Monday, May 10, 2021

Difference between moisturizer and cream

The major difference between a moisturizer and a cream is that the moisturizer is designed to hydrate moisture back into the skin, while the cream is designed for cosmetic or medicinal use, contains a high amount of oil, and has to be rubbed into the skin for absorption.

Pharmaceutical dosage forms are intended to deliver the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) to the particular part of the body, they can in the form of solid, liquid, semi-solid, and gas by the oral, topical, parenteral, and inhalation route of drug administration. Semisolid dosage forms are applied to the skin or mucous membranes for therapeutic, preventive purposes as well as cosmetic purposes. Creams, ointments, gels, lotions, pastes, emulsions, foams, suppositories, are meant to be applied on the skin for localized delivery of drugs to the affected areas.

Moisturizer and cream are semisolid dosage forms both are often a mixture of water, oil, waxes, and excipients. Creams and moisturizers are used to keep the skin hydrated. Both are easy to spread, quickly absorbed, and feels light on the skin. Many cosmetic manufacturers offer a wide range of creams and moisturizing products for use in cosmetics all over the world.

Difference between moisturizer and cream:

  • Moisturizers have lower oil content than creams, while creams have higher oil content than moisturizers.
  • Moisturizers are very light compared to creams and are absorbed into the skin, while creams block the moisture content of the skin.
  • Moisturizers are rapidly absorbed by the skin, while creams are thicker and take longer to be absorbed.
  • Moisturizers are thicker than creams, while creams are less thick than moisturizers.
  • Moisturizer is suitable for oily or normal skin and is required to prevent skin irritation, while creams are generally suitable for those with dry to extremely dry skin.
  • The moisturizer is used to keep skin moist and hydrated, while the cream is applied before moisturizing your skin for absorption.
  • Moisturizers are lighter and may need the more frequent application, whereas cream has a thick texture and does not need more frequent application.
  • Moisturizers are more suitable in cold weather and hot weather, while creams are more suitable in cold weather.

The similarity between moisturizer and cream:

Moisturizer and cream both are semisolid preparation intended to use on the skin for cosmetic and therapeutic purposes. Moisturizer is used to restore moisture to the skin, while the cream blocks and prevents moisture loss.


Commonly asked questions on moisturizer and cream are as follows.

Which is better face cream or moisturizer?
Face cream and moisturizer both are intended to moisturize the skin however a face moisturizer is more effective for dry skin than a face cream.

What is the difference between night creams and moisturizers?
The major difference between night creams and moisturizers is that the night creams typically heavier in texture and are best for combination and dry skin types, whereas moisturizers tend to be more lightweight than night creams and are ideal to wear underneath makeup.


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