Facial Moisturizing
The Basics
Your skin’s moisture barrier is made up of the stratum corneum, and the layer below that called the epidermis. Your epidermis is approximately 80% water, and your stratum corneum is approximately 10-30% water. When the stratum corneum is dry, characterized by moisture content below 10%, it produces what we commonly know as dry skin.
Facial moisturizers work by helping to increase the moisture found in your skin. To do so, most facial moisturizers contain a mixture of emollients and humectants. Emollients help repair the stratum corneum by filling in spots that are lacking moisture. Humectants work by attracting water from the epidermis up to the stratum corneum increasing hydration. Moisturizing is commonly thought to be a top down process but as mentioned, it also works from the bottom up.
Experts believe that re-moisturization is a four step process. First, an applied emollient restores the skin’s natural moisture barrier preventing water from leaving. Second, the surface of the epidermis is altered by humectants holding and drawing up water. Third, moisture diffuses across the entire epidermis and finally, the skin begins to resume its natural moisturizing process.