What are Humectants in Skincare?

Those in the know will tell you that hydration is the way to healthy and radiant skin. Even if you consume the recommended amount of water each day and eat the right food, various environmental factors, such as harsh weather, pollution, and air conditioning, can still negatively impact your skin and lead to dry or dehydrated skin.

Introducing humectants. Simply put, humectants are a class of skincare ingredients that work to attract and bind moisture from the environment to the skin's surface for enhanced hydration and moisture. To answer the question “What is a humectant for skin?”, keep reading.

Defining humectants

The best humectants for the skin are ingredients that attract and hold onto water molecules. By drawing moisture from the air and deeper layers of your skin, it helps hydrate and ensure supple skin. Humectants can be produced by the body or created synthetically in a laboratory and both fulfil the same role, which is to keep skin moist and fight against dry, flaky, or rough skin.

On your skin, humectants attract water molecules from the atmosphere, which subsequently penetrate the skin's upper layers and combine with the humectant molecules. The result is longer-lasting hydration and moisturisation for your skin, giving you the revitalised and healthy look you desire.

Why your skincare should include humectants

Suitable for all skin types, the core function of humectants is to attract and retain moisture. This means they are recommended for a daily skincare routine. They offer you the following benefits:

1. Additional hydration: After attracting moisture from the environment, humectants keep the skin hydrated and retain moisture by creating and maintaining your skin’s barrier. This makes it a hydrating powerhouse for plump skin.
2. Additional elasticity: With consistent use, you can expect to see an improvement in skin elasticity because of the better hydration levels. Ultimately, this helps maintain a youthful appearance by improving fine lines and wrinkles.
3. Environmental stressor defence: In addition to hydrating skin, humectants work to defend against external aggressors, giving your skin a fighting chance against pollution, UV rays, and harsh weather conditions.

These all result in hydrated, moisturised, and protected skin.

Popular humectants in skincare products

Skincare products have many different types of humectants with varying benefits. Because of this, you need to make an informed decision guided by your skin needs and concerns when shopping for your humectant moisturiser and other products.

• Aloe Vera: Used by many generations, aloe vera is a natural humectant popularised for soothing and moisturising skin while reducing inflammation and addressing redness. Those who don’t like the heavy feeling that comes with some skincare products will appreciate how non-greasy it is, especially those with sensitive or acne-prone skin.
• Honey: Equally great for consuming with food, honey also provides antioxidant and antibacterial properties. People with dry or mature skin will appreciate that it works to hydrate and improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Glycerin: Many products contain glycerin. It has gained acclaim because of how gentle it is on all skin types and its ability to attract and retain moisture from the environment.
• Hyaluronic acid: In terms of hydration, hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Contained in many products, it’s especially useful for dry or dehydrated skin. You can expect to see an improvement in your skin texture and tone when you use products that contain hyaluronic acid.
• Urea: Naturally found in skin cells, urea is a moisturising powerhouse. It’s recommended for exfoliating and boosting water content in the skin. It addresses concerns such as dryness, roughness and cracked skin.

Incorporating humectants into your skincare routine

Humectants can be found in many skincare products, which is why it’s important to know what to look out for when creating your daily routine. Ideally, all the products you use must collectively work to offer your skin sufficient hydration. You’d be doing yourself a disservice by not including some humectant-containing products in your skincare routine.

Any good skincare routine kicks off with cleansing, which is the most essential step, regardless of what your routine aims to achieve. Choosing a hydrating cleanser can keep your skin moisturised and nourished. Highly advised is our Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash, which is gentle enough to be used every day. You can cut your routine down without compromising on benefits as it gives you a deep cleanse and smoother skin texture in one step. Containing glycerin, strawberry extract, grapeseed oil, and white sugar crystals, treat yourself to clean, supple skin that’s soothed, softened, and balanced with every wash. If you’re looking for a more potent, refining scrub, we recommend the Sugar Face Polish Exfoliator – powered by propylene glycol, it’s a humectant that won’t irritate the skin – or go for the Brown Sugar Body Polish Exfoliator.

For overnight revival, use the Rose Deep Hydration Sleeping Mask before bed. Hyaluronic acid draws water to the skin’s surface layers for a revitalised complexion. Damask rose extract is key for strengthening the skin barrier, while rosewater is the secret to calm and soothed skin. The formula's time-release technology creates a hydrating micro-network on the skin’s surface for a gradual release of long-lasting moisturisation.

If you battle with dry hands, use our moisturising hand creams and keep them with you wherever you go for ultimate hydration. We offer three sensorial scents – Fresh Honeysuckle, Hesperides Grapefruit, and Citron de Vigne – made with nourishing shea butter and various other humectants and vitamin E oil for soft, smooth skin to give you the confidence you need to conquer the day.

Achieve healthy and radiant skin the fresh way

Your skin’s needs won’t always be the same, so you need to pay attention to what it's telling you at different stages in your life and through all four seasons. By taking the fresh approach to skincare, you can treat your skin to nourishment from potent natural ingredients and formulas backed by science. If you’ve ever wondered, “What is humectant skincare?”, now that you know, and there’s no reason why you can’t create your daily ritual with the help of our skincare experts.