Moisturising vs Hydrating Skin

Choosing a moisturising agent can lead to several other questions. In fact, many people think that moisturising and hydrating are interchangeable skin care terms. If you've ever wondered what a moisturiser is, and if it's the same as a hydrator, we're here to help.

When choosing a new moisturiser, you should factor in a number of different things. Your skin type, specific concerns, and moisturiser ingredients all play a role in this decision. Here's what to know, before choosing a moisturiser or hydrator.

Is a hydrator the same as a moisturiser?

You might be familiar with moisturising products, in comparison to their hydrating counterparts. After all, every skincare line seems to have more than one type of moisturiser. These moisturisers can help with certain skin issues. For example, people with dry skin tend to look for thicker, more occlusive moisturisers.

Generally, moisturisers are cream-based. They come in a selection of consistencies -- from thick, concentrated, and occlusive, to thinner and lighter varieties.

What does moisturiser do?

Moisturisers can create a seal on your skin's surface. This helps your skin retain water by locking in moisture. It can also stop water loss. A good moisturiser should also contain a selection of nutrients, to protect and nourish your skin.

However, while a moisturiser helps lock in moisture, it doesn't necessarily help hydrate your skin. Therefore, if you're looking to hydrate dehydrated or dry skin, we'd recommend choosing a hydrator over a moisturiser.

This is because hydrators usually come in the form of a serum. For the most part, hydrators are oil or water-based. Many of them are designed to fortify your skin's moisture barrier.

If you have dry skin, we'd recommend looking for a serum that contains humectants, like hyaluronic acid. A powerful humectant, hyaluronic acid can help with hydrating and moisturising even the most dehydrated skin types.

How to hydrate or moisturise skin in the best way

Choosing between hydrators and moisturisers can be a little confusing, at first. However, choosing the right hydrating product can make all the difference in your skin care routine.

In fact, to hydrate skin, choosing a moisturiser will only improve its surface hydration, without addressing other skincare issues. Turning to a moisturiser won't work on deeper levels, for proper skin hydration. Due to this, you could continue to experience dullness, itchiness, and fine lines and wrinkles.

Therefore, it's important to understand your skin type, before making a decision about which product to purchase. To help you, we've put together a handy list of skin types, and what to look for when purchasing a moisturiser.

Oily skin: If you have oily skin, you can still experience dry skin. We'd recommend adding both a moisturiser and hydrator to your routine. However, you should stick to water-based options, over the oil-based variety.

Dry skin, or dehydrated skin: With this skin type, we'd recommend focusing on your skin's moisture barrier. Not only do you want to prevent water loss, but you also want to keep your skin hydrated. Opt for a hydrator full of humectants. You could also use an occlusive moisturiser, to prevent water loss.

Acne-prone skin: With acne-prone skin, it's best to keep things light and simple. We'd recommend a soothing serum, infused with antioxidants and calming active ingredients. Ageing skin: When your skin is dehydrated, it can be more prone to signs of ageing. We'd recommend a rich, cream-based moisturiser for this very purpose.

Our recommendations for happy skin

At Poko, we want to help you keep your skin happy and hydrated. We also want to help you decide whether to purchase a hydrator or moisturiser -- or both.

That's why we've put together a little list of our products. This will help show you the best way to hydrate skin -- for every skin type.

Best hydrating serum for dry, sensitive skin

Dry or dehydrated skin can cause an increase in skin sensitivity. This is because your lipid barrier is compromised, leaving your skin vulnerable to redness, acne, and sensitivity. To combat this, we'd recommend our Soothing Serum.

It's infused with a curated selection of calming ingredients -- like Aloe Vera powder, and tea tee oil. The serum is also rich in antioxidants, to hydrate and moisturise skin of every type, leaving your skin soft and smooth.

Best moisturiser for mature skin

At Poko, we've formulated a moisturiser specifically for ageing skin. Give your skin a little more TLC with our Regenerating Collagen Moisturiser. Not only does it help reinforce your skin's natural moisture barrier, but it also assists in increasing collagen production.

Furthermore, its rich texture makes it an excellent option for ageing skin that needs hydration. Plus, the antioxidant-rich ingredients help in the fight against fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and wrinkles.

Best moisturiser for acne

You might think that people with acne-prone skin should avoid hydrating skin care. However, this isn't the case at all. While it's true that occlusive skincare products can aggravate acne, it doesn't mean that you should completely avoid a moisturiser or hydrator.

At Poko, we'd recommend our Light Hydrating Moisturiser for acne-prone skin. It's light enough for daily use. Because of its texture, it sinks right into your skin. Furthermore, it's infused with Aloe Vera juice, to help in the fight against acne!