Skin care, to keep it hydrated and healthier, is being increasingly commented on.
Most people have already tried a homemade recipe or invested in products to relieve dryness of the dermis and regain that lush and strengthened appearance. Often, you can even find recipes that mix a moisturizing cream and oil, enhancing the action.
But there are also those who forget the care and prefer to invest in more practical routines, such as changing the cream for bath oil – especially in winter.
Options, of course, are not lacking in the cosmetic market. Mineral oils, perfumed, three-phase or super moisturizing creams, oilfree , against cellulite , illuminators … Each product has a different action, its own characteristic and can be combined with beautiful and strengthened skin.
To get the best result, just know the mechanism of absorption and action of oils and creams, combining them in search of what your dermis needs. Do you want to know more about oils and creams or is exchanging for each other a good strategy? Come find out with us 😉
Contents
Oil X Cream: which one to choose?
Oils for the skin and creams are, in general, products that have the objective of recovering the balanced and healthy state of the skin. This is because the skin tissue depends on the presence of water to maintain health and its functions, such as elasticity and protection.
Several factors can affect the hydrated composition of the dermis, such as low fluid intake, external factors (such as the weather), poor diet and even age. Therefore, creams and oils help in the recovery of the physiology of the dermis.
Of course, each one will have a specific action and absorption, since they are different substances. But it is not just the presentation – oil or cream – that interferes with the result. It is necessary to consider other factors, such as the characteristics and properties (anti-cellulite, with collagen, with vitamins , with bepantol) and the response of each skin.
In general, oils are substances that form a protective film on the skin, protecting against water loss. Thus, they are important for hydration. The creams, on the other hand, generally penetrate deeper into the dermis, restoring the hydration of the tissue.
The best choice depends on the needs of the skin. Therefore, that routine of care that leaves the skin of someone wonderful, soft and smooth, may not have such a good result for someone else. Age, sex and health habits interfere with the use of applied products.
In addition, allergies, level of internal hydration and ways of applying the products change the result.
That is, this does not mean that all oil will form only a protective and superficial layer on the skin. Some can penetrate more deeply and promote nutrition. Likewise, not every cream will work hard on the dermis.
The ideal, then, is to know better the general characteristics of each presentation and keep an eye on their composition (of course, dermatological guidance is indispensable!). Thus, you get to know what the action and the benefits that each care will provide to the skin.
What are moisturizing oils?
Just go to a cosmetics store or a pharmacy to find various types of oils or products enriched with any of them. Almond oil is one of the most famous among those who take care of the skin, but grape seed oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil and several others have conquered space in the market.
At this time, many people say that body oil is a wonderful product to moisturize the skin. There are even people who exchange the cream for an application of it. However, there are those who say that it does not penetrate the skin and, therefore, does a superficial care in the layer.
The truth is always that: it depends on the product!
Anyone who has paid attention to labels knows that, in general, the packages bring information such as: mineral, vegetable or essential oil. This is one of the most important points to know how the compound will behave in the dermis!
Vegetable oils
The main sources of extraction of vegetable oils are the seeds of fruits and plants. In this group there are those darlings of moisturizing recipes, such as grape seed oil , sunflower oil , almonds or avocado.
These extracts are rich in fatty acids with chains of different sizes, positioning and saturation. This, chemically, means that there are molecules with different amounts of carbon atoms attached and positioned, forming different structures.
The result of the molecular differences is that vegetable oils can contain more properties that are very beneficial for the health of the skin. In general, they are rich in vitamins and components capable of carrying these components to a deeper layer of the dermis. Thus, they result in more intense and restorative hydration.
Mineral oils
In general, mineral oils do not penetrate the dermis layers, therefore, their action is more superficial. But that does not mean that it is not a good moisturizing agent. The truth is that the product acts in an occlusive way, that is, creating a protective barrier on the skin, preventing it from losing water and, consequently, affecting hydration.
These oils are derived from petroleum and, when pure, are colorless. However, this component can be present in the formula of cosmetic products, being mentioned as petroleum jelly or liquid paraffin.
Essencial oils
Essential oils are very concentrated plant extracts. The diversity of functions and applications are immense, ranging from cosmetics to medicinal products. For this reason, although they are natural, they do not dispense with care when using them.
To obtain these oils, the method of extraction must be physical. That is, distillation or pressing of leaves, seeds, fruits or roots is usually used to extract it. Like vegetable oils, each product has chemical specificities and very specific actions.
As they are quite aromatic compounds, they are also used in aromatherapy, massages, relaxation practices, in addition to being part of the ingredients of many shampoos, creams and body lotions.
It is important to pay attention to the other components of the product to know if its action will be deeper or more superficial, as the concentration of essential oils and the presence of mineral oils can affect absorption.
What are moisturizing creams?
Moisturizing creams can be quite diverse. Smelling of fruits or neutrals, specific for hands or feet, for the face, anti-cellulite, enriched with oils, firming.
Options abound. Therefore, talking about the function of moisturizing cream is quite complex. However, in general, it is possible to understand that it serves to help rebalance the dermis, restoring its natural physiological function. This means restoring and maintaining the hydration of the dermis.
As creams can be enriched with various components (including oils!), The rehydration mechanisms can be diverse as well. But, in general, they operate in 3 ways of action, which are occlusion, moistening and hydration:
Occlusion
Occlusion is the mechanism of action of mineral oils. In general, a barrier is created on the skin surface that prevents water from evaporating, causing it to be retained in the dermis. The occlusive components can be found isolated or be present in the formulation of the creams. Among the most employed in cosmetics are:
- Mineral derivatives: Petrolatum (petroleum jelly), mineral oil, Paraffin, Squalene;
- Animal fats: Lanolin, Fat deema;
- Vegetable butters: Shea, Mango, Cupuaçu, Olive, Ucuuba, Tucumã, Cocoa, Murmurou;
- Silicone: Dimeticone;
- Vegetable oils: Avocado, Macadamia, Wheat germ, Sunflower, Passion fruit, Grape, Brazil nuts, Canola, Corn, Cotton, Babaçu, Pequi, Patauá, Buriti;
- Waxes: Bees, Jojoba;
- Fatty alcohols: Lanolin alcohol, Cetyl alcohol, Cetostearyl alcohol;
- Fatty acids: Stearic acid;
- Alcohol: Octyldodecanol.
Moisture
The wetting action occurs through the attraction of water. Basically, there are hydrophilic compounds (with high affinity for water molecules) in the formulation of creams.
Thus, the application causes the water present in the product itself or in the external environment to be attracted and maintained in the dermis. That is, they can attract water molecules from the external environment and retain them in the skin, maintaining hydration.
Among the options are glycerin, sorbitol, hyaluronic acid.
Hydration
The moisturizing compounds act more actively, penetrating more deeply into the layers of the dermis, binding to the water molecules and retaining them along the entire length of the skin.
In other words, moisturizing compounds, such as urea (one of the most famous and most used), penetrate and promote deep hydration. This means that not only the outermost layers are benefited.
What to pass first: oil or cream?
The choice between oil and cream will depend on your skin’s needs and goals. When necessary, both products can be combined, even on the same day!
In fact, the story that oil will make your skin oily is a myth. If used correctly, the product can be an aid even in combating excess sebum. To do this, just apply the correct form.
In general, those who want to combine the products and get good benefits can invest in the oil before or during the bath. This will cause a protective barrier to form in the dermis, preventing even the hot water from damaging it.
The ideal is to rinse the skin and dry. Only then, after the bath, the moisturizer is applied. This will make the skin well protected, nourished and without a sticky appearance.
Very dehydrated skins can intensify the routine of applying moisturizers, always according to dermatological indications.
The Healthy Minute loves a skin care routine. After all, it is not enough that she looks beautiful, because she needs to be healthy too.
With so many products and promises, it is not always easy to choose the best and most suitable option. So, before going shopping, it’s nice to know what your dermis needs and what cosmetics can do for it!
When moisturizing, oils and creams can be used. In fact, many people already have a recipe from the heart, which serves to leave the skin soft, lush, strengthened and well nourished. But to understand exactly what she is doing on the skin, knowing how the ingredients work makes all the difference!
For this reason, we, here at Hickey solution, give a little help. Tell us which moisturizing product you use the most or what your secret for healthy and beautiful skin!
