What Your Skin Says About You

Your skin tells so much about you: your hydration level, whether or not you use sunscreen regularly, even your age. Your skin's appearance, however, can be deceiving. Dry skin resulting from lack of hydration, frequent hand washing and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer or harsh chemicals can make your skin look old and unhealthy. Dry, itchy skin can compromise your the natural protective barrier, possibly putting you at a higher risk for skin infections. 

Emollients 

There are three types of moisturizers that help to maintain healthy skin hydration:

• Humectants
• Emollients
• Occlusives 

We're going to explore emollients in this segment. Please see "Keratin: Why We Should Care a Ton" for more information about your skin, and "Humectants: A Friend to Your Skin" to learn more about humectants.

Emollient means "soothing especially to the skin or mucous membrane," according to Merriam-Webster. That sounds like a tissue commercial! The Latin root, emollire, means to soften and is where we get the word "mollify," or "to soothe in temper or disposition." Don't we all wish moisturizers could do that, too?  

How They Work

Emollients can soothe and heal dry skin even when caused my conditions such as diabetes, psoriasis, hypothyroidism, and eczema. They are used often to treat diaper rash and even chemical burns from radiation treatments.

There are many types of emollients, of course, but only "esters" play well with alcohol because they are actually derived from alcohol. If you want an alcohol-based hand cleanser for the antiseptic attributes, but also want to keep your hands from drying out, make sure it contains ester emollients.  

Why We Care 

The formulators of COMPEL chose an ester emollient naturally derived from coconuts that leaves hands looking smooth and feeling soft but without a greasy residue. But, hey!  Let's not get so caught up in shallow feelings and appearances!  The beauty of the formula (see what I did there?) is how the emollient partners with the humectant to maintain the health of your skin. The ingredients in COMPEL work and play well together, offering the antiseptic power of alcohol and the gentle healing of moisturizers.

Don't worry!  You won't smell like you just came from the beach (or the Tiki Bar!).  The emollient does not have a coconut scent.  In fact, COMPEL's formula is fragrance free allowing your skin to enjoy the feel without the flavor. 
Just in case you're disappointed that this blog isn't actually about coconut smoothies, I've provided a link to a recipe here!