Not only do moisturizers heal and prevent dry, chapped skin, but they can also be used to block harmful UV rays.
However, lax government oversight allows the personal care industry to make exaggerated, empty and even outright false claims about the ingredients in moisturizers and other personal care products.
Not only is a term such as "organic" now stripped of the meaning it has in the food industry, but many of the ingredients are never disclosed in the ingredients label.
And even of those that are listed, studies show many may pose health risks to consumers.
In an industry where, according to the Environmental Working Group, "89 percent of 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by the CIR, the FDA, nor any other publicly accountable institution," responsibility falls on the private sector, on research universities and on consumer advocacy groups to determine what we're really putting on our bodies.
Following is a report on moisturizers, their risks and a few alternatives, to help you with the often confusing job of deciding what's true and what's untrue, what's safe and what's not.