Moisturizing Cream or Lotion: What's in it?

To ease your next formulation work, let's clarify:

• Why moisturizing creams or lotions usually contain a combination of emollients, occlusive and humectants additives?


• What ingredients will help achieve properties such as rapidly absorbed, non-sensitizing, non comedogenic and long lasting?


• Why the regulation of aquaporins matter for good skin hydration?


• How to well adapt your formulation strategy to skin concerns (oily skin, very dry skin…)?

So in short, skin hydration is required everywhere, and yet, it's challenging to opt for the right formulation strategy, with a wide variety of things to take into account.

The basic requirements of a moisturizing cream or lotion are:

• Replace natural skin oils
• Provide a soothing protective film
• Slowing down the evaporation of skin's moisture therefore maintaining skin hydration and;
• Improving the appearance and tactile properties of dry and aging skin

Exposure to very dry environments can lead to defective skin conditions (e.g., winter xerosis). The continuous hydration of stratum corneum (SC) from the inside of the body is therefore crucial for maintaining healthy skin as water regulates, for example, stratum corneum flexibility (Blank, 1953) and enzymatic reactions in the stratum corneum (Harding et al., 2000).