Hydration 101

Hydration 101

If there’s one easy way to keep skin plumped and glowing in this intense summer heat, it's definitely hydration. It’s one of the easiest things you can do to boost your skin’s health and get that radiant summer look that screams holiday glow.

 

As the temperature rises we’re all sweating more than usual and that water loss can have a visible impact on your skin. How? Dehydrated skin impacts the cells that sit underneath the outer layer of your skin. When we’re low on water, these cells will shrivel, much like a deflated balloon. That changes your skin's structure; it lowers the surface tension of the top layer of your skin so wrinkles are more visible and skin can look drawn and sagging.

 

So here are 5 things you can do to keep your skin plumped and glowing as the temperature rise:

 

  • Boost moisture within your skin by applying a humectant (water-loving hydrators) like hyaluronic acid. This compounds acts like a sponge, inflating those cells below the skin’s surface and retaining moisture. Remember to apply it to damp skin to introduce the water it needs to draw into your skin. HA generally lasts for 8 hours, so when it’s really hot, think about applying it twice a day.
  • Lock in hydration. After applying hyaluronic acid, apply a moisturiser or facial oil to lock in that hydration and reduce the rate of water loss.
  • Make sure you are drinking enough water. The key here is to make sure you have ‘enough’. Contrary to popular wisdom, drinking a lot more water  won’t deliver more moisture to your skin. 3-5 glasses of water a day should do the trick.
  • Think lipids and fatty acids. These are the compounds that contribute to restoring moisture and elasticity to your skin. A good quality facial oil that contains these compounds naturally is will contain these compounds and can give your skin an extra boost.
  • Keep your skin barrier as healthy as possible. It’s the outer layer that acts as your skin’s gatekeeper. A healthy skin barrier will be more efficient at keeping skin moisturised so avoid harsh cleansers, overworking your skin with too many products and hot showers. 
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