moisturizer Archives - Humanist Beauty

Why Skin Needs Moisture

Posted on December 13, 2022March 21, 2024 by Jennifer Norman

No matter your skin type, moisturizer is an excellent product to incorporate into your daily skincare routine as it can keep your skin hydrated and refreshed. As we age, the oil glands that keep our skin healthy lose their power, which causes them to create less oil. Moisturizing daily helps the glands to not have to work as hard to keep your skin feeling and looking its best. In this blog, we’ll discuss the skin’s lipid barrier, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), the difference between hydration and moisture, dry vs. dehydrated skin, and the reasons why your skin needs moisture.

What’s Your Skin’s Lipid Barrier?

Your skin is made up of layers with each one performing important functions in protecting your body. The outermost layer, known as the stratum corneum, is often described as a brick wall.1 It consists of tough skin cells called corneocytes that are bound together by mortar-like lipids. This is your skin barrier.2 Inside the skin cells, or “bricks,” you’ll find keratin and natural moisturizers.

The lipid layer contains:

Cholesterol
Fatty Acids
Ceramides

Without your skin’s lipid barrier, various harmful environmental toxins and pathogens could penetrate your skin and cause adverse effects inside your body.3 Additionally, if you didn’t have a skin barrier, the water inside your body would escape and evaporate, leaving you completely dehydrated.4

Pictured: Layers of the Skin Source: Dermascope

A Brief Dive Into Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL)

To understand TEWL, let’s revisit the layers of your skin. Your skin is comprised of three primary layers. The outermost layer is known as the epidermis, which is what you see in the mirror. The dermis is the middle layer, while the hypodermis is the innermost layer. TEWL occurs when water passes from the dermis through the epidermis and evaporates through the skin barrier.5

Dermatologist Anna Guanche mentions, “The skin barrier consists of the epidermis and, most specifically, the hard, outermost layer of the stratum corneum. The epidermis is what we typically think of as the outer layer of the skin, but it’s made up of five layers. The outermost layer of the epidermis is the stratum corneum.”

When the stratum corneum is compromised, moisture evaporates through the ineffective skin barrier, and you may see very dry, dull or dehydrated skin. Your skin is typically wise enough to regulate water loss and retain hydration on its own, but sometimes certain factors damage your skin barrier’s function, exacerbating dryness.6

Pictured: Skin with barrier still intact vs. Skin with barrier integrity damaged Source: Eminence

Here are four signs that you may be experiencing TEWL:

Irritation
Flaking
Itchiness
Tightness

The Difference Between Hydration and Moisture

A simple way to differentiate these terms is to remember that hydration refers to water while moisture refers to oil.7 However, it’s crucial to first understand the difference between a humectant, emollient, and a sealant, along with why they are used in various beauty and skincare products.8

Board-certified dermatologist Annie Gonzalez says, “Humectants, which hydrate the skin, pull water into the skin from within the body or the environment. Emollients moisturize the skin by filling in the gaps between skin cells and replacing missing lipids to fortify the skin. Sealants, which moisturize the skin, seal in water and help shore up the skin’s barrier functions.”

Humectants

Humectants are water-loving ingredients that work by attracting water molecules from either the environment or from deeper within the body, ultimately adding more water content to the skin. Our skin naturally makes humectants, as well. These are called natural moisture factors (or NMFs), and they include things like lactic acid and urea.9

Powerful humectants include:

Glycerin
Hyaluronic Acid
Glycols

Emollients

Emollients are lighter oil-based substances that work by covering the skin with a protective film to trap in moisture. Emollients are often used to help manage dry, itchy, or scaly skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and ichthyosis.10

More specific examples of emollients include:

Jojoba oil
Squalane
Cocoa Butter

Sealants

The skin’s natural barrier acts as a shield for the skin, keeping vitamins and nutrients in and keeping toxins, pollutants, and other environmental aggressors out. Sealants add to the skin’s natural barrier by protecting the skin, preventing TEWL, and sealing in moisture.11

In general, sealants are heavier, waxy substances, which include:

Lanolin
Petroleum Jelly
Heavier Silicones

Dry vs. Dehydrated Skin

You may be wondering how to determine whether you need hydration or moisture from your skincare products. In short, you need both types of products to ensure that your skin’s lipid barrier is functioning properly. However, it’s important to know the difference between dry and dehydrated skin so you can adjust your skincare routine’s hydration-to-moisture ratios to better fit your skin’s needs.

Third-generation aesthetician, CEO, and Co-Founder of Glowbar, Rachel Liverman, says, “If your skin is dry, it means it lacks oil, so the solution would be a moisturizer; if your skin is dehydrated, meaning it lacks water, you need a hydrator.” A good way to tell whether your skin is dry or dehydrated is to look at its texture. Dehydrated skin tends to look dull and feel tight, whereas dry skin is often flaky, patchy, and sometimes red.12

Liverman explains, “If a client’s skin is presenting as dry (lacking oil), we choose a moisturizer with more humectants and emollients. If a client’s skin shows signs of dehydration, we choose serums with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides. It’s important to remember, though, whether you are dry or dehydrated, I, along with many, recommend using both humectants and sealants.”

Pictured: Hydrators and Moisturizers Ven Diagram Source: Xtend Life

The Importance of Moisturizing

Moisturizing is a key step in any skincare routine. Here are five reasons why moistuzing your skin is so important:

Moisturizing can help your skin repair itself. The most sensitive areas of your skin, like the face, ears, and neck, replace themselves more often than any other area on your skin, which leaves these areas vulnerable to dryness and the elements. Moisturizing can help give your skin the boost it needs to repair itself and stay healthy.13
Moisturizing can help keep acne at bay. While excess oil is normally the culprit behind breakouts, dry skin can signal your skin to produce more oil, thus leading to acne. Moisturizing can stop your skin from overcompensating with sebum, which in turn can keep acne at bay.14
Moisturizing can give you a smooth base for applying makeup. Moisturizing a few minutes before you apply your makeup can give you a smoother surface to work with, resulting in a more even complexion.15
Moisturizing can slow down the signs of skin aging. Properly moisturizing your skin can keep it from developing pre-mature lines and wrinkles. Plus, it can can help minimize the appearance of wrinkles that are already present. A study published in the British Journal of Dermatology found that subjects who used moisturizer developed wrinkles much slower than those who didn’t.16

The Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Facial Oil and Eye Cream

The Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Facial Oil and Eye Cream are powerful, moisturizing skin treatments that fuse together the power of humectants, emollients, and sealants to keep your skin healthy and ready to take on the day.

You can shop the Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Facial Oil and Eye Cream here.

References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/skin-barrier#:~:text=Your%20skin%20is%20made%20up,This%20is%20your%20skin%20barrier. [1][2]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2843412/ [3][4]

https://eminenceorganics.com/us/blog/2021/09/20/what-transepidermal-water-loss-how-stop-it#:~:text=TEWL%20occurs%20when%20water%20passes,layer%20of%20the%20stratum%20corneum. [5][6]

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/hydration-vs-moisture [7][8]

https://www.healthline.com/health/humectant#:~:text=A%20humectant%20is%20a%20common,of%20the%20product%20at%20hand. [9]

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/emollients/ [10]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536416/ [11]

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/dry-vs-dehydrated [12]

https://www.vogue.in/beauty/content/winter-skincare-diet-tips-to-hydrate-your-skin-from-within [13]

https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/skin-care/moisturizer#:~:text=In%20studies%2C%20most%20patients%20see,medication%2C%20cleanser%2C%20and%20moisturizer. [14]

https://www.stives.com/how-to-moisturize-before-makeup#:~:text=Moisturizer%20does%20two%20very%20important,cause%20it%20to%20look%20cakey. [15]

https://www.glowday.com/blog/the-importance-of-moisturiser-in-the-ageing-process [16]

Benefits of Using An Eye Cream

Posted on January 27, 2022March 22, 2024 by Jennifer Norman

If you love beauty products, chances are that your skincare cabinet is full of toners, serums, moisturizers, facial oils, and everything in-between. You might be wondering if it’s worth the time, effort, and dwindling counter space to add another product to your skincare routine. So the question arises: Do you need an eye cream? The skin around the eyes is more fragile, prone to dryness, and quicker to show age and fatigue. Eye creams are targeted treatments that address these issues, along with offering an array of other benefits.

What Does An Eye Cream Do?

Have you ever noticed how after a long night, your eyes give you away the next day thanks to bags, dark circles, and puffiness? Or that some of the first signs of aging appear as crow’s feet and fine lines beneath the eyes? Hadley King, MD, a dermatologist in New York City, touches on this phenomenon by explaining, “The skin around the eyes is thin and fragile, which is why puffiness and signs of and aging often first become apparent in this delicate tissue.”¹

The skin under your eyes requires special maintenance to keep it looking fresh, which is where eye creams come in. They’re formulated to target the delicate skin around the eyes while delivering moisture and specific ingredients that can lessen the look of bags, puffiness, and uneven tone. They can also help protect against signs of premature aging.

Regular Moisturizers vs. Eye Creams

Because well-formulated eye creams are targeted treatments, it’s important to understand how they differ from other skincare products. Targeted treatments are designed to address a specific condition or area of concern. This focus guides the development of more effective, more highly concentrated products with appropriate levels of active ingredients to address those concerns. Active ingredients can penetrate to support and engage the skin’s natural processes, helping it to function more optimally.

In contrast, ordinary moisturizers serve to temporarily soothe and lubricate skin on the surface. They are often formulated with ingredients that feel good on the skin, such as water, emollients, humectants, silicones, waxes, oils, and butters. However, unlike targeted treatments, regular moisturizers are typically designed to just address skin dryness. They are made to help prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL) by forming a film on the skin’s surface, and they can help condition skin to enhance softness and smoothness.

Another key difference is that well-formulated eye treatments are designed to work effectively while still being gentle enough to be used around the eyes. Because the eye region is fragile, and topicals can have a tendency to get into the eyes, active ingredients are carefully selected that are more suitable for use on this sensitive area of skin. Additionally, eye sensitivity and irritation testing helps to confirm product safety for use around the eyes.

5 Benefits of Eye Cream

Incorporating an eye cream into your daily skincare routine is an excellent preventative measure to help keep the skin firm, supple and healthy around your eyes. However, there are plenty of other reasons to use an eye cream, too. Here are a few of the benefits you can reap when you add an eye cream to your skincare regime:

Helps Prevent Signs of Premature Skin Aging

Two big culprits of premature skin aging are dehydration and environmental stressors. An effective eye cream packed with antioxidants and moisture-rich ingredients can help keep these aggressors at bay. Curated antioxidants, vitamins, and hydrators can help to smooth and revitalize skin, resulting in the diminished appearance of wrinkles and expression lines.

In a 2017 study, individuals using a hydrating eye cream saw an overall improvement around their eye region in 15 minutes, along with a decrease in the presence of fine lines for up to 56 days. ²

Pictured: A 44-year-old woman at baseline (A) and after 56 days of treatment (B) with a hydrating eye cream, wrinkles reduced by 74.23%. Source: US National Library of Medicine

Aids All Skin Types

As previously mentioned, the skin around the eyes can be highly sensitive, and it’s the location where signs of premature aging and damage first show up. For those who have dry skin, it’s especially tricky, because the dryness and flakiness around this region can be irritating. Those who have oily skin typically show fewer lines, wrinkles and crow’s feet on the surface versus their dry skin counterparts, however an eye cream can still be beneficial to address premature collagen loss, dark circles, and puffiness.

Delivers Excellent Hydration

According to Debra Jaliman, MD, a dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, hydrating your under eye area is incredibly important, as there are fewer oil glands in the region, meaning the area dries out quickly.³ The thin skin around your eyes needs a specialized kind of hydration, which eye creams can provide. They do this with a concentration of ingredients that combine humectants that draw in water, sealants that hold the water in over time, and emollients that condition skin for added softness and smoothness.

Offers Protection

Eye creams can also protect the skin around your eyes from further damage that your skin may have already been subjected to. Thin under-eye skin is more vulnerable and prone to irritants than the rest of the face. Eye creams may include ingredients that specifically add resilience to the area. Some makeup artists even apply eye cream before putting makeup on to add a layer of moisture and protection, keeping this region protected from harsh and damaging chemicals.

Soothes Tired Eyes

Eye creams may also include calming, nourishing ingredients to comfort the under-eye area. They are known to be rich and creamy or light and non-greasy, with a subtle coolness in temperature. Puffiness, a symptom of tired eyes, comes from fluid buildup that can be caused by things like sleep deprivation, allergies, and diet. “If the eye cream has a high concentration of caffeine, you can temporarily minimize eye puffiness and the look of tiredness,” says Jaliman. “This is because the caffeine constricts the blood vessels, which diminishes the flow of blood to the eye area and decreases puffiness.”⁴

Ingredients You Want In An Eye Cream

Eye creams can offer a wide array of benefits depending on the ingredients included to address your eye area needs. Here are some ingredients that are often used in high quality eye cream formulas:

Caffeine: Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor that gives tired-looking skin a boost and decreases the appearance of dark circles and puffiness.
Green Tea: With potent antioxidant power, green tea soothes and protects the vulnerable under-eye area and keeps it looking fresh.
Peptides: These amino acids constitute proteins like collagen and elastin that our skin needs. A dose of peptides can lead to more youthful-looking skin.
Hyaluronic Acid: Known as ‘the moisture magnet,’ HA can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water. This lubricating substance occurs naturally in our bodies and provides bounce and resilience to the skin.
Squalane: Squalane is a soother and hydrator that mimics our sebum for a visible plumping effect.
Retinol: This vitamin A derivative helps to plump and firm the skin while helping to diminish fine lines, wrinkles and discoloration.
Vitamin B3: Niacin or niacinamide, a crucial vitamin that supports moisture retention and an even skin tone.
Medicinal Mushrooms: These powerhouses often contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that soothe, calm, hydrate, and brighten the skin.
Aloe Vera: Tired, stressed eyes will appreciate aloe vera’s soothing, cooling, and hydrating properties.

How To Use An Eye Cream

Thankfully, working eye cream into your skincare routine is simple. Plus, it will only add a few seconds onto your existing regime. Your under eyes will immediately feel refreshed and invigorated. To get the most out of your eye cream, follow these dermatologist-approved steps:

Step 1: Prep Your Skin

Treat eye cream just like any other moisturizing product by priming your canvas for the hydration to come. Begin by using your go-to cleanser and toner to set the stage for maximum absorption. You may want to follow with a moisturizer, but this is an area of contention among experts—so go with whatever order of operation works best for you. Many prefer to apply eye cream before moisturizer, but if you forget, don’t worry. Just make sure you’re putting it on twice a day.

Step 2: Use A Very Small Amount

Since the eye area is so delicate, you don’t need to apply large amounts of product or use a heavy hand when it comes to eye cream. Before you measure out your amount, quickly rinse your hands to get any residue off of your fingertips, which could irritate sensitive skin. Then, apply a small amount to your ring finger to help you maintain a gentle touch during application.

Step 3: Apply the Eye Cream

Tap the eye cream that’s on your ring finger with the other ring finger, so it’s distributed evenly. Continue by tapping your fingers in a circle around both eyes. By tapping in a semi-circle shape from under the eye to the outer corners to the brow bone, you can help stimulate blood flow, allowing for better product absorption.

Eye Cream Tips and Tricks

Eye creams are a great way to pamper yourself, while also preventing signs of premature aging and giving eyes a brightening boost. When combined with healthy skincare products, a balanced diet, lots of water, sleep, and sunscreen, nothing can stop you from feeling and looking your best.

To reap the maximum benefits from your eye cream, try these tips and tricks:

Be gentle. Use a delicate touch, so you don’t aggravate your skin.
Follow the 90-second rule. Allow your eye cream to sink in and settle before you move on with your skincare or makeup routine.
Keep it consistent. Apply your eye cream morning and night to get consistently glowing results.
Cool it down. If the formulation allows, try storing your eye cream in the fridge. A chillier temperature can help refresh, de-puff, and soothe tired eyes.
Moisture is your friend. By applying eye cream to skin that’s just a little bit damp, it will seal in added moisture.
Pinch your brows to stimulate circulation and a lift. After ending your eye cream treatment, try brow pinching, which has roots in Ayurveda, and is meant to target certain pressure points to reduce puffiness and fine lines. Use small pinches with medium pressure.
Use a massage tool. If you have an eye massage tool, you can give yourself a gentle massage. Just be extra careful with the fragile area, and only use the weight of the tool to slide across the skin after applying eye cream.

Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Eye Cream

This exceptionally rich eye cream is formulated with key ingredients such as peptides, squalane, medicinal mushrooms, and aloe vera. Soothing, smoothing, and nourishing, this cream enlivens the look of the entire eye area. It immediately goes to work upon application, renewing the delicate skin present around your eyes. The concentrated formula has a dense consistency that sinks in and stays put. It won’t run into your eyes or string and can be used both day and night; alone or under makeup.

There is an abundance of skin-rejuvenating plant-based nutrients packed into this luscious eye cream formula. Full-spectrum whole hemp and adaptogens help to balance the skin’s stress response. Antioxidants defend against premature fine lines, wrinkles, laxity and collagen-loss. A skin-perceptive mushroom peptide blend revitalizes to increase luminosity and diminish noticeable eye bags, puffiness, and signs of fatigue. Nourishing moisture improves elasticity, firmness, and resilience.

We assure you that the Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Eye Cream is:

100% Vegan
Sensitivity Tested
Leaping Bunny Certified Cruelty-Free
Gluten-Free
Dye-Free
Fragrance-Free
Paraben-Free
Packaged for Recyclability

You can shop the new Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom® Eye Cream here.

—

Resources:

https://www.insider.com/what-does-eye-cream-do [1] [2] [3]

4 Ways to Use A Skincare Facial Oil

Posted on January 6, 2022 by Jennifer Norman

As the name suggests, a facial oil is a skincare product with an oil-based formula. It is applied topically to moisturize, nourish, and balance the skin barrier for maintained health and resiliency. Many believe that facial oils should be avoided on oily or acne-prone skin, but that’s completely false; facial oils can benefit every skin type. Oils, including your skin’s natural oil, known as sebum, are made up of lipids and fatty acids. Facial oils typically have a unique composition of these fatty acids. They often include oleic acid and linoleic acid in a particular ratio, giving each oil its individual properties. Since incorporating facial oils into your skincare regime can seem intimidating, let’s explore a few simple ways you can add facial oils into your morning and nightly routine.

1. Apply Facial Oil With Your Moisturizer and Night Cream

Moisturizers work to increase the water content of the skin, and oils are an excellent seal to help retain that moisture. Using a moisturizer rich in humectants such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid help attract water to the skin. Following that step with a facial oil is an excellent way to lock in water as well as nutrients. Well-hydrated skin is plump and dewy, and applying oils is a great step in achieving that glow.

Night creams are generally thicker in consistency than their daytime counterparts and tend to have a higher concentration of ingredients that boost cell turnover, hydration, and circulation. While moisturizers usually protect against the elements—pollution, dryness, cold, heat, and UV rays—night creams are better focused on the reconstruction process of the skin. Pairing a facial oil with your night cream can be beneficial for skin replenishment and restoration, because the facial oil can assist in sealing in active ingredients to work more effectively overnight.

Tip: When using facial oil combined with moisturizer, you can apply it to your skin twice daily. Before bed, try applying facial oil after your night cream to seal in all the goodness overnight.

2. Mix a Few Drops of Facial Oil Into Your Foundation

Aside from helping you achieve a dewy complexion, blending a facial oil into your foundation can help you customize your coverage. It can thin out full coverage, make a matte foundation look more luminous, and can make your application glide on more easily.

When using a facial oil with your foundation, you can apply a thin layer of the oil directly onto your skin as a foundation primer, or you can use your fingers or a foundation brush to combine a couple of oil drops with a dollop of foundation in your hand. For the primer method, you may not want to cover your entire face with oil before applying your foundation. Instead, try sticking to the high points of the face like the tops of the cheeks and not on the areas of the face that produce oil on their own, like the T-zone. This will keep your makeup looking more lit-from-within. If you are prone to oiliness and shine, you can use a small amount of powder to set your foundation in place.

Tip: If you’re using facial oil in the morning and you typically apply SPF, try using the facial oil first. The SPF should be applied as the last step before makeup.

3. Mix Facial Oil and Exfoliants

While the exfoliant of your choice works to get rid of dead skin cells, a facial oil can help keep moisture in your skin. For the face, it’s best to use smaller, gentle grains such as sugar or ground coffee. And if you’re looking to exfoliate your whole body, opt for a salt-based mixture. It’s important to use natural ingredients when mixing exfoliants with your facial oil to avoid microbeads, which are a huge environmental hazard.

A few natural exfoliants to consider include:

Salt: Salt is great for eliminating rough, dry patches of dead skin that appear on your body. However, keep in mind that some people with sensitive skin or breaks in their skin may experience a burning sensation from a salt exfoliator, so it isn’t for everyone.
Sugar: Sugar is the most popular of all the natural exfoliants, and it’s heavenly on the skin. If you have sensitive skin or you’re looking for an effective exfoliant that’s gentle enough for your face, you’ll want to use something finer than salt. In this case, brown sugar is the least abrasive and is wonderful for a gentle exfoliation.
Oats: If your skin tends to lean to the sensitive side, you might want to check out the gentle effectiveness of organic oats as a physical exfoliant. You can use oats for a gentle body scrub or even as a facial scrub alternative.
Ground Coffee: Coffee may be in the running as a favorite choice when exfoliating your body. It contains notable antioxidant properties and also promotes collagen formation, which is the building block of your skin. Additionally, ground coffee is known to treat cellulite as an exfoliant.

Tip: Ideally, you can exfoliate with facial oil up to three times a week. Start one time a week and gradually build up to every other day or more. Everyone’s skin is different and also changes with seasons, so you may only need to exfoliate once a week.

4. Apply Facial Oils Neat

Besides mixing facial oils with other products, you can also apply them to your skin neat. Facial oils can be viewed as a bodyguard for your skin, or like a topcoat that works to seal all the products that are underneath deep into the skin. It’s important to note that all skin types — including combination and oily ones — can benefit from facial oils, especially if you live in a climate with little to no humidity.

Furthermore, facial oils can help prevent damage from environmental stressors that your skin faces from the outside world. Oils are a great last step in your evening routine to keep your skin soft and supple, and if you’re thinking about doing any kind of facial massage or gua sha, try incorporating a facial oil for added slip and circulation benefits.

Tip: Try warming a few oil drops between your palms then pressing onto your face, neck, and chest for optimal results.

Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom™ Facial Oil

These days, a lot of us are feeling more stress and sensitivity. And of course, the emotions we feel have a way of showing up on our skin. That’s why Humanist Beauty hand-crafted Herban Wisdom™ Facial Oil to feel like a soothing sanctuary for weary, worried, vulnerable skin. Just a few drops incorporated into your own self-caring ritual helps visibly recharge skin to appear calm and balanced, radiating with a gorgeous natural glow.

The Herban Wisdom™ Facial Oil can be applied to help visibly repair, deeply nourish and diminish signs of stress on your skin twice daily. As part of your holistic wellness regimen, it can also be used on pulse points and other skin externalities to help aromatically calm and soothe your mind, body, and soul.

To shop the Humanist Beauty Herban Wisdom™ Facial Oil, click here.

Do you use a facial oil in your skincare routine? Tell us in the comments below.

Tag: moisturizer