Humectants, Emollients and occlusive- Know the terms and what’s the major difference?
To choose the best moisturizer for once skin, One should know the differences between humectants, emollients and occlusives. Making it clearer, here we differentiated it into three parts. Let’s see
1.Humectants
2. Emollients
3. Occlusives
First, we should understand, Why moisturizer is important for skincare.
Using the right type of moisturiser helps maintain the balance of skin and hair. If your skin is too oily or too dry, There is a chance to break down or acne. Therefore, The dermatologist recommends that when your skin is too oily, use lotion-based moisturizer rather than cream and choose that moisturiser which mainly contains Humectant as an active ingredient and emollient based moisturizer. However, Your skin is dry and Super dry than plump for a cream-based moisturizer, Choose active ingredients as occlusive and then other two ingredients.
- Moisturizer helps to reduce blemishes.
- It helps against wrinkles.
What are humectants?
Humectants are like Magnet that attracts water. They tug moisture from the air into the epidermis (upper layer of your skin)But not all humectants work the same way. Some of them supply your skin with moisture directly to your skin while Others help get rid of dead skin cells.
For which skin type is it ideal?
It’s ideal for a normal, oily and combination skin.
Some good humectants are
Glycerin
Hyaluronic acid
Alpha Hydroxy acids
Glycolic
Lactic acids
Sorbitol
Sodium
Urea
Propylene glycol
To plump up the skin, Glycerin and hyaluronic acids are the best.
Normally hyaluronic acid used in wrinkle treatment products. It’s often integrated with vitamin C to help the moisture the dry skin.
Pros - Light in the weight
- Plump the skin
- Brightens and smoothen the skin.
2.Emollient
An emollient works as a softener which softens the dry, rough skin. When the top skin layer doesn’t get enough water, it becomes dry. It creates a layer on the skin which helps in water loss. Emollients are the part of a moisturizer that keeps your skin soften and smoothen.
Pros
1. It makes your skin softer
2. Protect your skin from environmental barriers.
The types of emollients are
1. Cream
2.lotion
3.ointment
Cream-creams have a balance of Water and oil. It is easy to spread onto the skin but gives less moisture in comparison of Ointment. It is less greasy and lighter, so it is the best option to use in the day time.
Ointment– It is mostly oil-based and greasy. It is thick so this prevents the water loss from the skin. One need not be reapplied.
Lotion -Lotions are mostly liquid form with only a small amount of oil. They’re the least moisturizing amongst the three types of emollients.
This type of emollient(Lotion) is good for daytime use because they’re thin in nature and easy to apply but the only problem is that you have to reapply lotions frequently.
Main ingredients
Squalene
Dimethicone
Ceramides
Bee wax
Paraffin
Cetyl alcohol
3. OCCLUSIVES
It is designed to provide a protective seal over skin and lock in hydration. It traps the moisturizer and makes a barrier on the skin who holds the humectants and emollients.
The main ingredients are
1. Wax
2. petrolatum
3.oils
4.silicone
all the ingredients you would find in your moisturizer like humectant, emollients and occlusive but you have to decide which ingredients are good for your skin.
