Emollient

An ingredient that softens and smooths skin by filling spaces between surface cells and supporting the skin’s lipid barrier.

Stratum corneum: The outermost layer of the epidermis, made of dead cells embedded in a lipid matrix. Its cells and surrounding lipids form the surface structure emollients smooth and support.
Petrolatum: A semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons used in topical products as a skin protectant. This classic emollient coats skin and also strongly reduces water loss.
Moisturizer: A topical product designed to improve skin hydration and reduce dryness. Many moisturizers combine emollients with humectants and occlusives to address dryness in several ways.
Humectant: A substance that attracts and retains water in the skin or other materials. Its water-binding action complements the surface-smoothing action that defines an emollient.
Skin microbiome: The community of microorganisms living on the skin and their interactions with its environment. How repeated use of different emollient formulations affects this community remains under study.
Skin barrier: The skin’s protective interface that limits water loss and blocks irritants, allergens, and microbes. Emollients support this barrier by supplementing surface lipids and smoothing its outer layer.
Mineral oil: A purified mixture of liquid hydrocarbons used in cosmetics and topical medicines. It spreads across skin as a lightweight emollient and helps limit moisture loss.
Eczema: A group of inflammatory skin conditions marked by itch, redness, and a disrupted skin barrier. Regular emollient use helps manage dryness and barrier impairment associated with eczema.
Occlusive: A topical ingredient that forms a surface film to reduce water loss from skin. This category emphasizes a water-loss barrier, a function that may overlap with emollients.
Contact dermatitis: Skin inflammation caused by direct irritation or an allergic reaction to a substance. Some emollient ingredients can irritate skin or trigger allergy, making tolerability formulation-dependent.

Linked from 17 pages