Wait, what the bloody hell is a moisturiser?

You’re 22 years old. You know what a moisturiser is. Your mum has been moisturising her face since you were running around in diapers. You hear about the importance of using a good moisturiser and hydrating skincare on TikTok all the time.

A moisturiser moisturises your skin! Right? 

Ahhhh…. Well… wait a minute…. What does that even mean? 

Do you actually know what it means to moisturise your skin? 

Firstly, let’s take a trip back to year 9 chemistry class.

Here’s a quick recap of what you missed in human anatomy when you were snoozing in the back, trying to beat your top score on Tetris. Water plays a critical role in the skin. Your skin is made up of two layers - the top layer which is called the epidermis, and the next layer beneath which is called the dermis. Water is stored in the dermis. The dermis is made up of connective tissues including key proteins such as collagen and elastin. These provide the skin with structure and volume, whilst producing skin cells for the epidermis using nutrients delivered by the blood. 

Now you’re probably wondering: what happens when your skin is dehydrated? Dehydration of the skin occurs when your skin is losing more water than it is taking in. This can be due to hard exercise and excessive sweating, or insufficient consumption of water. Dehydrated skin symptoms include dry or itchy skin, or an uneven complexion. The skin can also become dull, and you might notice dark circles and sunken eyes. On occasion, there might even be fine lines. 

Anyone and everyone is susceptible to dehydrated skin… whether yours is naturally normal, dry, or oily. Remember that dry skin is different to dehydrated skin - dry skin is when your skin doesn’t have enough sebum (oil). The quick test to determine whether skin is dry or dehydrated is to try pinching a small area on the skin- if it wrinkles, you are in desperate need of water. 

OK… so why moisturise? Why not just drink more water?

Obviously, the first step is to drink enough water. Anywhere from 1.5L to 3L a day to supplement the water we absorb from the food that we eat. This will keep your dermis well hydrated and in healthy function, with your skin looking fresh, youthful and buoyant. 

But sometimes drinking water isn’t enough. You can gain the added benefit of hydrating skincare by using a high quality and effective moisturiser. A moisturiser has two functions in keeping skin hydrated: 

1. As a humectant, it draws moisturise into the epidermis. 
2. As an occlusive, it protects moisture loss from the epidermis.

We’ve heard on the grapevine that the Tomorrow Skincare Gel Moisturiser is perfect to get the job done. It is a lite, fast absorbing gel-cream formulation that contains Amino Acids, Peptides and Vitamin E which enhance the skin’s natural water transport system, giving your skin more fuel to stay hydrated and nourished. It is also 100% vegan - no animals were harmed in its making - and comes in an airless packaging bottle to ensure that the formula does not degrade with exposure to air and sunlight. 

So, in summary, a moisturiser basically just moisturises your skin! Make sure you have a good hydrating skincare routine to supplement your daily water consumption to ensure your skin is looking fresh, youthful and nourished.

Join our Community

Follow us on Instagram and TikTok to join in the conversation about skincare, self-development and connect with other like-minded individuals.