Is it better to apply pure oil or cream on the skin?

I'm sure you've asked yourself this question a thousand times: to hydrate my skin, is it better to use pure oil directly or creams containing vegetable oils?

Let's take a step back, right and to understand how our skin works.

The stratum corneum is made up of two compartments: a cellular one (the corneocytes, therefore the bricks) and an extracellular one (the cement), rich in lipids which fill the spaces existing between one cell and another.

Skin hydration is guaranteed if this skin barrier is well structured, intact and elastic.

The purpose of the oil or cream is to fit between these bricks and bring the lipids where they are needed.

Now let's see the difference:

1. Body oil is extremely hydrating but when we spread it on our skin it will form a film on the most superficial layer which makes it difficult to penetrate the underlying layers of the epidermis. This prevents a long-term hydrating effect because its absorption is slower and superficial and cannot penetrate the underlying layers to bring the precious lipids where they are needed.
2. When we spread an emulsion, which is a dispersion of many droplets of oil in water, the droplets will be able to insert themselves between one brick and another much more easily, managing to bring the lipids where they are needed and restore the hydration of the barrier: in this emulsion is much more effective. The body moisturizer cream is better for those looking for a long-term nourishment solution for their skin because it manages to penetrate deeper and bring the lipids where they are needed.

Having said this premise we say that:

CREAM beats OIL in the case of long-term hydration as the penetration capacity of oil droplets is greater in the emulsion

Two tips if you are an oil lover:

1️⃣ if you want you can enrich your cream with one or two drops of your favorite oil to give more nourishment to the skin

2️⃣ always choose vegetable oils as only with vegetable oils will you be able to provide the skin with essential fatty acids which will make the skin barrier functional and strong

3️⃣ massage the oil on damp, not dry skin