What’s the difference between moisture and hydration? Hydration has to do with how much water your skin cells are holding onto, while moisture has to do with parts of your skin that help you hold onto moisture better. To hydrate your skin, use humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Humectants draw water into the skin, soaking it up like a sponge. As we undergo life stressors like aging, environmental changes, pollution and other imbalances, our skin can have a hard time staying balanced. This means that your skin can become more prone to transepidermal water loss, which is when your skin allows moisture to escape.

To help your skin lock in hydration and to stay moisturized, it’s critical that you support the lipid layer of your skin—this is also known as the moisture barrier or skin barrier. Skin lipids, aka good fats, are small particles found within the skin. They group together between your skin cells to form a wall that keep hydration, antioxidants and vital nutrients in your skin.

To moisturize the skin and seal in hydration, use skincare with occlusive (fatty and film-forming) ingredients that are compatible with your skin’s moisture needs. If your skin is prone to dehydration, you may need a better moisturizer for your skin barrier.

Some occlusive ingredients like rosehip oil are known to be non-comedogenic (aka non-pore-clogging) and are often recommended to acne-prone skin. This is because the molecular structure of the oil is too large to clog pores and cause further breakouts. We included rosehip oil, along with other skin-loving botanical oils, in Truth Juice Daily Cleanser to create a cleanse that doesn’t deplete the moisture barrier. This invigorating and gentle daily cleanser possesses a gentle exfoliant known as PHAs—they tend to be easier on skin than AHAs. With its gentle exfoliating action, Truth Juice Daily Cleanser frees up dirt, makeup and SPF from the skin’s surface. To ensure that the cleanser doesn’t strip your skin, we formulated it with these nourishing, skin-friendly botanical oils to make sure that we’re replenishing your skin with barrier-supporting fats.

Immediately restore skin hydration with Barrier Booster Orange Ferment Essence. This vitamin C milky hydrating essence instantly doubles hydration. Ideal to use after cleansing, this essence helps prep your skin for the rest of your skincare routine.

Now, you know that your skin requires humectants and occlusive ingredients to meet the balance between hydration and moisture. So, what are Ole Henriksen’s best moisturizers for dehydrated skin or for dry and combination skin? Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturizer is a well of hydrating and moisturizing ingredients to replenish your moisture barrier. It contains humectants like hyaluronic acid along with natural moisturizing factors and it’s packed with ceramides and vegan collagen to be compatible with skin and help strengthen the lipid layer

Want our best lightweight moisturizer for daily hydration and brightening? C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème is packed with skin-conditioning Rose of Winter extract (AKA Camellia flower extract). The second ingredient on the list is glycerin—a classic and efficacious humectant that imparts skin with a covetable juicy quality. C-Rush also contains three forms of vitamin C including pure l-ascorbic acid, which is the most efficacious form, and two light and air stable vitamin C derivatives so you get max benefits. The result? Skin that emits a covetable, glassy glow.