Hydrator vs. moisturizer

Hydrator and moisturizer are marketing terms. Moisturizers are oil-based ingredients and work by creating a seal on the surface of the skin to prevent water evaporating. Hydrators are ingredients called humectants that absorb water from the atmosphere or your skin and hold it in place on your skin.

Moisturizer is a universal term for moisturizer types: emollients (fats and oils), squalene (oil), humectants (hydrator, such as glycerine or hyaluronic acid), occlusive.