Our skin is the most precious and largest organ. The skin has so many uses; without it, we cannot get by. Once affected, it is safe to say that the whole day is ruined. Whether you work in fashion, finance, or tech, No one, absolutely nobody, wants their skin to look sallow, pale, or worse, dry.
There are two kinds of “dry skin”. Firstly, one must be certain that their skin is dry or dehydrated. Let’s look at the difference.
What Is Dehydrated Skin?
Dehydrated skin refers to skin that lacks sufficient moisture or water content, despite the presence of natural oils. It results in a loss of resiliency; to determine, “if the skin is pinched, it remains tented because of a lack of hydration”. In summation, dehydrated skin is a lack of water, not oil.
Dry skin, on the other hand, is characterized by fewer oil-producing glands on the face and body. This results in the skin looking flaky, rough, and, as the name implies, dry.
Both are compatible, so one can have dehydrated and dry skin. To put it simply, dry skin lacks oil, which affects the skin barrier function and, in turn, leads to a loss of water, leading to dehydrated skin.
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How To Keep The Skin Hydrated?
- Reduce Hot showers: Believe it or not, hot showers dry out the skin. It might not feel like it at first because it tends to relax the atmosphere. However hot showers and baths draw out water from the skin and evaporate into the shower. Therefore dehydrating the skin. The best showers are short, lukewarm baths to ensure water stays within the skin. To ensure that each bath or shower leaves your skin hydrated, invest in body washes with ingredients like hyaluronic acids, etc.
- Invest in a humidifier: This is crucial in the winter months. Ensure there’s a humidifier installed in rooms that you frequent. They increase the humidity in the air, so your skin does not dry out.
- Avoid harsh cleansers: These little things have swept off the self-care market. Just as easily as they came, they’ve dominated every purse, shelf, and travel-size pouch available. Unfortunately, there are a ton of dangerous cleaners out there. What damage do they cause? They strip the skin of its natural and moisturizing factors and allow micro cuts and cracks on the top layer of the skin. The results are redness, eczema, cracking, and the star of the show—drying. Acquire gentle cleansers instead. Look out for ingredients such as hydroxy and salicylic acid and avoid them.
- Shun over-cleansing: Our skin is the largest excretory organ. We do not need excessive synthetic cleansing practices. Besides the twice-a-day washing of the face in the morning and night, overindulgence kills the microbiome and moisturizing agents. If you must cleanse more than twice a day, board-certified dermatologists recommend applying a light moisturizer post-cleanse to replace any dehydration.
- Leave your skin moist after cleansing: Towel dry your skin and face by gentle tapping as opposed to the harsh dabbing most are accustomed to. It helps ensure the moisturizer you apply will be absorbed into the skin without restriction.
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Seek Out These Hydrating Skincare Ingredients
These three ingredients should be incorporated into your daily skincare to maintain a supple, hydrated look. Each is exceedingly important.
- Humectants: e.g., glycerine, hyaluronic acid. They bind water to the outer layer of the skin and need to be used with other elements to retain moisture in the skin.
- Emollients: e.g., ceramide, squalane It helps with skin barrier function. Leads to enhancement of skin texture and exterior
- Occlusives: e.g., beeswax, mineral oil, petrolatum. They are oils or waxes that create a non-reactive barrier on the skin’s surface, effectively preventing transepidermal loss, which is the natural evaporation of water from the skin.
Some Other Pertinent Tips
Maintain a healthy diet; this encompasses consuming water-rich and antioxidant-rich foods. Fruits and vegetables are great for gut health and skin, too. They increase the water content of the body while also making the skin healthy with daily moisturizers. Some goods include beets, nuts, spinach, mushrooms, healthy fats like avocados, seeds, and oily fish.
Drink more water and avoid dehydrating drinks like alcohol and excessive caffeinated drinks. They cause systemic dehydration, leading to the skin looking pale and sallow.
