Hydration and Moisture: What's the difference?
In skincare, the terms "hydration" and "moisture" are often used interchangeably, yet they are in fact quite different. Understanding the difference is crucial for maintaining optimal skin health, especially when addressing surface dry, dry, sensitive and acne-prone skin.
Hydration vs. Moisture
Hydration refers to the water content within the skin cells. Hydrated skin is plump, elastic, and smooth. Hydrating ingredients, aka humectants, like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and aloe vera, attract and bind water to the skin, ensuring the cells are well-supplied with the hydration they need to function correctly.
Moisture, on the other hand, is about locking in that hydration to prevent water loss. Moisturising ingredients, such as oils, butters, and occlusives, create a barrier on the skin’s surface. This barrier helps retain hydration and protects the skin from environmental stressors and dehydration.
Hydration before moisture
Applying hydrating products before moisturising ones is vital when it comes to achieving your skin goals. Hydrating serums and essences replenish the water content in the skin. Following up with a moisturiser helps to lock in that hydration, preventing it from evaporating and ensuring long-lasting hydration.
Skipping the hydration step can lead to a superficial application of moisture, where the skin might feel temporarily soft but lacks the deep hydration necessary for long-term health. Moisturisers alone can't pull in water; they need the hydrating layer beneath to be most effective.
Surface Dryness vs. Dryness
Surface dryness is often characterised by flaky skin that feels tight and uncomfortable. Even if you have acne-prone or oily skin, you can suffer from surface-dryness. By applying hydrating products that can penetrate the skin to plump it up you can minimise the symptoms, or even get rid of surface dryness all together. Next, depending on your skin type, you want to lock in that hydration with a moisturiser. A lighter one formula, like The Face Jelly, if you are acne-prone, or a slightly richer one if your skin is more balanced, like The Barrier Cream.
Overall dryness, or true dry skin, indicates a lack of oil production. This type of dryness requires both hydrating and moisturising products, often in richer formulations (The Rich Cream for example), to restore balance and protect the skin.
Minimising surface-dryness
For those with surface dry skin, layering lightweight toners, and hydrating serums followed by a moisturiser can do wonders. We suggest:
Step 1: Spritz The Skin Drink to prep, hydrate and tone your skin.
Step 2: Apply The Shroom Essence to the palms of your hands and pat into the skin for deeply penetrating hydration.
Step 3: Next, apply The Face Jelly, our non-comedogenic gel moisturiser.
Step 4: Finally, apply The Daily Shield, our advanced sun-protective moisturiser.
A routine for dry skin
For those with overall dryness, a combination of hydrating serums and richer, more emollient moisturisers will be necessary. Including both steps in your skincare regimen ensures that your skin remains hydrated, plump, and resilient. We recommend:
Step 1: Cleanse with The Bare Balm, our deeply nourishing balm-cleanser.
Step 2: Tone with our hydrating toner, The Skin Drink.
Step 3: Apply a few drops of The Smoothing Serum to plump and hydrate.
Step 4: Finish of with The Rich Cream, our deeply moisturising face cream.
In conclusion, understanding the difference between hydration and moisture is fundamental for addressing various skin conditions. By prioritising hydration and following up with effective moisturising, you can maintain healthy, balanced skin, preventing both surface and overall dryness.