Is Honey A Humectant For Skin

At Formula Botanica, we categorise natural humectants as functional ingredients. Obviously, each ingredient in a well-formulated cosmetic production should have a distinct part. As natural skincare and haircare formulators, we tend to be very conscious of every ingredient we use and are perhaps more enervating of the roles they perform.

Humectants are common cosmetic ingredients and feature in many of the formulations on this site. However, to use them effectively we need to delve into the science of how humectants work in our skincare and and so choose the most appropriate for our formula's needs and for our product event.

This guide to natural humectants is designed to give y'all enough depth to feel comfortable making those decisions. We cover a summit five natural humectants to trial in your formulations, simply encourage you lot to do your own further research into corrective ingredients with humectant properties.

Earlier nosotros swoop into humectants, nosotros thought you might similar to know about other posts in our Formulator's Guide series:

• The Formulator's Guide to Superfruits in Skincare
• The Formulator's Guide to CBD Skincare
• The Formulator's Guide to Aloe Vera in Skincare
• The Formulator'due south Ultimate Guide to Squalene and Squalane

What is a Humectant?

A corrective humectant is defined as a substance that moisturises the skin just it does this in a very specific way. As hydrophilic, or water-loving ingredients, humectants attract h2o to the skin as opposed to two other categories of common functional ingredients – occlusives and emollients – which act to reduce h2o loss or to repair the skin's lipid barrier. Occlusives include butters and waxes and emollients are ingredients such as squalane and triglycerides.

How does a Natural Humectant Work in Skincare?

The function of humectants is to depict water either from the air to the pare or from the dermis (a deeper layer of our skin) to the stratum corneum (outer layer of the pare). Which of these ii happens really depends on the humidity of the air.

In areas where the humidity is high, information technology is likely that the water is drawn from the air. Yet, if the humidity is low, or in other words the air is dry out, the water needs to come from the skin itself. In this case, the pare pulls moisture from the dermis to the surface. What we demand to call up is that non everything is black and white. Skincare ingredients and products need to work in synergy in order to maintain the skin in optimal status.

How do we utilize natural humectants for skincare?

Outset, y'all need to make sure you formulate using the optimal corporeality of the correct humectants.

If, for instance, you take 5% glycerine in a production, you cannot just replace information technology with five% of hyaluronic acid. While they are both natural humectants, they piece of work, experience and acquit very differently in a formula. Humectants are non automatically interchangeable in a formula. Yous will need to assess therefore which humectant to include in your formulation as some are more effective than others and have differing roles to play.

Secondly, your choice may also exist affected by manufacturing costs. Some humectants such as hyaluronic acid are a lot more expensive than glycerine, however on the plus side, we would need to use less of information technology. As always, y'all need careful consideration and planning in designing your formula.

Thirdly, when you work with humectants, you lot should consider too whether to use occlusives. This group of ingredients create a protective layer on the pare preventing trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL). This is why it is often recommended that you apply a hydrating mist and so follow it with a balm, oil or rich foam. The balm or oil will trap the mist underneath to forbid the peel drying out or losing moisture. Well-nigh skincare products aimed at moisturising will be combinations of emollients, occlusives and humectants in formulas finely-tuned to target specific levels of hydration.

As we said, humectants are water-soluble ingredients, which means y'all shouldn't add together them to oils or anhydrous products. However, on the market now y'all will notice oil-soluble humectants too, but at that place is quite a difference in toll. It's worth noting that at that place are some formulations, similar oleogels, which are anhydrous and where glycerin is used.

Now we have talked near how humectants work in general, allow'southward take a closer expect at this list of natural humectants you should consider having in your formulating kit.

one. Glycerine

No formulator should be without glycerine. Glycerine nosotros utilize in skincare can be derived from plants or animate being lipids but information technology can also exist the result of sugar fermentation. Please check with your supplier that the glycerine you are purchasing is actually establish derived. Information technology is a substance that can exist found in the human being torso. It is a transparent, syrup-like liquid with a sugariness taste (just please don't drink it).

You can find glycerine solutions in diverse strength such as 99% or 85%. It is very mild and isn't known to crusade irritation although information technology is not recommended to be used huge amounts. Glycerine can feel sticky in formulations, and so we recommend that you apply 2-5% in your products.

ii. Sorbitol

Sorbitol is from sugar alcohol which can be constitute naturally in many fruits, but information technology can besides exist produced from glucose and starch. It is sweet just like glycerine, therefore it is often used in oral intendance products. Information technology works well in skincare formulations too, but it is best combined with other humectants as it is considered quite weak. You tin can add it to your emulsions, toners and masks aslope glycerine or other humectants of choice. Information technology has a lovely, soft pare feel so you wouldn't need to be concerned virtually stickiness. It is mostly used at ii-5%.

3. Hyaluronic acid

This is an ingredient we meet a lot in pupil formulations, and rightly and then as it is a superb humectant. Plainly, information technology tin absorb up to 1000 times its weight in h2o. It can be produced either from brute sources such as chicken or cattle, only it can likewise be created as the result of biofermentation. Bank check with your supplier to ensure you are not purchasing hyaluronic acid derived from animals.

Hyaluronic acrid is role of the human trunk; it is in hair, eyes, joints and of course, skin. Information technology is a polysaccharide and is insoluble in water. It has another course besides; its common salt, which is chosen sodium hyaluronate. This form is indeed water soluble and has smaller molecules thus increasing solubility and its resistance to oxidation. The two terms, hyaluronic acrid and sodium hyaluronate are used interchangeably in the dazzler industry but information technology is good to remember that there are differences betwixt them. If unsure, delight check the INCI list of your ingredient with the supplier.

Forms of Hyaluronic Acid

This ingredient ordinarily comes in two forms: a powder or a gel that is already fabricated upwardly. You need to call back that simply hyaluronic acrid with high molecular weight will create a gel and works well as a humectant nigh the surface of the skin. If y'all can but find the gel grade, brand certain yous besides cheque for added preservatives.

If yous source the powder form, you can add that into the formula but allocate some of your h2o to create a gel. While this is a pricey ingredient, you lot demand merely to comprise a very small amount into your product. We recommend that you use 0.01 – 1% and add together information technology water and then incorporate it into the product in the cool-down phase.

There are low molecular weight and very low molecular weight hyaluronic acids on the marketplace every bit well, but they volition not gel upward. They are more than suited to skincare for mature or dry skin where you want the ingredient to piece of work a bit deeper in the skin. For synergistic effect, you could mix hyaluronate with various molecular weights. New on the market is oil-soluble hyaluronic acid which is created by encapsulation which is keen for formulators looking for novel, exciting ingredients and skincare solutions.

four. Sodium lactate

Sodium lactate is the sodium table salt of lactic acid and is created by fermentation of found sugars, from corn or beets for example. Remember that while it is derived from lactic acid, the ii ingredients are very different.

Sodium lactate is a transparent liquid that is very soluble in water. In fact, information technology can also exist found in our skin equally a natural moisturising factor (NMF), and sweat. The NMF in our skin is responsible for keeping the cells hydrated. It comprises lactate, amino acids, sugars, urea and other components.

Sodium lactate is said to be more moisturising than glycerine and it is not sticky. Information technology is normally available as an aqueous solution, the concentration of which is effectually 60% (60% lactate – 40% water). Use it in any of your formulations for skincare or haircare. Information technology is a widely-bachelor, effective humectant.

5. Honey

We cannot complete this list without mentioning honey. It is of course natural equally information technology is produced by honeybees and stored in the honeycomb. Many formulators cull not to use it though every bit they prefer vegan alternatives. While it can be a challenging ingredient to work with, it is certainly not impossible.

Honey is packed with compounds that are fantastic in skincare such equally vitamins, polyphenols and enzymes. Since it is sticky, information technology is most often added to launder-off products such as facial cleansers, but some formulators besides comprise it into lip balm or other ointments. While beloved is self preserving, you exercise need to pay detail attending to preservation when adding it to emulsions or those with containing clay.

Sourcing honey from a reputable supplier where you tin can ensure they acquit regular quality testing besides every bit run periodical preservative efficacy tests will enable yous to use this wonderful ingredient safely.

Try out Natural Humectants in your Formulations

We hope this overview of natural humectants will help your formulation work. There are so many others you can cull, simply nosotros wanted to give you this listing to help y'all get started and go familiar with these excellent moisturising skincare ingredients.

Enquiry & References

Hyaluronic acid: A cardinal molecule in peel aging
A Safety Assessment of Glycerine as used in Cosmetics
The 24-hour peel hydration and barrier part effects of a hyaluronic ane%, glycerin v%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract moisturizing fluid
Glycerol and the pare: Holistic approach to its origin and functions

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FAQs

What does humectant mean?

Humectant means to retain or maintain wet. Humectants are types of ingredients used largely by the cosmetics and food industries to increase the wet content of a finished product such as confront moisturisers or packaged, manufactured cakes. Glycerine, for example, is used by both industries for its humectant properties.

How do humectants piece of work?

Humectants are water-loving, or hydrophilic ingredients that attract water. They practise this by either drawing wet from the air to the stratum corneum, if humidity levels are loftier, or from deeper levels of the dermis if the outside air is dry out.

Are humectants practiced for the skin?

It depends. Humectants generally are useful and popular functional ingredients in skincare products every bit they attract wet to the peel's surface to hydrate the epidermis. However, they need to be used with precision in a cosmetic formula. They ofttimes piece of work best in combination with other moisturising ingredients such every bit emollients and occlusives.

What type of natural ingredients are humectants?

5 elevation natural humectants that should exist in the natural formulator's kit are: Glycerine; Sorbitol; Hyaluronic acid; Sodium lactate; and Beloved. Glycerine and honey are well-known humectants in both the corrective and food industries. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol constitute naturally in many fruits and while a weak humectant is not viscid and has nice pare feel. Hyaluronic acid is a dazzler manufacture favourite for its capacity to blot up to thousand times its weight in water. Sodium lactate is a constitute sugar that is easy to piece of work with in formulations.

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Timi was a fundamental member of the Formula Botanica team from 2015 to 2020; first every bit our Pedagogy Managing director and then as Head of Conception & Research. Y'all can find out more than about the Formula Botanica team here.

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