Hydration vs Moisturization

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I suppose the first question that comes to mind is, are hydration and moisturization actually different? Yes, in fact, they are. When it comes to the skin and the products you are applying, the two terms differentiate the type of result you will see on your skin.

One suggests that your skin lacks water, and the other oil; but, before we dive into the dewy implications of these choices we must first understand the skin in different states.

Is your skin dehydrated or just dry?

Dehydration implies that your skin is lacking water, which directly affects oil production.

Moisturization and hydration depend on the balance of water and oil in the skin. Dry skin can be a condition caused by dehydrated skin, or it can be a skin type based on a natural occurrence of oil in the skin. Explore the dry skin innerworkings in our previous blog.

The Difference in Hydrating vs Moisturizing

When you pick up a product off the shelf and it says hydrating what exactly does that mean? Does it add water/hydration to the skin?

No. Hydrating products imply that the product does not strip your skin of natural oils and water, but rather hunts the layers of your skin and draws the water to the dehydrated areas of the face.

On the other hand, moisturizing products create the barrier that lock the moisture in your skin and prevent water from leaving your cells.

Choosing a Hydrator and Moisturizer for Your Routine

The first jump off point is identifying your skin type - once you know that, you can determine how much of which products are needed in your routine. *Unsure? Check out our Skin Types blog here. Once you have made the determination, it's time to analyze your skin. All skin types typically require a hydrator and a moisturizer.

Hydrators in our products would be ingredients like: glycerin, honey, vitamin e, panthenol, and aloe vera (to name a few). You'll find these ingredients in our foaming cleanser, herbal toner and herbal face mist often used in the beginning of your routine. The purpose is to build your skincare routine from thin or light products to heavier, thicker creams and lotions - thus, hydrating skin first and moisturizing second (or finding water and locking it in).

Moisturizers are more dense carrier oils and butters like coconut oil, tamanu oil, almond oil, sunflower oil, shea butter, and mango butter. Moisturizers finish off a routine by locking in the water and creating a barrier so it does not escape. Our herbal serum, herbal night cream and herbal night mask are great finishing choices to your routine to repair and moisturize all night long.

Additional reading:

Innerworkings of the skin (click here)

Skin Types (click here)

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