Why Hydrating and Moisturizing Aren’t The Same For Your Skin?

Removal of skin dryness is something that bothers people with dry or dehydrated skin. However skin hydration is more like hydrating your body which requires hydration to look its best — no matter what the skin type is.

But the question remains same- what exactly hydration is? Is it similar to moisture? There are many products available in market claiming to provide the skin hydration you were always looking for — oils and creams and gels. To select the right one that gives your skin the required moisture is what most needed.

Moisturizer vs. Hydrator: What’s the difference?

In scientific terms, moisturizer is a term used for various types:

• Squalene (oil)
• Emollients (fats and oils)
• Humectants
• Occlusive

The product pitched in marketing & real-world are different, typically gone through a makeover. Experts say that hydrator and moisturizer are terms which are defined by the brands in whatever ways they require. There's no standard for defining a moisturizer and hydrator, most times, brands use these terms to pitch different ones. But while there’s no gold standard for what defines a hydrator and a moisturizer, for the most part, brands use these terms to comprehend how skin gets the moisture it needed.

Moisturizers are oil-based ingredients with presence of occlusive agents; petrolatum or mineral oil, and emollients; esters or plant oils. They create a locking seal across the skin surface to prevent water from escaping. It makes skin feel smooth and less dry, whereas hydrators are ingredients scientifically known as humectants; glycerin or hyaluronic acid, capable of absorbing water from atmosphere and keep it intact on your skin. The important thing to note here is that both works differently, but end goal remains the same — better skin hydration — but the path to achieve is dependent on your skin type.

So, which one is best for skin?

There's a huge collection of products available out there, from oils and creams to gels, ointments and hydrators — but most of these do the same thing. Majority of skin products contain both emollient and occlusive ingredients with humectants— to moisturize and hydrate at the same time. The particular form of a product like gel, oil, cream, etc., don’t affect its performance, ingredients present in the products matter. It’s important to have a look on the product ingredients before experimenting. Some of skin types do better with only a moisturizer or hydrator and some not. Having knowledge of how your skin absorbs can maximize benefits to get a hydrated skin.

So, final verdict, which one is good for keeping your skin hydrated: hydrator or moisturizer?

The answer is probably both. Just like mentioned above, its totally dependent upon the skin type and most common creams do both. Its handy to determine if your chosen ingredients are keeping skin healthy or not? You can use both moisturizer and hydrator, but hydrate by applying humectants like hyaluronic acid first, then follow up with an occlusive like plant oils to lock it in.

Softcare Cosmetics is one of the leading skin and hair care cosmetics website in Dubai, UAE.

This article is written by Mr. Bilal Ahmed who is associated with “Softcare Cosmetics”. Softcare Cosmetics is one of the leading skin and hair care cosmetics website in Dubai, UAE. They offer great quality products without compromising your skin and