleansing cream, sometimes known as cold cream, is a beauty cream that is used to remove makeup. Some people may also use cold creams as a skin moisturizer. Many cleansing creams are fairly thick in texture and are oil-based, which makes them very effective at removing cosmetics, even waterproof eye makeup. A person typically spreads the cream over her face and then removes it with a tissue or a dampened washcloth. Some users may follow up the use of cleansing cream with another cleanser to remove any remaining oil residue.

Another type of beauty cream is an exfoliator. Depending on the formulation, it may contain small particles that can be rubbed into the skin to slough off its dry, outer layer, or it may contain chemicals that trigger exfoliation of the skin. People use exfoliators on both their face and body to improve the appearance of their skin and to reduce the chance of acne breakouts and to increase the efficacy of shaving razors.

Perhaps the best-known types of beauty creams are those used to moisturize the skin and combat signs of aging. Some skincare manufacturers distinguish between a day cream and a night cream, by adding a sunscreen to their daytime formulas and extra emollients to their night creams. Some of these formulas can be extremely complex, and contain exfoliating ingredients along with vitamins and antioxidants. Those that are specifically formulated to reduce the appearance of wrinkles may be sold as wrinkle creams, and some companies market a special type of beauty cream for use around the eyes. It should be noted, however, that many skin care experts disagree that a special formulation is needed for eye care and insist that any decent moisturizer can be used to protect and improve the appearance of the skin under and around the eyes.