A good skincare routine doesn’t just require the best products but also needs a comprehensive understanding of their utility. One of the most common suggestions that you will get from skincare experts is to keep your skin healthy and moisturised. Most people believe that moisturizing and hydrating are very similar if not the same. However, contrary to this popular belief, there are many differences between hydrating and moisturizing your skin. Let’s find out some key differences that distinguish a hydrator from a moisturizer.
Hydrator vs. Moisturizer
Before jumping deep into the facts, let’s set some ground rules here. Hydration is the key to keeping your skin healthy and nourished. Keeping your body and skin hydrated is a prerequisite for good skin without any doubt. This is irrelevant to what your skin type is, anybody who is not paying attention to the hydration front will surely be unable to get the best out of their skincare routine.
Scientifically speaking, moisturizer is an umbrella term for various types of moisturizers including squalene (oil), occlusive, humectants, emollients (fats and oil).Present-day consumerism and marketing by brands have altered the basic definition to quite an extent. You must have seen brands claiming to offer the best hydrator and moisturizer in one product. Not all elements of an anti-ageing moisturizer and hydrator need to be present inside the products.
Moisturizers are primarily oil-based ingredients that contain occlusive agents such as mineral oil, and emollients like plant oils. The working principle for a moisturizer involves creating a coat on the surface of the skin. This prevents the water present inside the skin to escape in a natural setting. This ultimately leads to smoother skin that is not dry. The protective shield doesn’t let external factors impact your skin.
Ever wondered how celebrities keep their appearance youthful even at an older age? Well, most of it is because of properly hydrated skin offered by the best anti-ageing skincare solutions. Most hydrators contain an important ingredient called humectants that are responsible for absorbing water from your atmosphere and infusing the same in your skin cells. A majority of tropical hydrators including hyaluronic acid or glycerine functions like this to provide smooth and wrinkle-free skin.
The working mechanism
Both hydrators and moisturizers mainly have the same objective, i.e., to tackle dryness and dehydration. However, they take a different approach to delivering the final result. Hydrators help to adequately hydrate the natural protective barriers of your skin. The water content inside the skin cells allows them to expand and plump, giving a youthful appearance. Moisturizers on the other hand can seal in the existing moisture inside the skin cells by adding a protective layer. This layer ultimately helps the skin to restore its natural hydration by protecting it against negative externalities including pollution, moulds and bacteria.
Which is better for your skin?
We now understand that both moisturizers and hydrator work to achieve the same result but with a different approach. So, which one is better for your skin? Well, let’s dig deeper to find out.
Most skincare products that are available in the market have the same benefit, healthy skin that is well hydrated. The key to finding a good product for your skin is to learn about the ingredients used in making the product. Today, most brands offer skincare products that contain both the occlusive and the humectant ingredients. So basically, they are trying to moisturize and hydrate at the same time. This can or cannot be good for your skin.
A mixture of both ingredients can work wonders for some people. However, this is very subjective and requires testing different products on your skin to find out the best fit. You should also search for products that contain only humectant or only occlusive ingredient and test it to find out which one performs better for your skin. This will help you better understand how your skin likes its hydration and what will be a good fit given the characteristics of your skin.
The rule of thumb
Finding out the most suitable product for your skincare indeed requires experimenting with different ingredients. However, there are certain rules of thumb that you can follow when it comes to daily skincare.
-
A thicker moisturizer works better for a dry skin
Do you have skin that is naturally dry throughout all seasons and prone to flakes? It could be more than a weather-related development. Your skin might not be able to retain moisture properly and thus you are experiencing dryness throughout. In this case, a thicker moisturizer can work wonders for your skin. You must look for products containing petrolatum, coconut oil, nuts oil, plant oil, jojoba oil, etc.
-
A dehydrated skin requires a hydrating serum
A dehydrated skin actively requires hydration to remain healthy. You must find a hydrating serum containing hyaluronic acid to keep your skin hydrated throughout. It can retain up to 1000 times its weight in water, making it the perfect solution for dehydrated skin. Some powerful ingredients that you must look for while buying a hydrating serum are aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, honey.
-
Water-based hydrators work well for oily skin
Many of us have oily skin that can degrade our overall appearance by making our skin look dull. The oily component makes it harder for our skin to retain moisture. Your skin will be when the moisture escapes from your cells. This causes the skin to produce more oil and you are caught up in a never-ending cycle. Giving your skin the required moisture and hydration using a water-based hydrator is the only solution to this vicious problem. Only should always apply water-based hydrators and moisturizers that are also non-comedogenic.
Final words
Both hydrators and moisturizers work on achieving the same results for your skin but follow a different approach to get the job done. QskinCanada offers the best organic hydrators and moisturizers that can help you provide healthy and youthful skin without having to apply any harmful chemicals. A natural skincare routine guarantees flawless skin without a long wait.
More stories
