Difference between Humectant, Emollient and Occlusive

It consists of dead skin cells held together by a lipid matrix composed of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids.

Nidhi Gudwani

March 1, 2022

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Nidhi Gudwani

CEO at Skinayu Organics |
Email: nidhi@skinayu.com |
http://www.skinayu.com

SKIN BARRIER & NMF

In order to discuss the different types of moisturizers, we’ll need a brief analysis on the structure and function of the skin barrier.

The stratum corneum, the top layer of the epidermis, is the main barrier of the skin and is very important in maintaining hydrophilic balance.

It consists of dead skin cells held together by a lipid matrix composed of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids.

Another component of the stratum corneum is Natural Moisturizing Factor. NMF is responsible to maintain adequate skin hydration.

The NMF can become depleted with growing age and also from routine exposure to sunlight & sensitizing ingredients like drying cleansing agents and denatured alcohol. This leads to visibly dry, tight-feeling, flaky skin.

What are Humectants?

A humectant is a hygroscopic substance with several water loving groups, such as hydroxyl groups (OH) and amine groups (NH2).

The OH and NH2 groups hydrogen bond with water, essentially attracting it and binding it on the skin. Humectants pull water from the dermis & brings it to the stratum corneum.

In addition, humectants can draw water vapour from the air to help moisturize the skin if the humidity is over 60 percent. Some of the Humectants are as follows: –

Hyaluronic acid
Urea
Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs)
Amino acids
Peptides
Sugar alcohols (glycerine, sorbitol, xylitol, etc.)
Alovera
Honey

Humectant products can be used by all skin types, but they are best for those with normal to slightly dry skin.

They help to keep the skin hydrated & promote the shedding of dead cells by breaking them down to proteins.

Humectants provide temporary anti-aging effects which effectively plumps out the skin and makes lines and wrinkles less noticeable.

However, this effect is short term – as soon as the moisture content in skin decreases, lines and wrinkles will return to its normal size.

Using high percentage of humectants in skincare products makes skin looks plump & glowy that eventually minimizes signs of ageing.

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What are Emollients?

An emollient is an oily substance that fills in the spaces between dead skin cells, by creating a smooth skin surface.

Basically, an emollient is a film forming substance that makes the skin feel good and looks smooth & silky.

The primary function of an emollient is to help soften the skin. Some of the Emollients are as follows: –

Butters
Oils
Esters
Lipids
Fatty acids
Ceramides

Emollient ingredients help to repair the skin barrier function. The skin barrier is composed of dead skin cells held together by a lipid pattern.

Without these lipids, the barrier is depleted. A drained or depleted barrier leads to Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and may allow harmful things like allergens, bacteria, and irritants to pass through into the deeper layers of skin that leads to dryness, itching, and irritation, and may eventually cause skin conditions such as acne, eczema, sensitive skin, and even signs of aging.

Using emollients can help to fill in the spaces between dead skin cells where the barrier has been exhausted, leading to soft hydrated skin. Everyone has some benefit from an emollient product.

Emollients used in your skincare is really important to suit a particular skin type. For example, those with oily or acne prone skin should avoid products with emollients, such as coconut oil and avocado oil, and only use products with emollients, such as jojoba oil, safflower oil to prevent clogged pores and acne breakouts.

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What are Occlusive?

Occlusive moisturizers work by creating a physical barrier on the epidermis that helps prevent trans-epidermal water loss. They feel thick, sticky and heavy on application since they are not absorbed into the skin. Some of the Occlusive are as follows: –

Petrolatum
Mineral oil
Lanolin
Waxes
Silicones
Shea Butter

Since occlusive ingredients form a protective barrier on the surface of skin, they are best for those with very dry skin and conditions like eczema etc.

Applying an occlusive moisturizer immediately after bathing is very much effective way to trap additional water in to the skin.

Those with oily or acne-prone skin should avoid most occlusive except silicones. Upon application of silicones to the skin, this lattice enables silicones to form a film on the surface while still allowing skin to “breathe”.

Most silicones have an ideal quality for preventing Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) – that prevents dehydrated skin. Silicones have light feel & do not clog pores, so they cannot cause acne.

Comparison: Humectant, Emollient or Occlusive?

Now that you know the difference between humectant, emollient, and occlusive moisturizers, you can probably see that there are advantages and disadvantages with each type.

Thus, one type is not necessarily better than the other. Always look out for products that have perfect combination all three of these in one formula.

The humectant will draw in moisture while the occlusive will lock in that moisture in, and the emollient will keep the skin soft, smooth & silky.

Always go for the product which have combination of all 3 ingredients in it.

Follow this table for the best results: –

Type	What it does	Who it’s for	Common Ingredients
Humectants	Pull water into the skin.	Oily or combination Skin	Hyaluronic acid, Urea, Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), Amino acids, Peptides, Sugar alcohols (glycerine, sorbitol, xyltol, etc.) i,Alovera, Honey
Emollients	Restores the skin barrier to soften skin texture.	Dry skin or normal skin	Butters, Oils, Esters, Lipids, Fatty acids, Ceramides
Occlusive	Create a barrier over the skin to trap moisture.	Dry or damaged skin	Petrolatum, Mineral oil, Lanolin, Waxes, Silicones, Shea Butter