Humectants, Emollients & Occlusives Explained
- 22 hours ago
- 4 min read
Every effective moisturiser is built around the same goal: helping the skin stay hydrated and maintain a healthy barrier.
To achieve this, formulators typically combine three different types of ingredients - humectants, emollients and occlusives. Each plays a distinct role in supporting the skin, and together they help improve hydration, reduce excessive moisture loss and maintain skin comfort.
Understanding these ingredient categories makes it easier to choose products based on how they work rather than marketing claims.
If you're new to skin barrier science, we recommend starting with our Skin Barrier: The Complete Guide.
What Are Humectants?
Humectants are ingredients that attract and hold water within the outer layers of the skin.
Rather than creating a barrier on the skin's surface, they help increase hydration by binding water, improving skin softness and flexibility.
Common humectants include:
Glycerin
Hyaluronic acid
Sodium PCA
Betaine
Humectants are found in many moisturisers because they help maintain hydration and improve the feel of the skin (Rawlings and Harding, 2004).
What Are Emollients?
Emollients are ingredients that help smooth and soften the skin by filling the tiny spaces between skin cells.
Unlike humectants, which attract water, emollients improve the skin's texture and flexibility by reinforcing the surface of the stratum corneum. This helps the skin feel softer, smoother and more comfortable while supporting the skin's natural barrier (Rawlings and Harding, 2004).
Emollients are particularly beneficial for dry, rough or flaky skin because they improve skin feel without necessarily adding water.
Common emollients include:
Jojoba Oil
Squalane
Meadowfoam Seed Oil
Shea Butter
What Are Occlusives?
Occlusives form a protective layer on the skin's surface that helps slow excessive transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
Rather than attracting water or smoothing skin cells directly, they reduce the rate at which moisture evaporates from the skin, helping maintain hydration for longer. This makes occlusives particularly valuable when the skin barrier is compromised or the skin is exposed to dry or cold environments (Lodén, 2003).
Common occlusives include:
Beeswax
Shea Butter
Petrolatum
Lanolin
Dimethicone
How Humectants, Emollients & Occlusives Work Together
Humectants, emollients and occlusives each perform a different role, but they work best together.
Humectants help attract and bind water within the outer layers of the skin. Emollients smooth and soften the skin by supporting its natural lipid structure. Occlusives help reduce excessive moisture loss by slowing the evaporation of water from the skin's surface.
A well-formulated moisturiser combines these ingredient types to support hydration, improve skin comfort and maintain a healthy skin barrier, rather than relying on a single ingredient or mechanism.
Formulator's Insight
"It's common to see products marketed around a single "hero ingredient," but effective moisturisers are rarely built around just one component. Formulators instead focus on balance. A combination of humectants, emollients and occlusives allows a formulation to attract moisture, improve skin feel and reduce excessive water loss simultaneously. This is why two products containing the same headline ingredient can perform very differently. The overall formulation - not one individual ingredient - determines how well a moisturiser supports healthy skin."
Key Takeaways
Humectants attract and bind water within the outer layers of the skin.
Emollients smooth and soften the skin by supporting its natural lipid structure.
Occlusives reduce excessive moisture loss by forming a protective layer on the skin's surface.
Effective moisturisers typically combine all three ingredient types.
Healthy hydration depends on supporting the skin barrier, not simply adding water.
Related Guides
Face Oil vs Moisturiser
Waterless Skincare Explained
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a humectant and an emollient?
Humectants attract and bind water to improve hydration, while emollients smooth and soften the skin by filling the spaces between skin cells and supporting the skin's natural lipid barrier.
Are occlusives bad for oily skin?
Not necessarily. The suitability of an occlusive depends on the formulation and the individual's skin. Lightweight occlusive ingredients can help reduce excessive moisture loss without feeling heavy.
Do I need all three ingredient types?
Not every product contains all three, but many well-formulated moisturisers combine humectants, emollients and occlusives because they perform complementary roles in supporting healthy skin.
Is hyaluronic acid a humectant?
Yes. Hyaluronic acid is a humectant that helps attract and bind water within the outer layers of the skin, supporting hydration.
Is jojoba oil an emollient?
Yes. Jojoba oil is widely regarded as an emollient because it helps soften and smooth the skin while supporting the skin barrier.
Which is most important: humectants, emollients or occlusives?
None is inherently more important than the others. Each contributes differently to skin hydration and barrier support, which is why balanced formulations often combine all three.
Scientific References
Lodén, M. (2003). Role of topical emollients and moisturisers in the treatment of dry skin barrier disorders. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 4(11), pp. 771–788.
Madison, K.C. (2003). Barrier function of the skin: "la raison d'être" of the epidermis. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 121(2), pp. 231–241.
Proksch, E., Brandner, J.M. and Jensen, J.-M. (2008). The skin: an indispensable barrier. Experimental Dermatology, 17(12), pp. 1063–1072.
Rawlings, A.V. and Harding, C.R. (2004). Moisturization and skin barrier function. Dermatologic Therapy, 17(Suppl. 1), pp. 43–48.
