humectant

noun hu·mec·tant \ hyü-ˈmek-tənt \

|Updated on: 9 May 2018

Definition of humectant

: a substance that promotes retention of moisture

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humectant

adjective

Recent Examples of humectant from the Web

Commercial tortilla wraps contain a humectant, an additive that attracts water and keeps them lovely and soft for days.

— nicola temple, WSJ, "Give Processed Food a Break," 4 May 2018
Elliott says, detailing ingredients like a sugarcane derivative that acts as a humectant, and fermented polysaccharides that pack in the water.

— laura regensdorf, Vogue, "The One Facial You Need Just Landed in New York City—By Way of Japan," 23 Apr. 2018
For example, butylene glycol is an organic alcohol that’s often used for conditioning, and is a humectant.

— kathleen hou, The Cut, "What’s in Your Sheet Mask?," 28 Mar. 2018
Moisture-attracting humectants, like glycerin or hyaluronic acid (in Garnier's and Philosophy's, respectively), help strengthen weak skin cells.

— krista bennett demaio, Cosmopolitan, "9 Beauty Fails That Mess With Your Skin (and How to Fix Them)," 2 Jan. 2015
According to Shamban, brown sugar is a powerful player in the DIY world, thanks to the fact that it's packed with wrinkle-fighting glycolic acid, as well as natural humectants to keep your skin soft and smooth.

— ruby buddemeyer, Marie Claire, "3 Super-Simple DIY Body Scrubs for Your Next Saturday Crafternoon," 23 Feb. 2018
Look for formulas made with humectants — ingredients that draw in water from the air — such as hyaluronic acid or glycerin.

— jessica matlin, Cosmopolitan, "Why You Need to Start Using Eye Cream in Your 20s," 9 Aug. 2016
This hair texture can get dry, so look for styling gels that have humectants in them to attract moisture to strands.

— joane amay, Allure, "How to Figure Out Your Curl Type," 19 Jan. 2018
The blue glass bottle houses way more than just water, packing squalane, red algae, and a ton of humectants into a nourishing spray format.

— sarah wu, Teen Vogue, "Kim Kardashian Loves the Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'humectant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.