Ingredient glossary / Humectant
Trehalose
On the label: Trehalose · Humectant
What it is
A sugar that plants use to survive drying out; a humectant in serums and masks.
Humectants: Humectants draw water into the outer layer of skin from the air and the layers below; glycerin is the classic one.
Wikidata: Chemical compound from plants, fungi, bacteria. Q421773 →
In the research
225 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Adaptive laboratory evolution of Cupriavidus necator to sodium salts as a whole cell engineering strategy for enhanced trehalose production · Microbial cell factories, 2026
- Trehalose alleviates oxidative stress-induced senescence and is associated with cell-cycle remodeling · Molecular and cellular biochemistry, 2026
- Beyond the Alarmin: Nuclear Interleukin-33 and Skin Barrier Dysfunction in Atopic Dermatitis · Journal of clinical medicine, 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Other humectants
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.