What’s the difference between humectants, emollients, and occlusives?
Humectants are substances that bind to water. Once applied to our skin, they will help to draw water from the surroundings into the skin - that is, unless the skin has more moisture than its surroundings, in which case it is important to prevent moisture from evaporating off by sealing it all in with an emollient on top. Examples of humectants include hyaluronic acid, glycerin, amino acids, and honey. One of our favorite serums containing humectants is The Ordinary "Buffet", which gives our skin an extra radiance and dewiness without causing breakouts.
An emollient is a moisturizer that smoothes the skin and makes it feel more soft, helping to give it a creamier texture. Examples of emollients include cocoa butter, shea butter, ceramides, plant-based oils and fatty acids. An example of emollients containing plant-based oils that have worked to get rid of our dry patches but absorb easily into our skin are: Acure The Essentials Marula Oil (vitasprings), Life Flo Health Pure Rosehip Seed Oil (vitasprings), and Aura Cacia Organic Tamanu Oil (vitasprings).
Occlusives are generally oil or wax-based substances that lock in moisture by forming a physical barrier between the skin and the environment. Examples include mineral oils, silicones, petroleum jelly and lanolin. Because they form a seal on the skin, they can predispose to breakouts and should therefore be used with caution.
What’s the Difference between lotions and creams?
Emollients with higher water to lipid ratio are more lightweight, and tend to get classified as “lotions”. Emollients with higher lipid content are classified as “creams”. An example of a lotion that works well for our dry skin is the Amorepacific The Essential Creme Fluid. This contains a few extracts and oils, but keeps our skin hydrated despite being lightweight. On the other hand, an example of an organic cream that works great on our dry patches is the Moogoo Full Cream Moisturiser.
What’s the difference between dehydrated skin and dry skin?
Dehydrated skin is lacking in water, whereas dry skin is lacking in oil. This is why oily skin can be dehydrated at the same time. If your skin seems “dry” but feels well moisturized after using humectants alone, then likely you have dehydrated skin. Whereas if using humectants alone isn’t enough, and you need emollients or even occlusives, then you have dry skin. Of course, dry skin can also be dehydrated at the same time.
Check out our post on what you should use in your skincare routine to treat dry skin to find out more.
By the way…some the skincare we recommend are available on iHerb, which we use to buy a lot of our organic skincare. You can use our code AEJ0519 at checkout to get 5% off.
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P.S…this is probably obvious, but the information presented doesn’t constitute medical advice - always check with your own doctor!
