Having fun with my skin moisture analyser!
There’s this little something that I’ve been wanting to show you, and that’s my brand new skin moisture analyser. It’s a little tool that measures the amount of moisture and oil on your skin, so that you can tell if your skincare products are working and whether your skin is healthy.
There are many models of skin moisture analysers out there but they all work via the same technology, known as the bioelectrical impedance analysis technology. If you’re thinking that means electricity is involved, you are right. Do read on to find out more about this technology, why it’s important for you to understand it, and see how it works on me in real life.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) Technology: How it Works
In short, a closed circuit is created and a small electrical current passes through the two electrodes on the analyser/instrument when they are placed onto your skin’s surface. If you have more water content in or on your skin, the better the electricity can flow through (due to less resistance) and vice versa. Therefore, by measuring how easily the electric current can flow through your skin, the analyser will be able to tell how well-moisturised your skin is.
{For weighing scales that measure amount of body fat, the technology used is the same. Fat does not conduct electricity like water does, so if you have more fat in your body, the electricity doesn’t flow as well through you.}
Why is This Important?
The analyser cannot discern the depth of the moisture it senses. This means that the moisture can either be present in your skin cells or on the surface of your skin. If the moisture is present only on the surface of the skin, this means that the moisture is not absorbed by the skin. In this case, what the analyser measures is your natural skin moisture level plus that of whatever is not absorbed. This means you will get a higher moisture rating than what you do have.
When testing to see if a skin care product works to moisturise your skin, the best way is to do it following these steps:
- Before starting on your new skincare product, place the electrodes of the analyser onto your clean, dry face. Wait for the reading to be out and record it somewhere when it is.
- Use your skincare product as per its instructions for a week or two.
- After two weeks, place the electrodes of the analyser again onto your clean, dry face. Wait for the reading to be out and compare it with the previous reading. If your skincare product works, you will see an increase in the skin’s moisture level even without the product applied on it.
If a beauty brand tries to tell you otherwise, that the higher reading on the skin moisture analyser immediately after applying their product proves that your skin is better hydrated, don’t be fooled. Products need time to be absorbed into your skin. The higher reading is purely due to the product that is sitting on the surface of your skin and does not necessarily translate into skin-loving benefits that the product claims to have.
Click on the next tab to see a demo of me using my analyser, complete with analysis results before and after applying a layer of moisturiser.
And a Demo
I tried it on my clean, dry skin. No moisturiser was applied before this. Analysis result: 17% moisture, 25.5% oil.
Ah, just applying some moisturiser to get things going.
New analysis results: 36.1% moisture, 24.5% oil. The improvement is just superficial.
As you can see, the moisture level reading increased more than two-fold right after applying my moisturiser. You need to remember though, that this doesn’t mean my skin is more than twice moisturised! It will need about 2 weeks from now to see if there is an improvement from my initial reading of 17% moisture – and all this measured on clean and dry skin.
I hope this has helped you learn a thing or two about skin moisture analysers and the science behind them. They are battery operated and although electric currents are involved, you don’t feel a thing when using them. They aren’t all 100% accurate, but are a great way to help you see if your skincare products deliver what you expect them to. Also, remember to clean the electrodes well after use, so that nothing comes between your skin and them, which can alter readings.
Most importantly, have fun! Try it on your family members too if you like. Who knows, your dad could be more hydrated than you are.
Stay moisturised,
Roxanne