Beauty Glossary: Humectant

Moisturizers:  Humectants
Derived from Latin humectus (moist)
Humectants are a class of conditioners for hair and skin that work by absorbing water from the environment and promoting water retention.
A humectant is a hygroscopic substance. It is often a molecule with several hydrophilic groups, most often hydroxyl groups, but amines and carboxyl groups, sometimes esterified, can [...]