Why aren't hydration and moisturizer the same?

Why aren't hydration and moisturizer the same?

You probably noticed brands and products answering either to hydrate or moisture the skin or both. During training session about skin or simply customer’s questions, many ask about the difference between the two. Even if they are both skin essentials in providing your skin with nourishment, they are not the same and do not answer the same beauty need for your skin. And most importantly, knowing their difference will surely help you to determine the suitable products to fit best your skin’s specific needs.

Let’s Define What “Hydrate” and “Moisturize” both mean

“Hydration”, you may think of water when you hear the word 'hydration'. Rightly so, hydrating your skin means increasing its water content. If your skin is dehydrated, it can appear flaky, dull and dry. Hydrated skin is smooth, radiant and has an even tone.

More technically, is the absorption of moisture from the air and then infusing your cells with water to improve your skin’s ability to absorb moisture and nutrients.

And more basically, dehydrated skin lack water and it needs hydration.

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“Moisturizing” is about trapping and locking in the moisture to build your skin’s natural protective barrier. This will prevent any water loss and ensure that your skin remains soft and smooth.

Basically, Dry skin needs oil and moisturization.

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Of course, age, environment, sun exposure… can all affect the skin differently on each person obviously. But identifying the difference is crucial in treating the exact issue.

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More concretely …

Dry skin is the one classified as a skin type (can be also very dry for severe cases), which means a combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors has contributed to your skin’s inadequate production of natural oils.

If your skin is on the dry side or you notice that you are prone to dry, flaky skin, your skin barrier may not be locking in moisture. This is where moisturizers come in! Apply moisturizer to restore your skin’s plump and bouncy appearance. This is extremely useful during the cold weather when your skin is prone to dryness.

Moisturizer product use occlusive (mineral oil…) and emollient ingredients (plant oil…). They work by creating a seal on the surface of skin which prevents water from escaping. They also make the skin feel smoother and less dry.

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On the other hand, if you feel your skin is dull and any fine lines and wrinkles you have are becoming noticeable, you can see that your skin is dehydrated. Apply a hydrator to combat this issue and give your skin the much-needed nourishment.

Hydrators are ingredients called humectants, such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid, that absorb water from the atmosphere or your skin and hold it in place on your skin.

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==> Dry skin can flake, itchy, and cause an overall dull, rough, or lackluster appearance.

==> Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, is caused by a lack of water. Not oil, like dry skin.

So, yes, this means even oily skin types can suffer from dehydration.

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It is common around us, and probably the case for you too reading this article, that people drink less than the recommended amount of water each day. (which is between 2 to 3 liters depends on your gender, your activities…)

This means that a majority of people, anywhere on the planet are actually in a state of dehydration which, as you can guess, has an effect on the body and so the skin.

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What to do …

First of, simply drink water, and for your skin, here is a round up of some beauty creams suggestions below :

IF YOU HAVE DRY SKIN, TRY A THICKER MOISTURIZER

IF YOU HAVE DEHYDRATED SKIN, TRY A HYDRATING SERUM

? Round up of products to discover :

BOTANI - Olive Repair Cream

An intensive daily moisturizer that deeply hydrates and repairs skin. A multi-purpose cream for dehydrated and damaged skin.

Highly penetrative day and night cream enriched with Olive Squalane. Gentle anti-irritant formulation that is non-greasy and non-clogging.

Suitable for all skin types. Vegan certified.

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WILD FERNS - Manuka Honey Night Crème Dry to Normal

?A rich and healing night crème that will restore skin’s healthy glowing look!

???Deeply hydrates and nourishes the skin while you sleep.

???Promotes skin regeneration.

???Reduces fine lines.

???98.4% natural, Suitable for dry to normal skin types.

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GLI ELEMENTI - PRODIGIOUS MOISTURIZING – Hyaluronic acid

If you feel that your skin is dehydrated, you can choose a hydrator with hyaluronic acid. This is a vital natural substance that helps keep your skin hydrated and youthful-looking. It works to keep your skin stable, protected, and regenerated while holding in a substantial amount of moisture too.

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At last,…

you may see several products named as “hydrator” but also “moisture” while reading their description and vice-versa.

So yes, it is important to recognize that they work very differently, because the one you choose can make or un-balance your skin health. The end goal might be the same, to better hydrated skin, but the way to get there depends on your skin type.

There’s also nothing wrong using both a moisturizer and a hydrator!

So if you have to choose, most of trainings I received during my career, explained to just hydrate by applying humectants like hyaluronic acid first, then follow up with an occlusive like plant oils to lock it in. Of course, there are several other routines too.

But most skin cream will contain both occlusive and emollient ingredients and humectant ingredients as explained above, meaning that they moisturize and hydrate at the same time with each their main focus. If it’s a balm, oil or cream, etc. is for your preference only, as it does not affect the performance of the product. The ingredients matter and the accuracy to apply the product.

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Find here a list of ingredients and their link to their beauty action to keep skin healthy.

Ingredient??????????????????????????????????????????????????????Moisturizer (occlusive) or hydrator (humectant)

hyaluronic acid???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????hydrator (GLI ELEMENTI Serum above)

glycerin????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????hydrator

aloe??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????hydrator

honey???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????hydrator (WILD FERN cream above)

nut or seed oil, such as coconut, almond?????????????????? moisturizer

shea butter?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????moisturizer

plant oils, such as squalene, jojoba, rose hip, tea tree????????? moisturizer (BOTANI Cream above)

mineral oil???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????moisturizer

lanolin??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????moisturizer

lactic acid????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????hydrator

citric acid?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????hydrator