When it comes to age-defying skincare, there are three important things to know: moisture, moisture, moisture.
That’s right, moisture is a key aspect of skincare that makes your skin look and feel plush, smooth, and radiant. That’s why you may have heard the buzz about moisture magnets. But what are moisture magnets and what do they do?
If you are not familiar with humectants and wonder, "what are humectants in skincare products," it’s not surprising. When it comes to moisturizers, they are all-important. What some call humectants we like to call moisture magnets.
What Are Humectants?
Humectants are hygroscopic substances that keep things moist by forming hydrogen bonds with water molecules. They are used in products such as food, medicines, and skincare products. Most lotions, cleansers, and other skincare products contain humectants to hydrate the skin. This is because they have the ability to draw in moisture from their surrounding environment. They attract and hold moisture to the skin, which is why you often hear them called moisture magnets.
So, what are humectants for the skin? Humectants do two things for the skin: they draw moisture to the surface and enhance the skin’s hydrating ability. They can stimulate the production of moisture while promoting the growth of new skin cells in the skin’s outer layer.
Humectants occur naturally in our skin cells and play a huge role in maintaining the skin’s hydration, regulating the shedding of dry skin cells, and balancing the skin’s pH to protect against infection. As a value add, they help prevent dry, flaky, rough skin.
How Do Moisture Magnet Humectants Work?
So, we know that humectants work by bonding with water molecules. But where do the water molecules come from? Humectants can pull water from their environment, which could be the air or the layers of your skin. If you live in a humid environment and there is plenty of moisture in the air, humectants will pull water vapor from the air to moisturize your skin.
However, if there is not enough moisture in the air for humectants to use, they will pull it from the middle layer of your skin called the dermis up to the outer layer called the epidermis. This improves the moisture level of the layer of dead skin cells that form the outer layer of the epidermis, called the stratum corneum. The skin looks smooth and full of moisture. Humectants also help with the shedding of dead skin cells, which can improve the skin’s texture, stimulate collagen production, even out skin tone, and reduce dryness.
What to Look for in a Moisturizer
So now that you are armed with knowledge about what humectants are for the skin, how do you know what to look for in a moisturizer? Although there are many humectants out there, they are not all created equal.
You’ve probably heard of hyaluronic acid in connection with moisturizers. It is a natural humectant and essential to moisturized skin. In addition, you should look for glycerin and glycols to round out the humectants in your moisturizer. Let’s break down these three key ingredients to look for in a moisturizer.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid instantly plumps up skin and makes it look glowing. It is a sugar that our skin naturally produces. This seemingly miracle substance can bind and hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. It affects more than just the skin; hyaluronic acid also lubricates joints to keep them healthy.
Young skin produces plenty of its own hyaluronic acid, but as we age, we produce less of it. By the time we reach 40, the skin’s production of hyaluronic acid has dropped significantly. Environmental stressors such as stress, pollutants, and sun exposure can hasten this decrease.
Boosting your body’s hyaluronic acid supply offers huge beauty benefits. You can increase your hyaluronic acid levels in two ways. First, look for a moisturizer such as Neolastin's Rejuvenate & Hydrate Moisturizing Cream that contains hyaluronic acid. It easily penetrates the skin and helps it retain its moisture. You can also improve your hyaluronic acid production by taking an oral supplement or eating foods that increase your body’s production of this moisture magnet.
Glycerin
Glycerin is another ingredient you should look for in a moisturizer. It is a natural component of healthy skin. Glycerin mimics the skin’s natural moisturizing factor and is compatible with all skin types. Supporting the skin’s natural moisturizing factor helps protect the skin from environmental aggressors and improves its resiliency and youthful appearance. Other benefits of glycerin include:
- Working with emollients to make skin feel soft and supple
- Strengthening the skin’s moisture barrier
- Helping other ingredients penetrate the skin
Glycol
Commonly found in moisturizers, glycol rounds out the humectant moisture magnets you should look for in skincare products. They play many roles, from acting as humectants to enhancing other ingredients' absorption through the skin. It is not an ingredient you would expect to be the only humectant in your moisturizer, but it should be in the mix, helping the other ingredients work better.
The great thing about the moisture magnets in Rejuvenate & Hydrate Moisturizing Cream is that you can use them every day for soft, beautiful, ageless skin. They work well for all skin types, keeping skin beautifully smooth and moisturized.