Oils are classified as an emollient and an occlusive.
How oil emollients work on the skin:
They soften and smooth. Oils fill in the tiny spaces between skin cells, which makes the skin feel softer, improves texture and gives that radiant glow.
They help the skin hold hydration. Oils don’t add water, they help prevent water from leaving the skin; So if your skin is already hydrated, or you apply oil to slightly damp skin, emollients seal in that moisture and support long-lasting hydration.
They reinforce the skin barrier. Your skin has a natural lipid barrier made of fats/oils.
Plant oils mimic or support these lipids, helping maintain a healthy, resilient barrier. A strong barrier means less dryness, less reactivity and a more balanced skin overall.
They improve suppleness and elasticity. With consistent use, emollient oils keep skin flexible, reduce that tight feeling, support a more alive, responsive quality to the skin.
They create a protective veil. Good plant oils are breathable, they don’t block the skin, but rather create a light, protective layer against environmental stress.
What an Occlusive Does:
Emollients soften and support, and Occlusives protect and preserve.
Occlusives form a very light barrier on the surface of the skin that helps keep hydration in and shield the skin from excessive moisture loss.
How Oil Occlusives Work. They reduce water loss. Your skin is constantly losing water through a natural process called transepidermal water loss.
Occlusive oils help slow that down by creating a breathable seal on the skin, allowing the skin to stay hydrated longer.
They lock in everything underneath. Whatever is on your skin before the oil - water, hydrosol, natural moisture, occlusives help hold it there. This is why oil works best after hydration, not instead of it.
That soft, slightly dewy finish?
That’s the occlusive layer doing its work; preventing dryness, reducing that tight skin feeling, keeping the skin comfortable throughout the day.
They support barrier recovery. When the skin barrier is stressed, occlusives reduce external stress, giving the skin space to recalibrate.
They don’t repair directly, they create the conditions for repair.
Where Humectants Fit In:
What Humectants Do. Humectants attract water from the environment, if humidity is present, or from deeper layers of the skin.
They help the skin feel plumper, more hydrated, more supple.
Why Damp Skin Works So Well. When your skin is slightly damp after a shower, there is water sitting on the surface.
Humectants, naturally in your skin, or applied, help hold it; so skin oils can soften, (emollient) and seal in that moisture. (occlusive)
So instead of oil sitting on dry skin you get - hydration, softness and retention.
One Important area that is often missed:
Humectants need balance.
If used alone in very dry environments, they can pull water out of the skin instead of into it. That’s why pairing them with oils is so important.
Our skincare oils create a full organic, chemical free ritual:
Hydrator = aloe vera, water or a hydrosol that you apply = damp skin.
Skin oil = emollient + occlusive blends.
Which becomes skin that is hydrated, soften and sealed.
Humectants -receive
Emollients - soften
Occlusives - hold
Occlusives form a very light barrier on the surface of the skin that helps keep hydration in and shield the skin from excessive moisture loss.
How Oil Occlusives Work. They reduce water loss. Your skin is constantly losing water through a natural process called transepidermal water loss.
Occlusive oils help slow that down by creating a breathable seal on the skin, allowing the skin to stay hydrated longer.
They lock in everything underneath. Whatever is on your skin before the oil - water, hydrosol, natural moisture, occlusives help hold it there. This is why oil works best after hydration, not instead of it.
That soft, slightly dewy finish?
That’s the occlusive layer doing its work; preventing dryness, reducing that tight skin feeling, keeping the skin comfortable throughout the day.
They support barrier recovery. When the skin barrier is stressed, occlusives reduce external stress, giving the skin space to recalibrate.
They don’t repair directly, they create the conditions for repair.
Where Humectants Fit In:
What Humectants Do. Humectants attract water from the environment, if humidity is present, or from deeper layers of the skin.
They help the skin feel plumper, more hydrated, more supple.
Why Damp Skin Works So Well. When your skin is slightly damp after a shower, there is water sitting on the surface.
Humectants, naturally in your skin, or applied, help hold it; so skin oils can soften, (emollient) and seal in that moisture. (occlusive)
So instead of oil sitting on dry skin you get - hydration, softness and retention.
One Important area that is often missed:
Humectants need balance.
If used alone in very dry environments, they can pull water out of the skin instead of into it. That’s why pairing them with oils is so important.
Our skincare oils create a full organic, chemical free ritual:
Hydrator = aloe vera, water or a hydrosol that you apply = damp skin.
Skin oil = emollient + occlusive blends.
Which becomes skin that is hydrated, soften and sealed.
Humectants -receive
Emollients - soften
Occlusives - hold
That’s a complete cycle. 💖