Unpacking Humectants for the Skin

It’s no secret that hydration is the key to healthy-looking skin. Even with the right diet and water consumption, external factors, such as weather, pollution, and air conditioning, can have a detrimental effect on your skin, which is why humectants are recommended.

So, you might be wondering, what is humectant skincare? Humectants are a class of skincare ingredients that attract and bind moisture from the environment to the skin's surface to hydrate and moisturize your skin.

Today we’ll explore the science of humectants so you can understand the multiple benefits of including them in your skincare routine.

Understanding humectants

The short and simple answer to the question “What is a humectant for the skin?” is that humectants are ingredients that attract and hold onto water molecules. By drawing moisture from the air and deeper layers of your skin, they help you retain moisture and have longer-lasting effects on hydration and suppleness. Humectants can be naturally produced by the body, or synthetic. An example of a natural humectant is hyaluronic acid and examples of synthetic humectants are glycerin and urea. All of these work to improve dryness, flakiness, and roughness.

On the skin, humectants attract water molecules, which are then absorbed into the skin's upper layers for the binding process. This results in hydration and moisturization for overall healthier-looking skin.

Why you should add humectant to your skincare

At their core, the best humectants for the skin work to attract and lock in moisture. The good news is that they are suitable for all skin types, which is why they are recommended for everybody’s skincare. Below are just some of the key benefits of using humectants:

1. Better hydration: Humectants are a great way to hydrate the skin. Their ability to attract moisture from the environment and retain it in the skin, while creating a moisture barrier, is what makes them essential.
2. Better skin elasticity: Through regular and consistent use, such as a humectant moisturizer that you use daily, humectants can boost skin elasticity by increasing hydration. Overall, this reduces fine lines and wrinkles to help you reclaim your youthful appearance.
3. Protects against environmental stressors: In addition to hydrating skin, humectants fight against environmental stressors like pollution, UV rays, and harsh weather conditions. Hydrated skin is better able to defend itself against external aggressors.

All of the above are key for achieving hydrated, moisturized, and protected skin that looks and feels healthier.

Humectants commonly found in skincare

Your choice of humectants should be largely guided by your skin concerns and type. Each humectant offers its own benefits, as listed below:

• Glycerin: Commonly found in many skincare products, glycerin is a natural humectant that can also be found in the skin. Arguably one of the best skin humectants, glycerin is known to be gentle, non-irritating, and suitable for all skin types.
• Hyaluronic acid: This is another commonly-used humectant. It’s widely championed for its hydration abilities, as it can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Hyaluronic acid is recommended for people with dehydrated and/or dry skin for improved texture and tone.
• Urea: Urea is a naturally-occurring substance found in skin cells. It’s known to have excellent moisturizing abilities and has been used for generations. One of its main benefits is providing much-needed exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and boost hydration for addressing common dry skin concerns.
• Aloe Vera: One of the best-known natural humectants, Aloe Vera has the ability to soothe and moisturize the skin. It can also aid in reducing inflammation, calming redness, and hydration. The good news is that it does so without weighing you down or leaving you with a greasy or heavy feeling, as some ingredients might. It’s championed for people with sensitive or acne-prone skin because of its caring properties.
• Honey: Just as there are benefits to ingesting this sweet ingredient, it does wonders for hydrating the skin too. This humectant draws moisture from the air and effectively retains it while also providing antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Honey is recommended for people with dry or mature skin because it can improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Including humectants in your skincare

Many skincare products contain humectants, which is why knowing what humectants to look out for will count in your favour. For hydrated skin, include any of these humectant-containing products in your skincare routine.

Any good skincare routine starts with cleansing for removing excess oil, dirt, and any impurities. It’s important to choose a hydrating cleanser for moisturized and nourished skin. Our Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash is highly recommended for its gentle formulation, making it suitable for daily use while offering a deep cleanse with minimal effort. Made with glycerin, strawberry extract, grapeseed oil, and white sugar crystals, it’s the secret to softened and balanced skin. Our Brown Sugar Body Polish Exfoliator and Sugar Face Polish Exfoliator – powered by propylene glycol – are recommended. The latter is a more potent scrub that doesn’t irritate the skin.

The Rose Deep Hydration Sleeping Mask is a great pick if you’re looking for a solution that works overnight while you sleep, giving you supple and dewy skin in the morning. It contains hyaluronic acid to attract water to the surface layers of the skin for a refreshed complexion. Another key ingredient is damask rose extract, which works to strengthen the skin barrier, while rosewater calms and soothes the skin. Boasting time-release technology, it creates a hydrating micro-network on the skin’s surface for a gradual release of long-lasting moisturization for visibly beautiful skin.

For dry hands, our moisturizing hand creams are highly recommended. Boasting hydrating formulas in three sensorial scents – Fresh Honeysuckle, Hesperides Grapefruit, and Citron de Vigne – they are made with shea butter and various other humectants and vitamin E oil for soft, smooth skin as you go about your day.

Look after your skin the fresh way

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to skincare, especially with different skin types, ages, and weather conditions. However, we have a wide selection of products to explore to find your perfect match! Nourish your skin with potent natural ingredients and formulas backed by science when you shop fresh. Go on, create your daily ritual with ease, guided by our skincare experts.