Face Cream, Moisturizer, or Mist? A Hydration Guide for All Skin Types

The beauty aisle features a plethora of face creams, moisturizers, oils, serums, and mists. It’s often difficult to decide which one to get. With a dizzying array of options, choosing the ideal product for your skin can be overwhelming. Here’s a quick guide on the difference between face creams, moisturizers, and face mists and when you should use them.

Hydration and moisture are two distinct skin care needs. Hydration refers to the skin’s ability to attract water. Products that promote hydration contain humectants or ingredients that attract water and draw it into the deeper layers of the skin. Examples of hydrating ingredients include honey, gelatin, urea, sorbitol, panthenol, hyaluronic acid, and alpha hydroxy acids.

Once the skin is hydrated, moisturizing ingredients can help lubricate the skin to prevent moisture from escaping. A simple way to differentiate one from the other is to remember that hydration refers to water, while moisturization refers to oil.

Some types of moisturizers might include:

Occlusives – petroleum jelly, beeswax, mineral oil, and lanolin are some examples of oils or lipids that form a layer on the skin to prevent water loss.

Emollients – fatty acids and fatty alcohols strengthen the skin’s barrier function and improve appearance and texture.

Protein rejuvenators – collagen, keratin, and elastin all replenish essential proteins that may rejuvenate the skin.

Ceramides – can help improve barrier function and improve moisture retention.

A face cream like POND'S Bright Miracle Day Cream has ceramides that lock in skin moisture to keep it hydrated. It also contains niasorcinol, which controls sebum production and brightens the skin. Together, these ingredients reduce pore size, clear the skin, and improve texture.

Face mist spray, beauty mist, hydration mist, dew mist – this skin care product goes by many names. More than fancy, nice-smelling water, face mists are effective at quenching the skin’s thirst. You can use them throughout the day or whenever your skin needs an extra boost of hydration.

Pro tip: keep one in the fridge to help you survive scorching Philippine summers. Have a face mist in handy. Set it about a foot away from your face and spray it evenly.

Most face mists have humectants that provide a burst of hydration without the sticky feeling. Spraying your face throughout the day will prevent moisture from evaporating. A word of caution: you should not replace your moisturizer with a face mist. Humectants alone won’t get the job done and might even reverse the hydrating effects of these products. Make sure you have a layer of cream or moisturizer before using your face mist.

Moisture is essential to all skin types, but choosing a texture that suits it is key. If your skin is oily, it might benefit from a gel or water-based moisturizer that’s lightweight and easy to absorb. A heavy, oil-based face cream would be better for dry or combination skin. During the day, you can use a face mist to touch up.

POND'S Bright Miracle Day Cream Normal goes deep inside your skin to brighten from within with niasorcinol. It also contains UV filters that protect skin from sun damage, giving you that lit-from-within glow.

Hydration addresses multiple skin concerns, from fine lines and wrinkles to rough texture, uneven skin tone, cell regeneration, pigmentation, and clarity. If your skin is oily, hydration will balance it out. If you have dry skin, it will quench it. Find the appropriate face cream for your needs, and your life might take a (moisturized) turn for the better.