Face Cream Must-Haves- Top 3 Hydrating Ingredients
With all the conflicting information on the internet about what ingredients to look for in your moisturizer, knowing what you really need can be difficult. The truth is that every skin type needs hydration and can benefit from similar ingredients. Here, we’ll review the best hydrating ingredients your moisturizer should have. Each one is natural and excellent for sensitive skin.
What Are Hydrating Ingredients?
You may have heard the terms “humectant,” “emollient,” and “occlusive” before. These are all essential components of a quality moisturizer. Humectants draw moisture to the skin, while emollients and occlusives heal the skin’s barrier and trap moisture, respectively. Below are three natural humectants that hydrate the skin by bringing water to the epidermis.
Honey
Honey is mainly comprised of fructose and glucose. These sugars draw moisture to the skin and keep it there. In fact, all sugars are excellent for bringing moisture to the epidermis, but what makes honey so amazing is that you can trace exactly where it comes from and how it’s processed. Raw, natural honey is best, but remember to pay attention to what flowers the bees were able to access during production. Some farmers will give bees specific access to lavender and other flowers for flavor. This can certainly be an added benefit, but if you have specific allergies, it’s something to keep an eye out for.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a succulent that thrives in arid conditions, so it naturally holds onto as much water as possible. The translucent, jelly-like inner layer of this humectant plant contains 99 percent water. Aloe vera offers many skin-care benefits: it contains the water and sugars needed to bring hydration to the outer layers of your skin, and it’s also an excellent emollient due to its high lipid (fat) content. This high fat content is great at filling in the gaps between unhealthy skin cells.
Glycerin
Most glycerin is derived from vegetable oil or animal fat, so it’s important to pay attention to where the company that makes your moisturizer sources its glycerin. In addition, much like aloe vera, glycerin is also a natural emollient and great for people looking to repair dry, cracked skin. Just be sure not to leave glycerin on your face for too long, as dust and other pollutants can become trapped in that sticky layer.
Now that you know the top hydrating ingredients your moisturizer should have, you’re better equipped to find the best moisturizer for your skin so that you can shop around or DIY to your skin’s content.
READ MORE ABOUT ‘Hydrating Ingredients’ : RAW HONEY- THE HEALING FACE WASH
