Understanding The Fascinating World of Emollients, Occlusives and Humectants

When you’re listening to your favourite skincare experts, you will notice that they often repeat the same words when talking about products. ‘Emollients’, ‘occlusives’ and ‘humectants’ are words that are often used to describe the type and function of a moisturiser on your skin. But to understand which is best and what you should be using for your particular skin condition, can be confusing.  Should you be searching for a moisturiser with or without emollients?  Should you be avoiding occlusives?  What exactly is a humectant?

Let’s try to decode the beauty jargon so that’s you’re better informed as to what the perfect moisturiser for you skin condition is. We also offer some products which are beneficial in each case.

What is an Emollient?

Emollients come in the form of creams, gels, lotions, and oils. They work to add a softening and soothing effect on the skin. Similarly, emollients are thickening agents too. These can be in the form of mineral or plant oils, shea butter, aloe vera, petrolatum or other fatty acids. 

To further help us understand this term, let’s use the skin barrier as an example. Keeping our skin barrier healthy and strong is one of the most important tasks of our skincare. So, to describe the actual skin barrier, typically we explain it by using the bricks and mortar comparison. The skin cells are the bricks and the lipids connecting the skin cells are the mortar.  When your skin barrier is compromised, the mortar needs fortification and that is where an emollient is particularly beneficial.  It fills in the gaps and cracks; and helps to restore your skin’s natural lipid barrier.   

Emollients generally agree with most people. However, when you have severely congested skin, try to avoid using a thick oil-based emollient. These can clog pores further and cause breakouts.

Types of Emollients

Best for Mature Skin:

SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2

Containing a potent ratio of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. This anti-aging cream restores the skin’s barrier and supports self-repair.  It is luxuriously nourishing on the skin and plumps fine lines and wrinkles.

Best for Dry Skin: 

CeraVe Moisturising Cream

Dry skins rejoice at this deeply moisturising cream. It helps alleviate the itchiness from parched skin.  Packed with ceramides to hydrate the skin and restore it’s protective barrier.

Best for Dry Skin: 

La Roche-Posay Lipikar

This body cream moisturizer for dry skin to extra dry skin features a unique prebiotic action on the skin microbiome. It is clinically shown to reduce dry, rough skin and provide daily relief and 48 hour hydration.

Best Overnight Mask:

Chantecaille Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask

Chantecaille Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask, is a luxurious cooling mask infused with botanicals that soothes and hydrates the skin.

What is an Occlusive?

Occlusives form a physical barrier on your skin to prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL).  Preventing TEWL is super important to having a youthful, dewy complexion.  Occlusives are superb at retaining the skin’s moisture and repairing the skin’s barrier. Moisture cannot escape the skin nor can anything much penetrate into the skin.  However, they do not actually add any additional moisture into the skin. Therefore, using occlusives in conjunction with humectants helps to draw water into the skin and sealing that water in.

Typically, they are in the form of a beeswax, squalene, silicones (e.g. dimethicone or other ingredients ending in ‘-ones’), lanolin, cocoa butter and petroleum jelly.  Occlusives are generally very thick. Therefore, when occlusives combine with emollients, they do so to create a softening texture.

Occlusives are very effective if applied on wet skin. Apply your occlusive moisturiser to damp skin to absorbs the product more readily.

Zinc, a common ingredient in physical sunscreen, is a great example of an occlusive.

Types of Occlusives

Best for Mature Skin: 

L’Oreal Revitalift Triple Power

An anti-aging occlusive moisturiser that contains a powerhouse of effective ingredients.  Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid and Pro-Retinol to reduce wrinkles and visibly brighten the skin.

Best for Dry Skin: 

Paula’s Choice Ultra-Rich Moisturizer

With a rich, velvety texture, it’s fantastic for dry, dehydrated skin.  It locks in vital moisture for up to 12 hours, leaving dry skin soft, supple. And with the addition of plant extracts, your skin feels very soothed.

What is a Humectant?

A humectant is compound that that attracts and binds water.  Humectants draw water from the epidermis, dermis or the air thereby helping to hydrate the skin.  When the skin is very dry, or the humidity in the air is very low, humectants can cause the skin to become even drier. Why? Because the skin has nowhere to draw moisture from, so it seeks it out from the the deeper layers of the skin.  Therefore, pairing humectants with occlusives is the key to trapping in all that lovely moisture into your skin. Asian beauty does this really well.

Glycerin, Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs), for example, glycolic or hyaluronic acids,  or honey are typical forms of humectants.  

Types of Humectants

Best for All Skin: 

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask

One is sold every 11 seconds around the world.  It has a gel-like consistency and is applied at bedtime to deeply penetrate all the layers of the dermis. Consequently, you wake up with a bright and well-rested face in the morning.

Best for All Skin: 

Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin

We have gone through countless tubes of this deeply hydrating cream. Find out how effective it is here. It works when skin is sensitised and crying for relief. And, it works when skin is balanced to maintain moisture in the skin.  It deeply moisturises and improves the skin’s barrier and we will never be without this holy grail product.

Best for Dry Skin: 

Aquaphor

A great all rounder that relieves dry, cracked or irritated skin.  Affordable, drug store multitasker that can be used on face, elbows, or cracked soles.