Water Based Moisturizer: Key Benefits

Our bestselling Hydrating Gel is popular for all skin types and textures. Whether you have mature skin, dry skin, acneic skin, greasy skin, or any combination, your skin will love a drink of our water based moisturizing, the Hydrating Gel.

Here we share morel about the key benefits of water based moisturizers and what skin types thrive on this kind of product.

Did you know that most of the water we consume doesn't make it all the way to skin's surface? Many people are surprised to learn that 80% of people have dehydrated skin (regardless of skin type). Dehydrated skin can be pale, rough, dull, slow to heal, and show many more fine lines and wrinkles than normal.

1. Acts as a nutrient-rich makeup primer.

If you happen to be a makeup wearer, you probably know all about the primers available on the market. Most mainstream primers are heavy on the silicones, which fill pores and create a barrier on top of skin to create a smooth foundation for makeup. However, silicones are hard to totally remove from skin (and hair, for that matter) and are therefore more likely to clog pores. In general, silicones are an inexpensive filler ingredient used to create a slick product feel. Silicone-based makeup primers act as a barrier but don't actually benefit the skin in any way.

The Bright Body alternative to silicones in our upcoming Hydrating Gel is a fatty alcohol called Alkyl Benzoate. Fatty alcohols act like a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil and have some of the "slickness" of a silicone, while actually penetrating deeper layers of skin for lasting benefits.

So how does a (well-formulated) water-based moisturizer work as a primer to create a smooth base for makeup? It's simple. They (1) plump skin by increasing water content held at the skin's surface, (2) reduce many fine lines and wrinkles where makeup likes to settle (3) are fast-absorbing so that you can apply makeup quickly thereafter (4) allow for smooth, non-greasy makeup application, even for oil-based foundation products, and (5) provide a glowy tone to skin which shows even through makeup.

2. Provide a lightweight moisturizer for the warmer months when we're naturally oilier.

As we're (finally) heading toward warmer temps, our skin adjusts. I notice that in the mid-spring, my skin is usually the oiliest it is all year. The shift from dry winter to rainy & wet spring usually confuses the hell out of my face (and my body, for that matter). I get a little oilier and sweatier than usual in springtime, and once the weather is consistently warmer by the time summer officially rolls in, my body has adjusted and all is kosher again.

During the warmer months when most people find that their skin is naturally producing more oil on its own, a water-based moisturizer is an excellent choice.

Our Bright Body Hydrating Gel features soothing plant-based hydrosols, hyaluronic acid, and a lightweight fatty alcohol - all designed to nourish skin from the inside out without feeling heavy or thick.

3. Ideal for oilier skin types who are find oil-based moisturizers heavy. 

If you've got oilier skin in general and struggle to manage your skin's natural sebum production, a water-based moisturizer could be your very best friend.

However, not all water-based moisturizers are created equal. Many contain drying alcohol and clogging silicones that might actually exacerbate your oily skin concerns even more.

You can trust that our Bright Body Hydrating Gel is loaded with just the good stuff, no BS. Even for super sensitive oily skin prone to breakouts, a water-based moisturizer is very unlikely to clog pores.

4. Effective way to reduce visible signs of aging. 

If you don't know yet already, I really don't like the term "anti-aging." If you're curious why, check out this blog post. TL;DR - the phrase "anti-aging" tells us that we should be fighting a natural, unavoidable process that disproportionately affects women and women of color.

The term "anti-aging" is, first and foremost, a marketing term that gets us to think that we need more stuff to avoid a perfectly natural process. In terms of what the term "anti-aging" is trying to talk about as far as skincare benefits, it covers 4 main properties:

1. Antioxidant
2. Anti-inflammatory
3. Moisturizing/emollient (oil content)
4. Hydrating (water content)

So, how does a water-based moisturizer help with signs of aging? Well, of course it depends on the ingredients in the formula! But when it comes to our bestselling Hydrating Gel, we've got all 4 of those categories covered.

• Hydrosols of helichrysum, calendula, and rose alongside extracts of gotu kola and ginseng are highly antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hydrating.
• Hyaluronic acidis attracts and binds moisture to skin for a plump and glowy complexion. Many of the finer lines and wrinkles on your face might not be due to aging, but rather to dehydrated skin! It's worth noting: all HA is not created equal. We use high molecular weight HA which is anti-inflammatory, while low molecular weight HA can cause inflammation.
• Alkyl benzoate is a moisturizing fatty alcohol, which behaves like a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil. It helps give the formula is smooth feeling without the use of silicones.

You can see why our Hydrating Gel has become one of our top bestselling items - it's one of the few skincare products that a very wide range of skin types will benefit from and tolerate well. Super oily skin types will love its lightweight texture, while drier skin types will enjoy its plumping and dewy qualities. Don't take our word for it, check out the product listing and read the reviews for yourself!

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