In the cosmetics industry, a moisturizer is a topical cream, lotion, serum, or an oil designed to maintain optimal levels of oils and water in the skin.

Among the thousands of various moisturizing products on the market some are tailored for morning or evening use; some are for a particular skin type, such as dry skin, combination skin, or oily skin; others are for skin prone to redness or rosacea, etc.

If formulated properly, each moisturizer is a balance of three types of ingredients: humectants, emollients, and occlusive agents. The concentration of these three elements determines the moisturizer's characteristics and use.

Let's break this down to understand how a moisturizer works, using ONLY natural, organic ingredients.

HUMECTANTS

A humectant is an ingredient that helps retain moisture. A moisturizer with a humectant ingredient will draw water from the dermis below, helping to re-hydrate the skin’s surface, but can cause some irritation to the skin in high concentrations.

The classic humectant is glycerin. (You might see it listed as glycerol, which is its alcohol form, on a product's ingredients list.) We do not use glycerin for a couple reasons. It can draw too much moisture, causing irritation and can produce a sticky or tacky feel. We opt for better humectants, such as shea butter, avocado oil, olive oil, castor oil, borage oil, lecithin, aloe vera or honey.

EMOLLIENTS

An emollient is an ingredient that fills in cracks between skin cells, helping to soften and smooth the skin’s surface and making it more flexible. They work by increasing the ability of the skin to hold water, providing the skin with a layer of oil to prevent water loss, and lubricating the skin to prevent dryness.They also contribute to the creamy texture of a moisturizer. 

There are many emollients used in natural cosmetics, most of which are oils like jojoba oil, sunflower oil and rice bran oil.

OCCLUSIVE AGENTS

Occlusive agents are the ingredients in skincare that form a film or barrier on the skin and prevent water loss through the skin. They can be very effective, but if too much is included in a product it can feel waxy or greasy on the skin.

The classic cosmetic occlusive agent is petrolatum, or petroleum jelly, which, of course, is never used in natural, organic products. Natural occlusive agents include zinc oxide, waxes, and some oils, like castor and jojoba oil. In the case of jojoba oil, it is most like our natural sebum and is a humectant, emollient and occlusive ingredient.

All of our moisturizers, be they creams, serums, body oils or body butters, are carefully formulated to give you the perfect balance of humectants, emollients and occlusive agents. Check them out HERE.


Here's hoping our explanation gives you some food for thought. Questions?

To use, spray on damp hair and scrunch with a towel to dry for loose beach waves. Spray on dry hair and on roots for volume and texture without the waves.

How easy it that? This is one of the simplest, natural hair care recipes to make at home, and it literally costs a fraction of the store bought versions. It adds great texture and volume to hair without the chemicals. by making it yourself, you can also customize to your hair type to get the texture you want.

Here's an alternative recipe with a few extra ingredients.

DIY Beach Spray Ingredients:
• 1 cup of hot water (not boiling)- Can also use strong Chamomile Tea as the base if you want to lighten hair or black tea as the base if you want to darken hair, but you will need to keep in the fridge.
• 2 tablespoons  Epsom salts (or more for extra texture)
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan or sea salt (optional but adds stiffness)
• 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
• 1/2 tsp sweet almond oil or jojoba oil
• Optional: a few drops  of essential oil (lavender and citrus are great options)
• Optional: 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vodka or alcohol- if you want to lighten hair (the lemon juice lightens and the alcohol preserves)

Put the hot water (or tea) in the spray bottle and add the Epsom salts, sea salt (optional), aloe vera, oil, essential oils (optional) and lemon juice/vodka (if using). Put the cap on the bottle and shake for 1-2 minutes or until Epsom salts and sea salt are dissolved. Store in the fridge if using lemon juice or tea base, or at room temperature if you aren’t. Will last 3-4 months or longer.

As stated above, to use, spray on damp hair and scrunch with a towel to dry for loose beach waves. Spray on dry hair and on roots for volume and texture without the waves.

Let us know how it works for you, and we'd love for you to post before/after pictures!