Humectants in Skin Care Products

What is a humectant?

Humectants are hygroscopic ingredients, meaning they are able to attract and retain water molecules from their surrounding environment.

Humectants are commonly found in moisturizers and other hydrating skincare products. However, there are a few caveats about when to use and when to avoid using humectants in your skincare routine.

Find out more about how humectants work, examples of humectant ingredients, and when to use them here.

To find out if humectant moisturizers are right for you- take the skin type quiz.

What is a humectant moisturizer?

Humectant moisturizers grab water and bind it to the skin’s surface.

They can temporarily plump fine lines and wrinkles and give skin a dewy glow.

Here are examples of humectant moisturizers:

Filorga NCEF-ESSENCE Supreme Multi-Correction Lotion

$68.00

Out of Stock

Filorga NCEF-REVERSE Supreme Multi-Correction Cream

$114.00

Out of Stock

Murad Targeted Wrinkle Corrector

$78.00

Add to Cart

Neocutis BIO GEL FIRM Moisturizing Hydrogel

$83.00

Add to Cart

ClarityRx Get Balanced Probiotic Serum

$78.00

Add to Cart

EltaMD PM Restore Moisturizer

$17.00

Add to Cart

Emepelle Night Cream

$195.00

Add to Cart

Filorga GLOBAL-REPAIR INTENSIVE Nutri-Restorative Multi-Revitalising Serum

$124.00

Out of Stock

Filorga HYDRA-HYAL Intensive Hydrating Plumping Concentrate

$69.00

Out of Stock

Filorga MESO-MASK Smoothing Radiance Mask

$69.00

Out of Stock

Filorga NCEF-ESSENCE Supreme Multi-Correction Lotion

$68.00

Out of Stock

Filorga NCEF-REVERSE Supreme Multi-Correction Cream

$114.00

Out of Stock

Murad Targeted Wrinkle Corrector

$78.00

Add to Cart

Neocutis BIO GEL FIRM Moisturizing Hydrogel

$83.00

Add to Cart

ClarityRx Get Balanced Probiotic Serum

$78.00

Add to Cart

EltaMD PM Restore Moisturizer

$17.00

Add to Cart

Emepelle Night Cream

$195.00

Add to Cart

Filorga GLOBAL-REPAIR INTENSIVE Nutri-Restorative Multi-Revitalising Serum

$124.00

Out of Stock

Filorga HYDRA-HYAL Intensive Hydrating Plumping Concentrate

$69.00

Out of Stock

Filorga MESO-MASK Smoothing Radiance Mask

$69.00

Out of Stock

Filorga NCEF-ESSENCE Supreme Multi-Correction Lotion

$68.00

Out of Stock

Filorga NCEF-REVERSE Supreme Multi-Correction Cream

$114.00

Out of Stock

Murad Targeted Wrinkle Corrector

$78.00

Add to Cart

Neocutis BIO GEL FIRM Moisturizing Hydrogel

$83.00

Add to Cart

ClarityRx Get Balanced Probiotic Serum

$78.00

Add to Cart

EltaMD PM Restore Moisturizer

$17.00

Add to Cart

Emepelle Night Cream

$195.00

Add to Cart

Filorga GLOBAL-REPAIR INTENSIVE Nutri-Restorative Multi-Revitalising Serum

$124.00

Out of Stock

Filorga HYDRA-HYAL Intensive Hydrating Plumping Concentrate

$69.00

Out of Stock

Filorga MESO-MASK Smoothing Radiance Mask

$69.00

Out of Stock

Hyaluronic acid serums are the best humectant moisturizers.

ISDIN Hyaluronic Booster 10 Ampoules

$46.00

Add to Cart

ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate

$100.00

Add to Cart

ISDIN Instant Flash

$40.00

Add to Cart

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Serum

$39.99

Add to Cart

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum

$20.99

Out of Stock

ClarityRx Daily Dose of Water Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum

$80.00

Add to Cart

ClarityRx Get Balanced Probiotic Serum

$78.00

Add to Cart

ClarityRx Take It Easy Calming Serum

$76.00

Add to Cart

Filorga HYDRA-HYAL Intensive Hydrating Plumping Concentrate

$69.00

Out of Stock

ISDIN Flavo-C Ultraglican Ampules

$46.00

Out of Stock

ISDIN Hyaluronic Booster 10 Ampoules

$46.00

Add to Cart

ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate

$100.00

Add to Cart

ISDIN Instant Flash

$40.00

Add to Cart

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Serum

$39.99

Add to Cart

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum

$20.99

Out of Stock

ClarityRx Daily Dose of Water Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum

$80.00

Add to Cart

ClarityRx Get Balanced Probiotic Serum

$78.00

Add to Cart

ClarityRx Take It Easy Calming Serum

$76.00

Add to Cart

Filorga HYDRA-HYAL Intensive Hydrating Plumping Concentrate

$69.00

Out of Stock

ISDIN Flavo-C Ultraglican Ampules

$46.00

Out of Stock

ISDIN Hyaluronic Booster 10 Ampoules

$46.00

Add to Cart

ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate

$100.00

Add to Cart

ISDIN Instant Flash

$40.00

Add to Cart

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Serum

$39.99

Add to Cart

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum

$20.99

Out of Stock

ClarityRx Daily Dose of Water Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum

$80.00

Add to Cart

ClarityRx Get Balanced Probiotic Serum

$78.00

Add to Cart

ClarityRx Take It Easy Calming Serum

$76.00

Add to Cart

Filorga HYDRA-HYAL Intensive Hydrating Plumping Concentrate

$69.00

Out of Stock

ISDIN Flavo-C Ultraglican Ampules

$46.00

Out of Stock

How Do Humectants Work?

Humectants work to hydrate and temporarily plump your skin by drawing in moisture from either the deeper layers of your skin to the surface or from humid air to your skin. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a great example of a humectant — HA molecules can bind to and retain up to 1,000 times their molecular weight in water!

However, if you are in a dry climate where there is little moisture in the air available for humectants to pull into your skin, using a humectant on its own can actually cause dryness. This is because the humectant ingredients will absorb water molecules from the deeper layers of your skin and pull them onto the surface, where they can eventually evaporate. To prevent this, pair humectant ingredients with occlusive ingredients, which act as a physical barrier between your skin and the outside environment, thus sealing moisture inside.

Humectants are also a type of emollient, which smooth and soften the skin. During the desquamation process, when new skin cells push old, flaky skin cells from the surface of your skin, emollients like humectants help to smooth the rough edges of these flaky cells to create a smoother and more uniform appearance.

Types of Humectants

There are two types of humectant ingredients: natural and synthetic. Both types can be found in a wide array of skincare and personal care products, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hair products, lip balms, and soaps. The specific humectant ingredients that are chosen for use in a given product depend on many factors, including the purpose of the product, how the humectants will interact with other ingredients, and others.

Glycerin and Hyaluronic acid are humectants

What is the most common humectant?

The 3 most commonly used humectants in moisturizers are:

Hyaluronic acid

Glycerin

Aloe vera

Glycerin is a particularly interesting humectant (to me), because it is one of the only ingredients used in skin care that is capable of traveling through the aquaporin channels between skin cells. This ability allows glycerin to hydrate hard to reach layers and cells in the skin that other humectants could simply never reach.

Another interesting fact about glycerin is that it is the primary humectant component of honey!

List of Humectant Ingredients in Moisturizers

Moisturizers and other types of skincare products contain natural humectants or humectants that are made in the laboratory.

Natural and plant-derived Humectants

Some common naturally-derived humectant ingredients include:

Aloe vera

Beta glucan

Glycerin

Honey

Hyaluronic acid

Lactic acid (from milk)

Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5)

Phytic acid (from rice)

Saccharides

Sodium PCA

Sorbitol

Urea

Synthetic Humectants

Examples of common man-made humectants include:

Butylene Glycol

Dipropylene Glycol

Gluconolactone

Glycereth-26

Glycolic acid

Heparan sulfate

Hexalene Glycol

Propylene glycol (PEG)

Sodium Lactate

Urea

Is coconut oil a humectant?

No coconut oil is not a humectant, rather it is considered an occlusive ingredient. Coconut is also comedogenic meaning it clogs pores!

Coconut oil does hydrate the skin, but not because it pulls water towards itself. Instead, coconut oil has saturated fatty acids that prevent water from evaporating off of the skin, while simultaneously providing a small concentration of unsaturated fatty acids which are capable of repairing the skin barrier.

Is squalane a humectant?

Squalane and squalene are not humectants. Squalane is an oily substance that is an example of an occlusive ingredient.

They are also considered emollients.

Emollient is a fancy way of saying it makes things look shiny!

When Should You Use Humectants?

Use humectants to give skin a dewy glass skin glow. Use them in moisturizers, serums, toners, cleansers, and other hydrating skincare products. Oily and dry skin types can use humectants, however, dry skin types should always combine humectants with barrier repair ingredients.

The best way to know if you need a humectant moisturizer is to shop by your Baumann Skin Type.

Dry Skin Types and Humectants

If you are a dry Baumann Skin Type, use products that pair humectants and occlusives together. The humectant draws in the moisture and occlusives keep it sealed within your skin. Moisturizers with these types of ingredients will feel good on dry skin. However, this is a short term solutions to dry skin. For the best long term results,

use a barrier repair moisturizer that contains ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol. These are lipids (fats) that your skin naturally produces on its own to maintain a properly functioning skin barrier.

If you have very dry skin or struggle with conditions like eczema that cause itching and flaking, your skin does not produce enough lipids in the proper ratio, and your skin barrier is damaged and will not be as effective at holding onto moisture as it should be. Combining a barrier repair moisturizer that also has humectants and occlusives is the best way to moisturizer dry skin. Using a humectant alone can actually harm dry skin!

Oily Skin Types and Humectants

Oily skin types often prefer humectants over occlusives. Humectants make oily skin feel dewy and moisturized without feeling oily or greasy. I like to give my oily skin patients moisturizers with humectants such as a hyaluronic acid serum. This is the best way to make oily skin glow. It might not look good on camera so try it ahead of time before you film any videos or take photos because humectants can make oily skin types look shinier.

When Should You Avoid Humectants?

In some specific instances, humectants should be avoided or limited.

If you live in a dry climate and have dry skin. In this case, humectants should always be paired with occlusive ingredients like argan oil, jojoba oil, or beeswax to ensure your skin does not lose moisture. Using humectants on their own in a dry climate can worsen dryness and flaking.

When using eye creams to diminish puffiness. Under-eye puffiness is caused by fluid retention in that area. You do not want to use humectants in this instance, as these ingredients will draw in more moisture and make puffiness worse.

When using lip balm. Look for a lip balm that contains a mixture of humectant and occlusive ingredients — not humectants on their own. Lip balms that contain only humectants can cause your lips to become “addicted” to lip balm, as these ingredients will actually dry your lips out over time, causing you to continuously reapply the product to pull in more moisture.

Will humectant repair the skin barrier?

Humectant ingredients have temporary results and do not repair a damaged skin barrier! To read more about the science of skin barriers- click here.Humectants should not be sed in dry skin types without barrier repair ingredients.

Humectants are useful hydrating ingredients that are generally best used in conjunction with occlusive agents to not only draw in moisture but also seal it within your skin.

To find the best moisturizers and skincare products for your skin type- shop for skin care products using your Baumann Skin Type.

DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek. “Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more. Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals. Sunscreen “We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.” Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup. Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand. Vitamin C Serum “A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging. Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation. Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants. Peptides Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.” Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively. This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek. At-Home Peel Pads Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate. “The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.” According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says. Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection. KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids. Emollient Night Cream “In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.” “Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products. Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid. RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme “The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.

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