H2O-rich skin looks plump, smooth and radiant while creating an ideal platform for serums and creams to operate optimally.
Diet, sleep and reduced stress are essential components to combating dehydration. Furthermore, products containing humectants such as sodium PCA or hyaluronic acid and occlusives like shea butter may provide extra assistance in keeping you hydrated.
Humectants
Humectants are ingredients that attract and hold water molecules in solution, including natural ones like aloe vera or honey as well as synthetic ones like glycerin or hyaluronic acid. Humectants are found in skin care products to hydrate both hair and skin and reduce flakiness or rough texture.
Glycerin is an inexpensive non-toxic humectant made from plant and animal sources such as sugarcane and soybeans, often combined with other moisturizers to create formulas with moisture-retaining benefits without being sticky or greasy.
Hyaluronic acid is an advanced humectant that can absorb up to 1000 times its molecular weight in water, as well as penetrating deeply into skin layers – this makes it the star ingredient in Reviva Labs’ Nourishing Niacinamide Serum! Both glycerin and hyaluronic acids can be found throughout our product offerings as well.
Emollients
Emollients are essential ingredients in skin hydration products that strive to restore and protect the skin barrier. By creating a protective barrier against moisture loss and softening and smoothing out rough patches of dryness, emollients help create the optimal environment for rejuvenated and healthier looking skin.
Emollients come in various textures depending on their formulation. From lotions, creams, gels and sprays to sprays or ointments – depending on what’s needed – emollients provide comprehensive hydration and skin health benefits. Often combined with humectants or other hydrating compounds they’re also combined to deliver comprehensive skin hydration benefits.
Emollients include esters (isopropyl myristate, cetyl alcohol and stearyl palmitate) and fatty alcohols (ethylhexyl nicotinate and isopropyl palmitate) that bind to skin for softening film application and add lightweight feel to products; some even contain cholesterol or ceramides to rebuild barrier function of skin.
Emollients should be applied after washing hands, bathing or showering to help retain the natural oils in your skin and avoid water loss. Emollients also make an excellent addition to bath oils or baby bath products.
Occlusives
Occlusives are essential skincare ingredients when it comes to hydrating. By locking in moisture and providing extra hydration for dry, dehydrated, mature skin (and those prone to eczema and psoriasis). Lipid-based occlusives like shea butter, castor oil, squalane, and carnauba wax occlusives help decrease transepidermal water loss (TEWL) that leads to flaking and itching – thus improving overall hydration for dehydrated complexions.
Use of occlusives should be paired with humectants and emollients for maximum effectiveness. Look for moisturizing serums containing shea butter, squalane or carnauba wax (try our Face Serum), followed by hydrating creams containing pro-ceramides glacial glycoprotein squalane to provide softener skin while anti-aging and barrier building ingredients help strengthen stronger resilient skin.
Glycerin
Glycerin (also referred to as glycerol or glucose) is a natural substance found throughout your body and used as a humectant. Depending on its source, animal fat or plant oils may provide its source while synthetic versions may also exist.
Moisturizing benefits for skin include drawing water in from both air or deeper layers to keep it hydrated, which prevents chapping, flaking and chapping of the skin especially during cold weather or repeated handwashing.
Glycerin also plays an invaluable role in your skincare regimen by helping the penetration of serums and facial oils more quickly into the skin. When applied on damp skin, its humectant-rich formulation captures moisture quickly for enhanced product absorption – this makes glycerin an excellent addition to all types of skincare products including those containing oil-absorbing ingredients. Lastly, its non-comedogenic nature means it won’t clog pores – an additional bonus.
