Q I am a 16-year-old girl who has normal to oily skin. I have been told that moisturising my face is important but within two to three days of applying moisturiser, my face becomes greasier and tiny pimples start appearing. What is the reason for this and should I continue to moisturise my face?

A Nora Soho, a trainer for Shu Uemura, reckons that you are most probably using the wrong kind of moisturiser.

“Young skin is still trying to balance itself and usually doesn’t need anything heavy,” she says. For basic moisturising needs, stick to a light regimen such as Shu Uemura’s Depsea Moisture Replenishing Lotion toner ($65) followed by the Depsea Moisture Replenishing Emulsion ($55).

To ensure you are not overloading on moisturiser, Soho suggests you dispense just one pump of the emulsion, apply the bulk of the product on your cheeks first, then use what is left on your T-zone.

Your problems could also be caused by using a moisturiser that contains ingredients your skin is sensitive to, says Clinique’s brand general manager Carolyn Khiu.

To ensure the perfect fit, make sure you let the staff at the beauty counters know your concerns when you are shopping for moisturisers.

Many brands like Clinique now offer basic questionnaires to help determine your skin type. “If she has oily skin and is using the wrong moisturiser, she could be adding more oil to her skin and clogging up her pores. Hence, she gets pimples after using the product,”says Khiu.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.