Tabitha Asks: Is there a difference between adding oil and adding moisture to the skin? This is usually a line used by those same sales people, who explain that dry skin needs a product that will add oil, but normal skin needs a product that adds *moisture*, NOT oil. A product that adds oil is easy enough to comprehend, but how do you add moisture? Won’t the water just evaporate without something (like an oil) to ‘seal’ it in?
The Right Brain Replies:
We love it when the readers answer their own questions!
Water and oil
Tabitha is right, pure moisture (which is just WATER!) will evaporate from the surface of the skin very quickly. Dry skin needs to be occluded, which means it needs something to prevent water from evaporating from the deeper, moist layers of the skin. Oily materials are very good at sealing moisture in the skin. That’s why you see things like petrolatum, lanolin, and mineral oil in most moistuirizers. All skin types need some degree of “oily” materials.
Now, having said that, if you have very oily skin you don’t want a moisturizer that has a lot of heavy oils. And similarly, if you have dry skin, you don’t want a moisturizer that doesn’t have enough heavy oils. Finding the balance or your skin type is the trick.
How about humectants?
Oh, there is another option: some moisturizing ingredients known as a humectants are not oils and they work by attracting mosture from the air. Glycerine is an example of this kind of ingredient. However, we’re not aware of any lotions that ONLY use glycerine because a blend of humectants and oils is usually best.
The Brains Bottom Line:
Skin needs oil AND moisture to survive!
What do YOU think? What kind of skin do you have and what do you look for in a moisturizer? Leave a comment and share your dry skin dilemmas with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
how about if the skin is already dry and add the mineral oil, does it moisturize? how about the hair? how can it be moisturize?
How does oil-free moisturizer work?
Because of my sensitive to breakouts and combination skin, I generally go for the oil-free varieties of moisturizers.
Instead of using petrolatum, lanolin (many people are very sensitive to this kind of oil), and or mineral oils, an oil-free moisturizer will use an ingredient like Sodium PCA.
According to the Kiehl’s skincare website, “Sodium PCA is a naturally occurring humectant in the skin, partly responsible for the skin’s moisture-binding capacity. It is derived from amino acids and is highly water absorbing. Due to its moisture-binding ability, it is a high performance humectant which increases the skin’s softness when added to products.”
I agree with BB that ALL skin types need some degree of “oily” materials, and many skincare companies add oils that are absorbed well into the skin and will not clog your pores. These oils include: borage oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, and some other pure fruit oils.
Great post and good things to consider when deciding which moisturizers are best for your specific skin type!
Mineral oil does NOT moisturize skin. The molecules are too large to penetrate the skin. How it works is to form a barrier ON TOP OF the skin and keep what moisture there is from evaporating. It’s why heavier creams with mineral oil seem to work better than those without it.
Happy Ramadan to everybody. Why this web site do not have other languages support?
If you have oily skin – only water based but if your skin is dry you might want to consider oil based moisturizer
This worked best for my oily skin
sorry didn’t attached the url
http://www.squidoo.com/Best-Moisturizers-For-Oily-Skin
here it is
I have oily skin and believe it or not, the best cleanser I have found (the one that cleared up my acne) is a combination of Castor Oil and Sunflower Seed Oil. When I have all of that wiped off my face I then apply a very thin layer of Coconut Oil as my moisturizer. I am now 31 and my skin has NEVER looked as good as it does now. It took a little bit of time to find the exact right amount of oil to use and in which kind, but my skin is now very happy and health. Just so you all know, oil dissolves oil. Sebum is an oil made naturally from your body. Anyone who has “oily” skin is making a excessive amount of Sebum, which is usually a reaction to harsh chemicals stripping away the skins natural oil. My skin was a mess while I switched from chemical cleansers over to pure oil, but after a few weeks, it’s never looked healthier.
I had used other Made from Earth skincare products before, and liked them, so figured I’d try the Vitamin Enhanced Moisturizer. I’ve been using it for about a month now, and really like it.
I was having issues with combination skin vs. dry windy winter weather, and this Made from Earth Vitamin Moisturizer is really helping quite a bit.
I’m lazy about using moisturizers so I don’t use it every day, or twice a day, but when I use it my skin feels better. That has motivated me to be better about using it then any product in the past has. It helps the dry without adding any trouble in the oily areas. It doesnt smell since its fragrence free, and once it’s on your face and absorbed it fades completely.
Everyone has different skin, but this is worth a try. The price seemed expensive at first, but considering it lasted me for three months, its way worth it – usually moisturzers finish in a month – but this last 3 months so its a GREAT value buy….
also i bought online at their website at http://www.madefromearth.com – i found that cheaper (even with the shipping cost) rather than in the stores..
thanks for the details review tracey – i will check them out
{ 5 trackbacks }