I'm confused by Moisturising ingredients: oils, HA etc.

Post Reply
lizziel
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:28 am

I'm confused by Moisturising ingredients: oils, HA etc.

Post by lizziel » Tue Nov 29, 2011 9:52 am

Hey everyone, this post doesn't apply to any SN product in particular, but I've been looking through the products (I love how all the active ingredients are explained) and I've become increasingly puzzled by 'moisturising' and 'hydrating'. From my experience I've seen that the people on this board are very knowledgeable about skin science, and I was hoping someone could set me straight.

In my last post (http://host.silknaturals.com/forum/view ... f=8&t=3458), I learnt a little bit about moisturising but I have a few more questions.

Firstly, what is the difference (not in terms of apperance, but in scientific-ish terms) between dry skin and dehydrated skin? I know one can have oily skin that is dehydrated (and sometimes I get this), but what do the different terms mean - dry skin is a lack of oil, and dehydrated skin is a lack of...water?

Following on from that, what is the difference between moisturising ingredients and hydrating ingredients? How do they work differently within the skin? (And what are some examples of moisturising ingredients? I think I know quite a few hydrating ones)

Where do oils fit in? Most moisturisers contain oils, but it seems like these oils are not the 'main event' of the moisturiser, and are perhaps used for something else? As Jen said in response to my previous post, oils work to seal moisture in, so is that what they're doing when they're an ingredient in moisturisers?

Lastly, a lot of people suffer from dehydrated skin in winter (maybe due to central heating?), what is the actual cause of this? Is it that the air is too dry so the skin can't absorb moisture/hydration from it, or perhaps because the dry air 'sucks' moisture/hydration from the skin?

I'm sure this is a headache to read, I'm sorry; I tried to explain myself as clearly as possible!
User avatar
JenW
Moderator
Posts: 3652
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:01 pm

Re: I'm confused by Moisturising ingredients: oils, HA etc.

Post by JenW » Tue Nov 29, 2011 10:21 am

In essence, dry skin is lacking in hydration and oil, oily skin can be lacking in hydration.

Dry skin is dry because it lacks the hydration and the oil to seal it in, or the ability to hold onto that hydration. Dehydrated oily skin is generally overproducing oil to try to preserve the small amount of hydration it has.

What the skin needs is hydrating ingredients and sealing ingredients. The water based portions hydrate, and the oil based ingredients help to seal the water in the skin to prevent the water based ones from evaporating too quickly. Colder temps usually mean drier air in most climates, so the hydration evaporates more easily into the air. It is a time when heavier oils are needed to do the same job lighter oils did in warmer, more humid weather. At certain times there are climates that are humid enough that oils for sealing are not necessary.

Moisture is kind of a confusing word here, so I have intentionally left it out of the explanations. Moisture should equal hydration, but with the product that is usually called a moisturizer, there is an oil component to it. It gets confusing. A moisturizing product is usually made of mostly a water/hydrating portion emulsified with a small amount of oil. For some that have pretty normal skin it can work to do both the hydrating and sealing in one step. Usually, skin needs more hydration than just a moisturizer can provide.


If I missed anything, or you have more questions, let me know!
Your Silk Naturals Forum Cruise Director!
1Olive:14 Ivory
Faves-
Lips: Maiden & Nectar
Eyes: Phantom, Linen, & Fusion + Tarnish
Skincare: BHA & Awesome Sauce
Email a pic for foundation help: colorquestions dot silkmakeup at gmail dot com
lizziel
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:28 am

Re: I'm confused by Moisturising ingredients: oils, HA etc.

Post by lizziel » Fri Dec 02, 2011 6:24 am

I knew I could rely on you, Jen! You've really straightened things out, thank you so much.

I do have a slightly related question - how does drinking water affect the hydration in your skin?
Everytime I see a post on message boards about dehydrated skin, someone advises that they should drink more water, and another 3 people then reply that that is a myth etc etc.
I was just wondering if you knew the actual relation between water consumption and skin hydration?

Also, completely unrelated: are there any skin care ingredients that promote skin healing? I've noticed recently (since using SN Awesome sauce, super serum and once a week AHA, but I'm not 100% sure it's related), that my skin heals very quickly. The wounds (for lack of a better word) from insect bites, blemishes, and scratches disappear in about 3 days, when in the past they've taken a lot longer. For example, recently I scratched my chin by mistake. It was quite superficial, but deep enough to bleed a little bit. In 2 days the scratch had completely disappeared. With blemishes, it will be active for one day, red and angry the next, a small (not red) dot the next day, and a barely visible mark the next. Could this be due to skin care or is that unlikely?

Thanks again
User avatar
JenW
Moderator
Posts: 3652
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:01 pm

Re: I'm confused by Moisturising ingredients: oils, HA etc.

Post by JenW » Fri Dec 02, 2011 6:35 am

Drinking water helps with overall hydration, so it probably does have some affect on the skin from the inside. It is not as directly visible on the surface as using a topical (which may be why the '3' reply it is a myth), but there is also only so much hydrating a topical can do. You really do need both.

There are ingredients that promote healing and healthy cell turnover in the skincare! They all do slightly different things, and there are much better descriptions on the pages with the serums and some of the moisturizers. The AHA helps to exfoliate (a nice way of saying it removes the dead stuff), and then those ingredients can actually do a better job because they can more easily get to their target.
Your Silk Naturals Forum Cruise Director!
1Olive:14 Ivory
Faves-
Lips: Maiden & Nectar
Eyes: Phantom, Linen, & Fusion + Tarnish
Skincare: BHA & Awesome Sauce
Email a pic for foundation help: colorquestions dot silkmakeup at gmail dot com
Post Reply