How Moisturizers Work

Moisturisers are designed to make the skin softer and more pliable, by increasing its hydration. Naturally occurring skin lipids and sterols as well as artificial or natural oils, humectants, emollients, lubricants, etc. may be part of the composition of commercial skin moisturizers.



When the skin is damaged, repair is dependent on retarding the humidity loss from the skin.



- Moisturizers are hydrating agents that increase the water content of the stratum corneum.



- Moisturizers contain occlusive and/or humectant agents as ingredients.



- These ingredients include the same or similar natural skin components (biomimetic).



Occlusive agents physically block the water loss from the skin.



- These hydrophobic agents prevent evaporation of water from the stratum corneum forming an occlusive film on the skin, thus reducing TEWL.



- These elements may also help to restore the lipid barrier of the skin, collaborating in skin cellular regeneration.



- Petrolatum, beeswax, lanolins and oils are good examples of occlusive agents.



Humectant agents attract water to the skin, and are an important part of every sensitive skin care routine.



- The water is drawn from the deeper dermis, rarely the environment.



- The hydration of the stratum corneum normalizes the intercellular lipids and the natural desquamation process, ensuring a graceful skin.



- The skin becomes more resistant to drying conditions.



- Humectants imitate the action of natural hydrophilic humectants in the stratum corneum, helping skin to heal and rejuvenate.



- These chemicals include amino acids, propylene glycol, alpha hydroxy acids, glycerine, lactic acids and urea.



- Some of these elements are the components of the dermal natural moisturizing factors.



'Barrier-repairing' moisturizers include lipids that are similar to the intercellular lipids of the skin. By replacing key lipid components, lipid bilayers affected by soaps, solvents and extreme dry, cold weather conditions can be repaired, thanks to the combinations of fatty acids, ceramide and cholesterol in the moisturizers.



Moisturizers include other components besides occlusive agents and/or humectants.



- Ingredients may improve the skin's softness by lubricating and filling in the spaces between dry skin cells. These will be listed as the active ingredients in the ingredient list on a moisturizer.



- The 'inactive' components suspend, solubilize, stabilize, emulsify and /or disperse ingredients in order to produce an aesthetically pleasing product.



- Most moisturizers contain 65-85% water in a lotion form with active and inactive ingredients being dispersed by water. The high water content also serves to allow absorption of some components and evaporation of the moisturizer. The water acts as a simple hydrating agent.



- Moisturizers in a cream presentation contain more oils or occlusive agents and less water.



- Ointments are oil-based mixtures with a minimum amount or no water in the product. These products are usually very greasy and occlusive. An example would be pure petroleum jelly.