What's the Difference Between Hydration and Moisture?

What Is The Difference Between Hydration and Moisture?

Lots has been said about “hydration” and “moisture” and how they mean different things in skincare.

However, in every area of science, both terms relate to water content. Soil moisture, food moisture – all of these relate to water, not oil.

The only place you’ll see a distinction between hydration and moisture is in skin care and hair care.

Yet water versus oil is a useful concept as it relates to skincare, but we should be using these words more accurately.

Dry skin needs OIL, dehydrated skin needs WATER.

Sixty percent of the human body is made out of water - and skin only receives water from water being put in our bodies, and from water-based moisturizers.

That’s why applying water-based products is crucial for your skin’s hydration level and overall health. When skin is hydrated, it is balanced and nourished. In other words, healthier and youthful skin looks good mainly due to its high content of water and, on the other hand, dehydrated skin is ground zero for the development of the first signs of aging: loss of elasticity and the emergence of fine lines and wrinkles. 

Hydration is the first crucial step in skincare, and ‘moisturization’ is second.

Compared to pure oils, water-based formulas absorb faster into the skin, and water is a vessel to better distribute other active ingredients. Skin only receives water from water put into our bodies and water-based moisturizers because skin produces oil, not water. Therefore, water is the ultimate hydrator for skin.

Water also reaches the cellular level, unlike oil, which tends to sit at the surface level of the skin and does not penetrate deep into the epidermal layer like water does.  

What’s the difference between dry and dehydrated skin?

Dry skin has a lack of oil, or lipids. With dehydrated skin, there’s a lack of water in the top layer of the skin.

So how do you tell which one you have?

DRY SKIN

• Feels rough
• Appears dry
• Can be flaky

 DEHYDRATED SKIN

• Looks dull
• Feels tight
• Feels rough
• Is sensitive
• Shows fine lines
• Shows accelerated signs of ageing, like sagging skin and deep wrinkles

With Schaf, you get the benefits from active ingredients and emollients, plus an infusion of moisture from water. The formulas are water-based, won’t clog pores, and deeply hydrate the skin at the targeted cellular level. The application of our all natural formulas will not only alleviate the problem of dry or dehydrated skin, but will also work to improve skin elasticity and firmness, reduce roughness and prevent wrinkles.

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