Hello,
This is Martha Thomas, head of customer care for Tree of Life Beauty, and I want to welcome you to our blog where we discuss important ways to age gracefully, "how-tos" for keeping skin healthy as you age, and so much more.
This week we will discuss how to "Stay Hydrated For Youthful Skin" If you missed any of our past blog posts, please check them out here on our website.
Please be advised that we are not doctors or dermatologists, and this article should not be taken as medical advice or any medical statement. Any questions or issues involving your skin-care needs should be taken up with a physician, and we highly recommend you consult with your doctor before taking up any skin-care regimen.
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Your skin is made up of 64% water. When skin cells are missing that water, they stop functioning properly. This can lead to tired, damaged, wrinkly skin.
But can’t you just drink water for a glowing, youthful face?
Yes and no. When celebrities are asked how they get such gorgeous skin, they often attribute it to drinking a lot of water. While they’re not wrong that consuming water is crucial to the overall function of the body, the skin is unique in terms of staying hydrated.
Your skin is your body’s protection from the outside world. That means that it’s being constantly bombarded with pollutants, toxins, and bacteria at all times of the day. It’s helping your body stay healthy, but it can take a beating in the process. Also, because skin exists to protect the organs, dehydration often hits skin first.
The Importance of Staying Hydrated
Your body is an organ and its cells are made up of water. Without this water, the cells stop working, and the organs can’t do their job in your body. For the skin, this means that oil production slows down and the skin becomes dull, dry, tight, flaky, and red. Dehydrated face can look tired, making fine lines look even more pronounced.
Additionally, water helps keep your skin’s pH level balanced; a stable pH level is essential to youthful, age-defying skin.
Hydrated skin has the water it needs to keep these processes going. It creates a barrier that allows your skin to remain firm and resilient against environmental damage and toxins; this in turn helps protect the rest of your body from harm. When this barrier breaks down, irritants can seep through the dry cracks of the dehydrated face. This can lead to acne, spots, redness and clogged pores. Furthermore, dehydration triggers the oil glands in the skin to produce more oil (in the hopes of recreating that hydration barrier); this can then lead to oily skin and deep-rooted acne.
Without the proper balance of water, skin appears dull, irritated, tired, and aged. Hydration is the key to radiantly healthy skin.
How To Stay Hydrated
To get the strongest benefits, it’s important to hydrate from both the inside-out and the outside-in.
- Drink water.
Although it won’t get the job done by itself, drinking water is the foundation to skin hydration. Consuming sufficient water not only keeps your organs hydrated, but it can also help detox the body as well.
It is recommended that the average person drink 8 glasses of water per day. However, hydration needs are different for everyone, so it’s important to take note of your body (especially with regards to exercise and sweating). It’s best to consume water throughout the day, rather than all at once.
- Eat fruits and veggies.
Consuming highly waterlogged foods is a delicious way to ensure your body gets all the hydration and nutritious benefits it needs. Cucumbers and watermelon have especially high water concentrations. What other foods should you eat for age-defying skin?
- Use a humidifier.
If you live in a dry climate or tend to wake up thirsty, you could be losing a lot of water while you sleep. Keep your bedroom moist at night with a humidifier, which can help replenish your pores and help you breathe easier. This is especially important in the winter months.
Oh, and get enough sleep while you use your humidifier! Your body uses sleep as a period to reset all organ functions. Without enough water or sleep, your cells don’t have the energy to continue working properly.
- Drink less alcohol.
We know that sweating, dancing, and sitting on the beach can get you dehydrated, but did you know that alcohol dehydrates you as well? If you cut back on your alcohol intake and drink one glass of water for every cocktail you have, you’ll likely start feeling and looking more radiant (and less tired).
- Put on your moisturizer after the bath or shower.
Steam from your bath or shower opens up your pores, making them more vulnerable to whatever product you use next. Applying a moisturizer right after your shower will help it be better absorbed by the skin, so you’ll get more hydrating benefits for the same amount of product.
- Use hydrating products.
Putting water on your face won’t add moisture. You need to use a quality serum and moisturizer to keep your face hydrated and glowing. You can use almost any moisturizer based on your skin’s needs, as long as it is thin and lightweight. That’s a major reason that lightweight serums have become popular as a primary moisturizer.
Hyaluronic acid is our favorite hydrating ingredient. It can penetrate deeply into the skin and hold 1,000 times its weight in water. This attracts and retains water for stunningly supple skin.
Other hydrating ingredients to look for include:
- Avocado butter
- Olive butter
- Jojoba butter
- Shea butter
- Glycerin
- Aloe Vera
- Green tea
The Bottom Line
Keep your skin hydrated for healthy, glowing, and youthful skin. Try any of our moisturizing serums or lightweight creams to give you back the hydrated radiance your skin craves. Beauty starts with a glass of water and ends with the right moisturizer.