“Humectants are mainly ‘water magnets,'” board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban, M.D., founding father of SKINFIVE, informed us concerning the class of ingredients. “They work to assist pull moisture from the air into the higher layer of your pores and skin to maintain the pores and skin cells hydrated, plump with a firmness and bounce.”
However, when left to their very own gadgets, humectants can truly find yourself dehydrating the pores and skin. This is as a result of they’re indiscriminate about the place they pull in water. For instance, when it is humid, they’ll pull it from the air round you. But when you’re in an arid atmosphere or spend plenty of time indoors uncovered to AC or heaters, then they’re going to truly pull it from the deeper layers of the pores and skin, making the pores and skin total extra dehydrated.
This is why humectants ought to actually be paired with occlusives and emollients—both in the identical formulation or layered collectively.
For ease, listed below are some standard humectants to look out for on the ingredient record:
