The Importance of Hydration - How to Hydrate My Skin?

How many times have you heard to “hydrate your skin”?

This is something often said in the skincare world, so let’s dive into what this really means and why it is important... 

Without proper hydration, your skin loses it strength and elasticity. Alike the rest of our body, it needs water to continue looking, feeling, and being healthy. Hydration is an aspect that we should all consider in our skincare routines and day-to-day life - no matter your skin type! Although, if you consider yourself to have dry or dehydrated skin, then hydration should be a key focus in your skincare routine.  

How Does Skin Stay Hydrated? 

You have layers to your skin that – amongst other things – act as a built-in barrier to retain water. The outer layer, or ‘stratum corneum’ is comprised of dead skin cells and fats called lipids that align alike a defensive wall. Think of it as the security that keeps water locked inside of your inner layers. Although sometimes the security falters. When this happens, your skin cells beneath the barrier will become dehydrated. 

The Effects of Dehydrated Skin 

So, the water in your skin cells has decreased, now what? Well as your skin cells shrivel, your skin becomes duller and drier. 

But dryness is not the last of the problems. Dehydrated skin allows for more irritants and germs to find their way through the skin cell barrier. Then, it lacks the water needed to flush away these toxins. Leading not only to flaky, cracked skin, but the possibility of itchy, inflamed skin that is extremely uncomfortable to live with. To top it all off, dehydrated/ dry skin will also enhance the appearance of fine and wrinkles. 

How Do Hydration Products Work? 

A skincare product promising hydration will include certain hydrating ingredients called ‘humectants’. One of these ingredients is called glycerin, which you can find in our ultimate hydration serum, Hydra. This hydrator will first absorb water from both the atmosphere and your skin. As well as go beneath the skin barrier to infuse this water into your cells.  

The way you apply your skincare products can add to their effectiveness. We recommend applying Hydra after cleansing. Gently dab the product on and blend in until fully absorbed. After application, gently tap the skin with your fingertips to encourage the serum to penetrate down to the deepest layers of your skin. 

Sources 

HealthLine | WebMD  | Dermwt