COMPONENTS OF MOISTURIZER FORMULATIONS

Whether or not a moisturizer formulation “makes it in the real world” is ultimately dependent on recognizable efficacy, cosmetic acceptability, and patient preference. It is important to recognize that the term moisturizer does not imply that moisture (water) is being added to the skin. A properly formulated moisturizer contains occlusive, humectant, and emollient ingredients that are ultimately formulated to produce an effective product that is also cosmetically elegant (1-5,8,17,26). Occlusive and humectant ingredients work in a complimentary fashion to maintain epidermal water content and barrier function. Occlusive agents retard water loss via evaporation by forming a hydrophobic film on the skin surface and within the stratum corneum interstitum. Humectant compounds attract water “from the inside out,” that is, from the dermis with passage into the upper epidermis (3-5,8,17). Emollients include a wide spectrum of compounds ranging from esters to long – chain alcohols which function to fill “the fine cracks and crevices” between corneocytes in the upper stratum corneum; specific emollients are often incorporated into formulations to enhance efficacy and improve cosmetic elegance by providing a smooth, soft texture to the cutaneous surface (2-5).