Often skincare companies and people use hydration and moisturisation interchangeably, but we’re here to tell you that they are in fact different and serve different purposes. So what exactly is the difference between hydration and moisturisation? And does your skin need both? If you’re anything like us here at Grace, we are always thirsty about finding out more about how our skin works and what it needs. Let us share our fountain of expertise with you!

In short, yes, your skin absolutely needs both hydration and moisturisation. Just like our bodies need both water and food to function, our skin needs the same. Hydration is about replenishing the skin’s water levels and doing exactly what it sounds like, hydrating the skin. Think about hydrating your skin as a big drink of water for your skin!

In turn, moisturisation restores the skin’s protective lipid barrier. Moisturisation helps lock in hydration and prevents water and hydration from escaping. Ultimately, a good combination of hydrating and moisturising ingredients will help keep your skin healthy, glowing and firm.

The two key ingredients that distinguish hydration and moisturisation are humectants and emollients.

Humectants

Humectants draw moisture from the air and pull water into the skin to hydrate and replenish. If we think of our skin as a sponge, when we add water it becomes plump, dense and smooth. The same goes for our skin - humectants help usher hydration deep into the skin to leave you looking plumper, smoother and healthier. The unique polysaccharides only found in aloe vera make this ingredient one of the most powerful types of humectant.

Emollients

Emollients are slightly thicker and richer than humectants and are designed to soften, smooth and keep the skin supple whilst repairing any damage on the surface of the skin. By strengthening the skin barrier function, the emollients found in moisturisers help retain moisture in the skin and promote an improvement in the skin’s appearance and texture.

We’ve said a lot in this article, but the key takeaway for you as a skincare fanatic is that while our hydration and moisturisation serve two different functions, they also work harmoniously together to bring your skin to it’s healthiest state. Our daily Grace routines have been designed to deliver maximum hydration and moisturisation to your skin with our scientifically backed formulas.

Healthy skin starts with Grace Cosmetics all-natural, aloe vera based skincare.

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