Moisturizing cream: the key step to seal hydration
As the final step in the Japanese skincare ritual, moisturizer plays an essential role in a complete beauty routine. It does not replace previous hydration steps, such as lotion, essence, or serum; its primary purpose is to seal in moisture, strengthen the skin barrier, and protect the skin from external aggressors.
Moisturizer: What is its true role?
In a Western routine, cream is often considered the primary, sometimes even the sole, hydration step. In the Japanese ritual, its role is more precise: it comes after aqueous and active treatments to help the skin retain water and the benefits provided by previous steps.
Its objective is therefore not only to provide immediate comfort. It primarily helps limit water loss, support the hydrolipidic film, and create a more stable protective layer on the skin's surface.
Why is cream applied last?
In the logic of Japanese layering, products are applied from lightest to richest. Cream, with its more enveloping texture, stays on the surface longer to form a protective film. It acts as a shield that helps maintain the skin's balance.
- It limits the evaporation of water contained in the skin, also known as transepidermal water loss.
- It reduces the penetration of external particles such as pollution, dust, or certain allergens.
- It extends the effectiveness of the active ingredients contained in the lotion, serum, essence, or oil applied beforehand.
What are the benefits for the skin?
When chosen correctly, moisturizer helps the skin stay suppler, more comfortable, and better protected throughout the day or night. It supports the skin barrier, which is essential for maintaining balanced skin that is less prone to feelings of discomfort.
- It maintains the hydration achieved throughout the routine.
- It strengthens the skin barrier, essential for healthy skin.
- It provides comfort, improves suppleness, and preserves softness.
- It adapts to different skin types and times of day thanks to the diversity of its textures.
How to choose the right texture?
The texture of a cream should be chosen according to the skin type, season, time of day, and the richness of the products applied before it.
Depending on its texture, it can meet very different needs: a fluid cream for daytime or summer, a rich texture to balance and protect, or a richer formula for mature skin, cold periods, or evening routines.
Fluid textures
Fluid textures are ideal for young skin, daytime routines, warm periods, or routines that are already rich in hydrating products. They are particularly suitable when the skin has already received several steps of care and primarily needs to be protected without being weighed down.
Fluid textures for a light routine
Regena Facial Milk
Regena Facial Milk
Waphyto A light and fluid texture, ideal for comfortably hydrating the skin during the day without a greasy effect. Its botanical formula nourishes and softens the skin while maintaining a fresh finish.
Ultra-Hydrating Cream
Ultra-Hydrating Cream
Ruhaku A meltingly light cream, particularly suitable for skin that seeks hydration without a heavy feel. Rich in antioxidants from Okinawa's gettou, it helps protect, nourish, and smooth the skin.
Flowers in Bloom Cream
Flowers in Bloom Cream
IREN Shizen A fluid and comfortable cream, designed to support skin seeking radiance, suppleness, and daily hydration. It is suitable for modern, light, and effective routines.
DECORTÉ Double Hydration
Double hydration is a concept developed by DECORTÉ that reverses the codes of layering: the emulsion is applied before the lotion.
It softens the skin and prepares it to better absorb the water provided by the lotion, for skin that is suppler, plumper, and more radiant, and more receptive to subsequent treatments.
Normal to rich textures
Normal to rich textures offer a balance between comfort, protection, and lightness. They are suitable for young skin in winter, in the evening, but also for mature skin in summer or in the morning, when a too-rich texture would be less comfortable.
They are also interesting for sensitive skin in a minimalist and reparative routine with few active ingredients, as they provide a feeling of protection without overloading the skin.
Rich textures to protect without weighing down
Rice Ferment Moisturizing Cream
Rice Ferment Moisturizing Cream
Bizen A velvety, non-greasy texture, formulated with 38% rice ferment, niacinamide, and rice oil. It helps maintain skin balance and stable hydration throughout the day.
Liposome Advanced Cream
Liposome Advanced Cream
DECORTÉ An enveloping and comfortable texture, ideal for enhancing the feeling of hydration and suppleness. It easily integrates into a day or evening routine, depending on the skin's needs.
AQ Absolute Radiance Protective Day Cream SPF15
AQ Absolute Radiance Protective Day Cream SPF15
DECORTÉ A day cream combined with SPF, designed to protect the skin, maintain its comfort, and support daily hydration. It is suitable for skin that seeks a refined texture, neither too light nor too rich.
Kanazawa Beauty Face Cream
Kanazawa Beauty Face Cream
Makanai An airy texture that melts into the skin. It is particularly suitable for combination skin, skin prone to shine, or those seeking a comfortable treatment with a silky finish.
Rich textures
Rich textures are ideal when the skin lacks comfort, nourishment, or protection. They are particularly suitable for mature skin, cold periods, evening routines, and times when the skin needs a more enveloping treatment.
They are also recommended in winter, when the skin barrier is more fragile due to cold, wind, temperature variations, and dry air.
Rich textures to nourish and repair
Adaptogenic Nourishing Cream
Adaptogenic Nourishing Cream
Ipsum Alii A rich and nourishing cream, formulated with adaptogenic plant actives to help the skin better resist environmental stress. It is ideal for mature skin, winter routines, or evening care.
DECORTÉ AQ Absolute X Cream
DECORTÉ AQ Absolute X Cream
DECORTÉ For mature skin, lacking density or comfort, a more expert cream can also be beneficial. DECORTÉ's Absolute X Cream combines nourishment, firmness, and radiance to help the skin regain a denser, suppler, and more luminous appearance. Its rich and enveloping texture makes it an ideal evening ritual treatment, when the skin needs more comprehensive support.
AQ Sculpting Balm Cream
AQ Sculpting Balm Cream
DECORTÉ A more enveloping balm texture, ideal when the skin needs a cocooning treatment. It is particularly suitable for mature skin, cold periods, or evening routines focused on comfort and repair.
Regena Enriched Cream
Regena Enriched Cream
Waphyto A night treatment with botanical extracts, featuring a generous texture suitable for skin lacking comfort. It helps to nourish, soothe, and support the skin during sleep.
When and how to apply your cream?
When?
In the morning, cream is applied as the last step in your skincare routine, after lotion, essence, and serums, and before sunscreen.
In the evening, a richer cream can be chosen, especially if the skin is dry, mature, sensitive, or exposed to cold. In summer, a fluid or light texture may suffice, especially if the routine already includes several hydrating products.
How?
Apply a small amount to clean and hydrated skin. Gently spread over the entire face and neck, without excessive massaging, to preserve the quality of the hydrolipidic film.
Cream should not smother the skin: it should simply seal in the routine, protect the skin barrier and maintain the hydration provided by previous treatments.
How to choose the right moisturizer
Choosing the right cream is therefore not just about choosing a moisturizing product. It's about choosing the right texture, at the right time, to help the skin retain its water, strengthen its skin barrier and prolong the benefits of the entire routine.
