Winter season is all about the sparkle and light, misty mornings, cosy sweater, heavenly hot cocoa and the not-so-blissful picture of our skin withering due to the changing indoor temperatures and scalding hot showers; leading to chapped lips and parched and flaky skin. To compensate for the dry and dehydrating winter, we load up on moisturizers every other hour and look like a shiny disco ball.
While every skincare aisle is full of products claiming to nourish and moisturize the skin, many of us may need to be aware that the terms are frequently used interchangeably. Moisturisation and hydration are not the same, and knowing this difference will help you get back your winter #GlowGoals.
What Is the Difference Between Hydration and Moisturisation?
If your skin is dry, it's easy to believe that a generous application of moisturiser can restore its plump appearance and youthful radiance. While this is sometimes true, it is also possible that your skin is dehydrated rather than dry.
So, to better understand and simplify the concept, one can take that hydration = water and moisture = oil.
HYDRATION
Hydration refers to the water within the cells that causes them to appear plump and bouncy. If water flows out of the cells and the cells get dehydrated, they might become shrivelled, which leads to dull and dehydrated skin. This means that when you use a topical hydrator, you are infusing water into your cells and increasing your skin's ability to absorb moisture and nutrients.HYDRATORS
What are they? - hydrators contain humectants which are water-loving ingredients.
What do they do? - humectants help collect moisture from the environment and bind it to the skin, allowing it to absorb it.
Benefits - they increase your skin's ability to absorb moisture and help keep your skin cells plump and infused. The surface is softer and firmer as a result.
Ingredients to look for - natural Ingredients are
Hyaluronic acid, natural glycerin, aloe vera, and honey. Some products may contain synthetic humectants such as silicon oils and propylene glycol, so keep an eye out for these if you just want natural ingredients on your skin.
MOISTURISATION
It is meant for people with dry and flaky skin. If you have itchy or dry skin, you should probably use a thick salve to lock in moisture. Creams are thinner, moisturise better, and are suitable for normal skin. Lotions are the lightest (water is the primary ingredient) and best for oily skin.
MOISTURISERS
- What are they? - they are occlusive based, which are oil-based ingredients.
- What do they do? - help to lock in moisture by creating a seal.
- Benefits - smooth and soft skin with a healthy skin barrier.
- Ingredients - Many plant-based fats contain common occlusives compatible with human lipids, such as shea butter, jojoba oil, grape seed oil, and rosehip oil. Synthetic occlusives such as paraffin, petroleum, and white mineral oil can also be found in specialised skincare products to treat problems such as skin burns and wound healing.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST HYDRATOR OR MOISTURISER
How can you choose the best product now that you understand the distinction between hydration and moisturisation? Hydrating and moisturising products can come in various forms and textures.
When it comes to hydrating ingredients, a
hyaluronic acid serum is by far the holy grail. This little molecule packs a powerful punch by holding 1,000 times its weight in water. It is naturally found in the human body, but like collagen, its quantity depletes as we age. When this happens, our skin becomes thinner and duller, and healthy skin cells move much more slowly to the surface. Our skin requires hydration not only to appear good but also to function properly.
OUR TOP CHOICE FOR HYDRATION AND MOISTURE - THE ALL IN ONE
Is the hunt for a good, simple, but effective hydrating and moisturising serum not over for you yet? Don't worry, we've done the magic work for you!!
Lock in Hydration with Chicnutrix Hydrate is the best skin hydration product which has 5% of 10 different molecular weight Hyaluronic Acid Complex, Panthenol and Glycerine that absorbs three layers deep to provide intense hydration for smooth, supple and dewy skin.
Know the Ingredients and their magic -
Not all hyaluronic acid (HA) molecules are created equally.
They are known to be natural humectants and moisture magnets. There are ten distinct sizes available of HA molecules. Different molecular weights enter the skin at different depths. Because molecules with reduced molecular weight are smaller, they can reach deeper layers of skin. They maintain the skin's moisture content there. On the other hand, those with high molecular weights stay closer to the surface, where they can offer the most evident results in a shorter time frame.
Hydrate has hyaluronic acid of low, medium and large molecular weight. Low and medium HA can penetrate the deep layers and help hydrate the cells of the skin and provide intense and long-lasting hydration. The high molecular HA molecules help to stay on the skin's surface and provide an instant hydrated look. It is also great as it provides anti-ageing benefits.
The must for plump skin - panthenol
Panthenol, often known as ProVitamin B5, is a noteworthy component. It is both a humectant and an emollient. It helps the skin retain moisture while also making it soft. Dry, flaky skin can be irritating and scratchy, but vitamin B5 softens it, draws water, and seals it in. True genius.
The love of all beauty gurus - Glycerine
It is a powerful humectant that keeps your skin hydrated for an extended period of time. It is non-comedogenic, non-allergenic, inexpensive, and generated primarily from plant sources. It helps to draw water into the skin's surface from air or deeper layers of the skin. It maintains the skin's protective layer of moisture and creates a barrier between the skin and elements that might harm it.
Benefits
- Prevents moisture evaporation by forming a film on the skin surface
- Increases moisturising synergy and skin adhesion
- Absorbs into the skin to maintain moisture inside the skin
- Locks in moisture & hydration
- Improves skin elasticity
- Makes skin Supple, plump & dewy
Why Choose Hydrate?
Balanced formulation - When it comes to skincare, less is more (find more on this in our next blog). Hydrate has the right concentration and combination of actives to target your skincare needs. High concentrations of humectants can draw water from deep layers of the skin, and rather than doing good, they can harm the skin. It can lead to acne, irritated skin and a damaged and compromised skin barrier.
Repair the damage - Overusing AHAs and BHAs which help to chemically exfoliate the skin often leads to broken and red epidermis. The combination of panthenol and hyaluronic acid is the secret concoction for skin barrier repair. It can help plump those skin cells, reduce inflammation, and work to rebuild the barrier.
One serum for all -
Feeling dehydrated? It can hydrate.
Feeling oily? It can regulate sebum.
Feeling itchy? It can calm and soothe.
It is for all skin types as it has a light–weight texture as it is water-based and is fast absorbing, so you don't feel heavy and greasy. It's a common myth that oily and acne-prone skin doesn't need to be hydrated, but this isn't true. When oily skin lacks moisture, it responds by creating even more oil to moisturise the skin. This can result in acne and other skin problems. Because it regulates sebum production while moisturising the skin, hyaluronic acid is ideal for oily and sensitive skin.
Hydrate is alcohol-free, silicone free, sulphate free, dye free, cruelty-free and paraben free.
How To Incorporate Hydrate In Your Routine Skincare?
Make sure to apply your hydrating and moisturising products correctly to get the most out of them. When applying all skincare products, the golden rule is, to begin with the thinnest consistency and progress to the thickest consistency. If you have two items of comparable thickness, apply them in the sequence of lightest to darkest hue (with a clear colour being lightest.) Apply serums and moisturisers to your face right after towel drying it when it is still slightly damp.
Cleanse: Gently massage cleanser onto damp skin to remove dirt and pollutants, then rinse well with lukewarm water and pat dry.
Toner: Use a toner or a face mist before applying serum. Especially when applying serums with hyaluronic acid as they are never to be applied on dry skin.
Hydrate: Apply 4-5 drops and gently pat to allow maximum absorption.
Incorporating vitamin C and hyaluronic acid serum in the morning can lessen the irritation associated with vitamin C as it is acidic inighttimend often not well tolerated by people with sensitive skin.
For nighttime, incorporate retinol and hyaluronic acid to avoid retinol-associated purging and prevent signs of ageing.
Moisturise: Massage the moisturiser on your skin and remember to look for occlusive emollient ingredients on the label. When it comes to moisturisers for dry face skin, look for moisture-attracting and hydrating humectants (hyaluronic acid, urea, glycerine), moisturising occlusives (lanolin, petrolatum, argl, jojoba oil), and nourishing and skin smoothing emollients.
We hear this all the time that the solution to the problems is water, and it is rightly so for your skin. I hope this article has eased your worries about finding the bottle of water for your skin with our recommended Chicnutrix’s Hydrate and has resolved all the confusion and fuss about hydration and moisturisation.
So, remember to Hydrate yourself inside out!!!!
Health and Fitness enthusiast
