Are humectants good

What the heck is a humectant and are humectants good?  As with anything, the answer to this question is that it depends.  Find out why here.

What is a humectant?

In simple terms, humectants for skin care draw moisture to the skin.

In this way, they are good because you want to keep the skin moisturized.  The drier the skin is, the more flakey and possibly wrinkled it can look.  We obviously don’t want wrinkles and flakes!  You can find them in many beauty / skin care products but the real issue is the quality of the humectant.

Are humectants good

Since humectants can bring moisture to already dry skin, that is a good thing.  We don’t want our skin to look withered and dry so anytime we can keep our skin moisturized, it will help the appearance and health of our skin.  So, some are good for you but some aren’t so good – that’s why it’s important to know your humectants.  Read on to find out the different types of humectants.

Different types

There are both natural humectants and artificial ones.  Knowing which is in your face cream, shampoo, or any other beauty care product is important because this could be a driving decision on if you should use it or not.

My top picks…

Some natural one I like are:

• Honey
• Aloe vera
• Glycerin – the one that comes from natural sources.  Note that there are synthetic ones that I would stay away from.
• AHA’s – Alpha Hydroxy Acids

I don’t generally like anything synthetic but there is one that I do like:

• Hyaluronic acid – I’ve been using this in one of my face serums and it’s been working well for me so I do recommend this ingredient.
• Sodium PCA – this comes from amino acids and is already part of your skin but it is chemically derived.  As long as the amount in the product is minimal (up to 4%), it’s OK.

Stay away from…

Most synthetic form of anything is something I stay away from.  Please stay away from this one!

• Polyethylene Glycols (PEGs) because it can cause allergies to skin.

Whether you tend to have sensitive skin or not, I would stay away from this regardless.  So, I hope this answers your questions:  Are humectants good?  For other ingredients, please check our Skin Care Ingredient Checker list to know if you should use or stay away from.  And, if you want to learn how to make your own Micellar Water (a great humectant that also helps to remove make-up), see my DIY Micellar Water recipe here.