What’s The Difference Between Hydrating vs. Moisturizing

Can you picture it: that smooth, hydrated, gorgeous skin you’ve always dreamed of? If that seems out of reach and you’re dealing with dry skin — or if you’re unsure of the difference between hydrating vs. moisturizing — you’re in the right place.

So what exactly is the difference between hydrating and moisturizing? We think you’ll be interested in the answer because it will help you achieve the glamorous, dewy skin you’ve always wanted.

To understand the difference between hydrating and moisturizing your skin, you’ll need to become better acquainted with your skin and how it works.

You might not realize it, but your skin is hard at work for you 24/7. Most people don’t know it is your largest organ, responsible for covering your entire body.

Skin is your body’s first line of defense, responsible for sweating to keep your body cool, and it grows enough cells to renew itself every month.

We could keep singing the praises of this super-organ, but you get the idea — skin has a lot going on. And your skin is constantly working to keep itself hydrated and you looking gorgeous.

Hydrating vs. Moisturizing: What Does It Mean To Hydrate Your Skin?

Before we talk about hydrating your skin, let’s define dehydrated skin. Like the rest of your body, dehydrated skin means there’s not enough water! In this case, it’s your skin cells that are in need of water.

But don’t picture dry, flaky skin just yet. We’ll get to that later.

When we talk about hydrated or dehydrated skin, we’re talking about the water content within your tiny skin cells. It’s an important aspect of skin care because your skin cells need all that moisture to keep your skin functioning properly and looking its best!

Hydrated skin means that your skin cells are plump and full of all the water they need to be in tip-top shape. How does this happen? Either by drinking water or using a topical hydrating product, like a face mist face or SiO Beauty Patches.

But more on that later. To really understand hydration, we need to tell you about moisturizing also.

Hydrating vs. Moisturizing: What Does It Mean To Moisturize Your Skin?

Hydration is important for healthy skin. But it does little good if all that luscious hydration just evaporates off of your skin.

Luckily, your skin is outfitted with its own oil barrier, often called the lipid barrier, that cuts down on the amount of water that’s lost. (Don’t get scared of the word “oil.” Your skin naturally produces a certain amount of oil to create this lipid barrier.)

In a study called “Skin hydration: a review on its molecular mechanisms,” Verdier-Sévrain S. and Bonté F. say, “Water is absolutely essential for the normal functioning of the skin and especially its outer layer... Loss of water from the skin must be carefully regulated, a function dependent on the complex nature of the [outer layer].”

The microscopic barrier on the outer layer of your skin is the hydration hero — it prevents water loss by trapping in all the hydration. And this is what we call moisturized skin.

Moisturized skin has a barrier that’s intact and ready to trap in the hydration you’ve worked so hard for.

The bottom line is this: all your hard work in hydrating your skin will go to waste if your skin isn’t properly moisturized. Put dehydrated skin and non-moisturized skin together and you’re looking at dry, flaky skin.

So what does it mean to moisturize? Your skin produces its own lipid barrier, but often it needs a little help creating it to keep your skin glowing.

Say hello to moisturizers! They help keep your skin’s lipid barrier intact.

Are you starting to see how hydration and moisturization work together? Healthy skin is both hydrated and moisturized.

Your skin needs to be hydrated on the inside, but it also needs to be properly moisturized on the outside in order to maintain that hydration. Basically, you hang onto cell-level hydration by staying properly moisturized.

Six Tips To Hydrate And Moisturize Your Skin

Now you know the difference between hydrating and moisturizing, but you might still be wondering exactly how to achieve that dewy-skin look and feel.

Here are six of our favorite tips for keeping your face in tip-top shape.

1) Drink Plenty Of Water

Your beauty comes from the inside (you knew that, right?) and that’s true in more than one way. The water that keeps your skin cells hydrated has to come from somewhere!

Keep your water bottle full and on-hand all day.

If you have a hard time drinking lots of water, try staying hydrated from the inside-out by sipping on herbal teas.

2) Sleep With A Humidifier

It’s no secret that dry air dries out your skin extra fast (think winter weather). Ward off the consequences of dry air by infusing moisture into the air with a humidifier. Simply turn your humidifier on in your bedroom to prevent moisture loss while you sleep.

Expert tip: Check out SiO Beauty patches if you’re looking for another easy way to hydrate overnight!

3) Use Hydrating Products

You can find products designed specifically to hydrate your face (and infuse that moisture deep into your skin on a cellular level). SiO Beauty patches are one example that not only hydrates your skin but also reduces the visibility of wrinkles!

SiO’s reusable patches work by drawing moisture up into the outer layer of your skin, leaving it more plump and hydrated when you wake up in the morning.

4) Always Apply Moisturizer

Don’t go without moisturizer! If you cheat your skin of that hydration-trapping barrier, it will be on its way to dehydration. Apply a high-quality moisturizer each time after cleansing your face.

Even if your skin is naturally oily, you still need a moisturizing product! Oily skin doesn’t necessarily equal moisturized skin.

5) Don’t Cleanse Too Frequently

Cleansing your face is a must for glowing skin, but if you cleanse too frequently, you might wash away the oil and protection your skin needs to stay moisturized. Opt for cleansing twice per day and no more.

Also, go for cool water instead of hot water. Hot water is more drying and can turn your face-washing routine into a face-drying routine.

6) Sleep with SiO Beauty Patches

Applying SiO Beauty patches before you go to bed is one of the easiest ways to boost hydration. All you’re responsible for is applying the patches, getting a good night of sleep, and removing the patches when you wake up.

SiO does the rest!

These beauty patches boost hydration, encourage collagen production, and reduce the appearance of those pesky wrinkles you’ve been seeing! What a great way to kill three birds with one stone.

Now that you’re a little better acquainted with how your skin works and are armed with information on the difference between hydrating vs. moisturizing, it’s time to take some steps toward healthier skin.

Buy that humidifier, order your own set of SiO patches, keep your water bottle full, and never skimp on moisturizing. Soon you’ll be on your way to hydrated and moisturized skin!