Natural Moisturizing Factor
: Properties and Cosmetic Use Similar to the Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), it contains highly moisturizing substances found in the stratum corneum. TheNatural Moisturizing Factor isa complex of water-soluble and/or water-dispersible molecules present in the intercellular spaces of the stratum corneum and, particularly, on the skin’s surface, resulting from various physiological processes that occur at the skin level. Due to their hygroscopic properties, most of its components are capable of absorbing and retaining water in the stratum corneum; for this reason, they are used as moisturizing agents to supplement the function of the NMF in skin where it is deficient, for example, in normal skin subjected to frequent washing with surfactants or in aged skin.
