With so many moisturizing ingredients being bandied around in skincare products, it’s sometimes hard to tell them apart, let alone be aware of what each one does. Although they’re commonly identified by their ingredient name rather than the umbrella term they’re united under, humectants are a group of ingredients whose primary function is to hydrate the skin by helping it to retain water.
In simple terms, humectants are substances that have a close and loving relationship with water molecules and work by attracting moisture from both the air and your skin’s deepest layers to quench the thirst of your stratum corneum (i.e. the uppermost layer of your skin). By binding to water molecules, humectants prevent water from evaporating from your skin, thus helping it to maintain balance. Because they’re such effective hydrators, humectants make popular additions to skincare products, from serums to masks and moisturizers. They can also help counteract the effects of drying ingredients such as alcohol. However, in order to utilize them at their peak performance, dermatologists encourage that they be used in tandem with similarly moisturizing ingredients. This ensures that your skin benefits from an elevated boost of hydration while minimizing the risk of experiencing any adverse reactions.
If you’re looking to rehydrate your skin, for best results, opt for a product that contains the highly exalted trinity of humectants, emollients and occlusives. Emollients and occlusives go hand-in-hand with humectants; they’re both categories of moisturizing substances that work to soften, protect and seal in dermal moisture.
Some of the most popular humectants in skincare are:
Hyaluronic acid – a substance already naturally produced by our bodies, it’s a sugar molecule that promotes lubrication and hydration in our skin and connective tissues. It’s also found in our joints. It’s carved a place for itself in the anti-aging skincare market due to being an excellent hydrator and, by extension, plumper by helping water to bind to collagen.
Glycerin – a translucent substance that is naturally found not just in humans and animals, but also plants such as soy, palm and coconut. It’s reported to have both humectant and emollient effects, making it a popular addition to the ingredient list of many skincare products.
Sorbitol – a sugar alcohol derived from various fruits and plants. It’s often used in foods and beverages as a sweetener. In skincare, it’s used for its conditioning effects which extend to safeguarding against dermal moisture loss.
Molasses – a product obtained from refining sugar beets or sugarcane and is a great cruelty free alternative to honey. It is sometimes used as a face wash, when it is diluted with water as a treatment for skin conditions such as rosacea, acne and eczema. It’s anti-inflammatory and is said to be a very effective natural skin softener, which makes it highly beneficial for use on drier skin types.
Aloe vera – a natural gel harvested from the leaves of the aloe vera plant. It’s brimming with beneficial minerals such as magnesium and calcium as well as various enzymes and amino acids. It’s weightless and doesn’t leave a residue on the skin, which is why it’s so popular.
Alpha hydroxy acids – simply known as AHAs, are acids that are water soluble and are produced from sugarcane, milk or sugary fruit. AHAs like lactic acid, for example, possess humectant properties that go towards maintaining dermal moisture levels, not to mention improving dry skin.
While propylene glycol is also a widely used humectant in commercial skincare products, it’s not recommended for those who are looking for ‘clean beauty’ products, i.e. those that are free from chemicals and synthetic ingredients. Propylene glycol is a product of petroleum, as are the preservative known as formaldehyde and the fossil fuel petrol (i.e. gasoline), which many of us use to power our vehicles. Although concrete evidence is lacking when it comes to the carcinogenicity of propylene glycol, it is a known dermal irritant, often demonstrated with the emergence of red rashes.
There is some debate as to whether humectants are beneficial to use in all environments; due to the fact that they are hydrophilic (i.e. they are drawn to water molecules) they, as we touched on above, attract water that’s in close proximity to them. This can mean that they draw it from the air around you, or from the deeper levels of your skin to moisturize the surface layers, helping you to look more visibly hydrated. However, this can sometimes translate to mean that, the drier your environment, the less moisture can subsequently be extracted from the surrounding air. This means that the humectants you’re using resort to drawing on the water that resides in your skin and pulling it up to your surface layers, which can ironically leave your other layers feeling a bit parched and neglected. However, since this doesn’t tend to happen unless you’re in a very dry environment, it shouldn’t discourage you from using humectants in your daily routine – it’s just something to bear in mind.
Since humectants are an essential aspect of dermal hydration, they’re hugely beneficial for all skin types. Even if you have oily or combination skin, a hydration boost can actually help to balance things out and stop your skin from overcompensating and producing as much sebum.
If you’d like to read more about related topics, see our blog posts on hyaluronic acid, AHAs and BHAs, and collagen. To discover more about specific skin types and how to treat them, visit our Skin Types page. For additional information on dermal moisturization, read our posts: Can I Use Oil On Oily Skin? and How To Moisturize Dry Skin.