The Weights and Measures of Moisture

No matter what our age or skin type, we all want to have soft, smooth, comfortable-feeling, and glowing skin. Unfortunately, as the weather turns colder, the air gets drier, and we all turn on our heaters, this quest of maintaining comfortable, soft, moisturized skin becomes even harder. Within world of skincare, we are lucky to have several types of products at our disposal to help us along-- serums, hydrating masks, sleeping packs, emulsionsoils, the list goes on. Yet, though they may all seem to provide the same benefits, all of these have slightly different functions.

Moisturizers (including also night creams, sleeping masks, and most cream leave-on face masks): These are the first products we think of as delivering plumpness, softness, and... well, moisture... to our skin. However, they are not as effective at deeply enriching the skin with hydration as it may seem. Because of their usually relatively thick texture, the individual particles of oil and other ingredients are often too large to penetrate the skin and go deep into the surface of the skin. This explains why, even though you apply a moisturizer why your skin can still feel tight and uncomfortable underneath it, especially as the day goes on. All of this said, moisturizers still provide a vital function in that they work to seal in all the other skincare products that you might put on to ensure that they do their job while also, more importantly, providing a necessary barrier between the skin and the outside world. They make sure all of your bodies natural oils and water content inside your skin and not seeping out through your pores and also work to keep environmental pollutants and stressors from being drawn into your skin through your pores.

Lotions: In most cases, "lotion" is a term given to a product that works exactly the same as a moisturizer but that usually has a thinner and runnier consistency due to usually a higher ratio of water content to other emollient ingredients. For this reason, lotion formulas are common in body moisturizers because they are easily spread over a large surface area. Also, lotions designed for the face are particularly good choices for those with normal to oily skin because they will give the skin the sealing and barrier protection it needs but without making the skin feel too heavy or overly greasy.

Priming Moisturizers: These types of moisturizing products have the added benefit of prepping the skin for makeup wear. Not only do these help your foundation and other complexion-enhancing products look apply more seamlessly by smoothing out the surface of the skin and refining the pores, they also help to keep the makeup in place and not run off as you sweat throughout the day. Priming moisturizers also help to keep your skin from absorbing they dyes and other chemicals in your makeup into the deeper layers of your skin, which might lead to clogged pores or irritation in the long run. Though usually labeled as priming "moisturizers", these are usually of a thinner, more spreadable, and therefore, much more lotionlike in consistency.

Hydrating Serums: I mentioned before that one limitation of moisturizers and lotions is that, while they feel soft and creamy to the touch, they will not usually provide adequate moisture for long-term results. For this, you might need to add in a serum to your routine. Serums are thin, watery-textured products designed to deliver concentrated doses of potent skincare ingredients deeply below the surface of the skin. There are many types of serums out on the market targeted towards any and every skin condition and concern, but among the most popular are those geared towards hydration, or namely, adding water back into the skin and keeping it there and ensuring that that water is brought deeply down into the skin. Most often, the primary ingredient of a hydrating serum is a hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance produced by our bodies to help us retain appropriate amounts of fluids. By giving our skin an extra boost of hyaluronic acid or other rehydrating ingredients, we increase its suppleness, elasticity, and dewy, glow that we often lose in times of stress with age or intense cleansing steps. This said, if you do not have naturally dry skin or do not use strong cleansers or clay masks or any other kind of skin treatment which might leave your skin feeling parched, you may not need a hydrating serum in your routine and instead just use a moisturizer or lotion as your moisturizing step.

Face Oils: Facial oils come in a host of different blends and types, and there is one or several out there to suit everyone. At the end of the day, though, all facial oils share the same purpose of enriching the skin with nutrients and lipids--or fats-- to help strengthen and smooth and plump out its surface. Facial oils can be thought of us kind of a "food for the skin", making it softer, bouncier, firmer, and more cushiony. Any skin type can receive tremendous benefits from a facial oil, but these are an especially great addition to a dry-skinned person's skincare routine, as a person with chronically dry skin is deficient in lipids and also the amount of sebum-- the oil found naturally in our skin. So facial oils help give those types of skin's a much needed extra boost.

The goal of dewy, soft, comfortable-feeling skin, though one we all share, can be achieved in a variety of ways using many different products. Whether you want to try a cream, lotion, oil, serum, or any combination of these, you will be well on your way to the healthiest, most radiant-looking skin your whole life long.