Why is it important to saturate our skin with water prior to oil-based lotions?

Saturating your skin with water prior to applying oil-based lotions or moisturizers is important because it helps to lock in moisture and improve the effectiveness of the moisturizer. Water molecules are small enough to penetrate the outer layer of your skin and hydrate the deeper layers, while oil-based moisturizers form a barrier on the surface of your skin to prevent moisture loss.

When you apply an oil-based lotion or moisturizer to dry skin, the product can actually trap in dryness and prevent water from penetrating the skin. This can leave your skin feeling greasy, oily, or dry and flaky. However, when you saturate your skin with water first, the water can penetrate the deeper layers of your skin and hydrate it from within. Then, when you apply your moisturizer on top, it can lock in that moisture and create a protective barrier on the surface of your skin.

So, by saturating your skin with water prior to applying oil-based lotions or moisturizers, you can help ensure that your skin is getting the hydration it needs to look and feel its best.

"I discovered the key to integrating water is to saturate our skin prior to oil-based lotions. The breakthrough led to our water Water Intergation applications locking in hydration for healthies cells."

- Julia Faller, founder and formulator at Benedetta Skin Care

A Benedetta Core Principle

Here at Benedetta, one of the most important tenets of our system is hydration and water integration. Water is the single most important substance to enliven our system and our skin. Your skin is 64% water and our cells need and thrive in a water-rich environment. Adequate hydration helps our skin maintain balance, aid nutrient uptake, and more importantly, look and feel healthy. As we age, we lose the hydration our cells need and skin dehydrates quicker, leading to wrinkles, puffiness, and sagging.

Where It Started

Our Crystal Radiance Hydrating Elixirs, created in 1986, were the first of their kind to use gem elixirs, plant aromatic hydrosols, essential oils and more to hydrate the skin. They were developed to introduce nourishment and deeper hydration before adding oil-based preparations during the day as well as alone at night to bring the skin into balance and harmony while we sleep. 

This was once a new concept 30 years ago, but today it’s part of any conscientious skin care ritual, or at least it should be. Our elixirs should never be mistaken for a toner, (our Creme Cleansers do that already), but instead are a purposeful solution to integrate water and prepare the skin for further treatments.  This started the whole idea of water saturation and its systemic effect on our body’s health and lastly our skins visible appearance.

Water Comes in Many Forms

The water we refer to comes from either a natural source, like spring water, or has gone through a process of steam distillation using spring water and chosen plant material to create what we term distillates or hydrosols. It could also mean water through an ingredient like aloe vera from fresh filleted leaves which we have immediately shipped to us within days of harvest. Our certified organic Aloe Vera consists 99% water has 75% active nutrient constituents, some of which include, amino acids, enzymes, mucopolysaccharides, and fatty acids. 

Benedetta Water Integration

Water integration plays a key role in the Benedetta system; each formulation and system of use isn’t complete without integrating water at the right levels for the skin to utilize and absorb it. Water is a facilitator and delivery system for essential nutrient absorption and is something Benedetta utilizes synergistically in many products as well as our system of layering one product after another. This is sort of a water to oil ratio to lock in hydration, with the exception of our 3-Step Nighttime Facial Regimen that basically include all water-based preparations. A purposeful holistic approach to bringing the skin into balance and harmony while we sleep. 

Our 5-Step Daytime Facial Regimen, for instance, has a 5-step procedure that interlaces water, then oil, then water and so on to enhance saturation. Our Body Care line also integrates water with our Hydrosols and Body Crèmes. Most recently we’ve launched our Hydrosol and Body Crème Duos where you can purchase the products as a set, to really emphasize that importance of using a Hydrosol prior to applying your Body Crèmes. And our newest line, the Ombre Del Sole series, has the Defense and Repair Elixir to introduce that water element prior to applying our Defense and Repair Oil or our Defense and Repair Crème

The key to cell renewal, healthy skin and ultimately anti-aging is multifaceted. Genetics, environment, and poor lifestyle choices all play a role in dehydration and eventually aging. It is apparent that no matter the cause, the solution is to reap the benefits of a conscious, healthy lifestyle with water being a key component.