Moisturisers are amongst the “holy trinity” of good skincare: a well-formulated moisturiser, along with suitable cleanser and sunscreen form the foundation of any good skincare routine. I always recommend getting these basics right before adding in any other products because without them, any other products are likely to have a limited impact on your skin. So I thought it might be helpful to share why moisturisers are such an important part of our skincare routine.
What are moisturisers?
This is a slightly tricky question to answer as there isn’t really a set definition of a moisturiser, however it’s generally accepted that their main purpose is to hydrate the skin and reduce water loss (trans epidermal water loss, or TEWL) from the skin. In theory, even a "serum" with the 3 components mentioned below could function as a moisturiser. It’s important to keep the skin hydrated / moisturised, because when the skin isn’t sufficiently hydrated, it can’t perform its necessary functions which keep to the skin in balance. Think of healthy skin as a well-oiled machine that needs regular maintenance to keep it running efficiently – too much or too little of something can easily upset the balance, and the same goes for our skin. When the skin is sufficiently (not overly!) hydrated, and has a good balance of water and lipids in the skin, it’s also better able to protect itself from environmental assaults. A moisturiser should leave the skin feel plump/comfortable (not tight), soft and smooth, and ideally without too much residue (particularly in the daytime when you need to layer sunscreen and make up over the top!). You may find you need different moisturisers at different times of the year depending on how your skin is feeling, so I always think it’s good to have a couple of moisturisers on hand. For example, in winter, it’s quite normal for skin to feel drier and in need of something more occlusive compared to warmer weather. I should also add that someone with oily skin may get away without using a moisturiser in the day as a sunscreen alone may provide enough hydration.
Hydrated skin is crucial for the natural and controlled “shedding” process (called desquamation) that the skin regularly goes through, where epidermal skin cells gradually move up towards the outer (visible) layer of the skin as they mature. Once they reach the skin surface, they naturally shed to reveal fresh, “newer” skin. This process slows with age and can be disrupted when the skin isn’t sufficiently hydrated or due to various skin conditions or even the weather. It can also be disrupted with product misuse i.e. skin barrier disruption through overly aggressive or over-use of actives. When the desquamation process is out of whack, the skin isn’t able to shed itself affectively, and you’ll start to see a build up of mature skin cells which appear as dullness and flakiness.
There are usually 3 main components of moisturisers, and depending on your skin type (how dry or oily it typically is), you’ll need these components in varying proportions:
- Humectants: these are water-soluble hydrating ingredients which pretty much all skin types can benefit from whether you are oily, dry or in between. The most common (and effective) humectant is glycerin – you’ll find it in virtually every moisturiser, including both of mine, and for good reason, it’s awesome! Humectants work by “grabbing” moisture and holding it in the outer visible layer of the skin (the stratum corneum) which help to keep the surface of the skin plumped and smooth. Other examples of humectants include my other personal favourites which you’ll find in my skin quenching moisturiser – urea and sodium PCA, which are part of the skin’s own Natural Moisturising Factors (NMF) – the skin’s water-based natural moisturising system which also contains a number of amino acids, salts, sugars and lactic acid. Hyaluronic acid (or sodium hyaluronate) is also a popular humectant, as it’s naturally present in the skin too.
- Emollients: are typically used to soften the skin, providing a feeling of suppleness/smoothness and softness by filling the “gaps” between skin cells on the outer layer of the skin. Plant oils, esters (derivatives of oils) and ceramides fall into this category. As with humectants, most skin types can benefit from emollients, though drier skin types will particularly appreciate plant oils and ceramides. Esters, which are typically lighter feeling are great for all skin types but those with oilier / combination skin types will enjoy these as they are less noticeable on the skin
- Occlusives: these ingredients help to form a barrier over the skin which can reduce TEWL. Petrolatum is considered the most effective occlusive, but there are many others: dimethicone (found in my comforting moisturiser), fatty acids & alcohols (which are typically used as emulsifiers to hold water- and oil-components together in a moisturiser), cholesterol, lanolin (amazing for lip balms!) and waxes. Plant oils / esters can also offer occlusive properties (e.g. squalane, caprylic triglyceride which can both be found in my moisturisers), though not to the same extent as petrolatum. Those with dry skin will benefit from a decent ratio of occlusives in a moisturiser, whereas someone with very oily skin can get away with a much less occlusive moisturiser.
Moisturiser thickness ≠ occlusiveness
Contrary to popular belief (even amongst some dermatologists who aren’t as knowledgeable about cosmetic formulation!), the thickness of a moisturiser isn’t a reliable indication of how effective it will be in reducing TEWL or for what skin type it may be suitable. The thickness of a moisturiser is more about consumer expectations, which is why moisturisers for oily skin are often found in a gel-moisturiser format, and moisturisers for dry skin are typically thicker and heavier. But skin feel is very much an individual preference. As someone who doesn’t like the feel of heavy textures, despite the fact my skin has become drier with age, I still prefer a lighter weight moisturiser with some clever formulation to make it sufficiently hydrating. My comforting moisturiser for example is formulated for balanced to dry skin – it contains a variety of occlusives – dimethicone, squalane and caprylic/capric triglycerides but is still deceptively lightweight. My skin quenching moisturiser (for balanced to oily / combination skin) is lighter in weight compared to comforting moisturiser, but offers more sustained hydration than a lot of gel-moisturisers due to its formulation.
Other ingredients are important for moisturisers too!
Aside from the 3 main components – humectants, emollients and occlusives, you’ll also find other important ingredients that contribute to the look, feel, performance and stability of a moisturiser. Emulsifiers hold water-based and oil-based ingredients together so they don’t separate, along with other stabilisers to support these and as stated earlier, these can also offer emollient and occlusive properties. Preservatives are crucial for preventing microbial growth thereby keeping your products safe (who wants to apply mouldy moisturisers?!). Moisturisers may also include additional active ingredients (beyond those mentioned above) to target specific concerns. My personal point of view is that I prefer my moisturisers to sufficiently hydrate my skin and have the right skin feel, and just focus on that. When you start adding other actives to moisturiser formulations, it can change the feel / texture of a product, and may also affect its stability. Additionally, you may be adding actives that don’t need to be used daily (e.g. exfoliating acids or retinoids). I would rather have other actives in targeted treatment serums to add into my routine as and when I need to use them.
Day and night moisturisers – do I need these?
In a word no – this is a bit of a marketing ploy to get you buying more products! There’s no need to use different moisturisers day and night. Some people have a preference for using something richer at night, for when the skin is in “repair mode”, but this doesn’t need to be labelled as a “night cream” and you don’t need to use a different product at night if you have found your “dream” moisturiser. You’ll often find that “day creams” contain SPF – however I always recommend using a dedicated sunscreen over moisturiser rather than rely on sun protection from a moisturiser. This is primarily because if you apply the amount of moisturiser needed to get the stated protection on the label, the moisturiser is likely to feel quite heavy on the skin. Most moisturisers are designed to be used more sparingly than this.
So how do I pick the right moisturiser for my skin?!
The million dollar question, and I’m afraid this is really hard to answer as it does depend quite a lot on your preferences for skin feel/texture. Even if you go by the skin type mentioned on product label, it can still be hard to get this right because it will very much depend on individual formulations (and brand views on skin feel of their products). Before I developed my own moisturisers, I really struggled to find suitable moisturisers from other brands without being able to try samples of the products first. I found a lot of products for balanced / combination skin weren’t substantial enough for my skin (gel moisturisers were never enough for me!), but moisturisers for dry skin felt way too oily / heavy / cloying. Whilst I do provide a guide for skin types with my moisturisers, my customers’ expectations for how a moisturiser should feel to them will often override this. For example, I have some customers with oily skin that love using comforting moisturiser even though I’ve formulated it more with dry skin in mind! Despite my skin now being drier than it used to be, I still love skin quenching moisturiser. This is why I felt it was important to sell sample sets and if you’re new to my products, I encourage you to try these before buying full sizes. If customers get in touch for recommendations, I often start by asking them which moisturisers they like / dislike, as this can guide my suggestion of which of my two moisturisers to try.
I hope that’s given you a bit of insight into the importance of moisturisers and what to look out for when choosing one. My main piece of advice is to try before you buy – especially, if like me, you’re fussy about texture!
You can shop my moisturisers here:
