Winter! Yes it’s the time of year that your skin can look and feel seriously parched, think lack-lustre, inflamed, or just plain devitalized. Chances are your skin is simply dehydrated and in need of some serious moisture boosting love! And let’s not forget, even those with oily skin can be suffering from dehydration too! After all just because your skin is oily doesn’t mean you are immune to external factors and lifestyle choices that deplete your skin’s water content. Dehydration is in fact characterized by a lack of water not oil.
Luckily dehydrated skin can be relieved with a combination of lifestyle changes and topical treatments. Below are 7 reasons you could be battling dehydrated skin and our recommendations for how to fix it.
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Water intake
Yes we all know that the number one way to counteract dehydration is to drink plenty of water! But there is the when and the how! This water intake actually needs to commence as soon as you awaken from blissful slumber! It is suggested that drinking approximately 2 glasses of water first thing is hands down the most ideal way to bring back your hydration levels, after all you’ve not replenished fluid levels for a number of hours over night.
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Not enough ‘quality’ sleep
Remember this as you will! Poor sleep leads to dehydration, dehydration causes poor sleep. Eek we have ourselves a vicious cycle here. Firstly before bed, prise that mobile phone out of your fingers (sooo guilty here!) and put it down! I don’t need to tell you the impact screen time has on you, secondly drink a glass of water prior to sleep, yes you may think bad idea as surely you’ll be up in the night stumbling to the bathroom but believe me your skin (and all other vital organs) will lap up that glass of water and you’ll be able to notice the difference in the morning! Finally turn off the light and get that precious shut eye as apparently those that sleep for an average of six hours a night are up to 59% more likely to be dehydrated that someone who sleeps for say 8 hours.
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Too much caffeine & alcohol
I’m not saying go cold turkey or anything as like me I love a good cuppa and won’t say no to a glass of vino in an evening, but if dehydration could be something you are suffering from, significantly reducing your intake of both caffeine and alcohol will dramatically benefit your skin. And for every coffee or alcoholic beverage to do indulge in, drink a glass of water!
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Your skincare regime or lack of
While it is necessary to hydrate your skin from the inside out it’s also very important to hydrate your skin at the surface level too. One of the best ways to achieve this is with a topical treatment to lock in moisture and prevent transepidermal water loss.
a) Use A Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Hyaluronic acid is the number one go to ingredient for effectively replenishing dehydrated skin, it helps bind and retain moisture, keeping skin soft and subtle and plump!
b) Apply a rich moisturiser at night
We all naturally lose moisture while we sleep so using a rich nourishing moisturiser prior to bed will help your skin stay hydrated.
c) Don’t use harsh face Scrub but do exfoliate!
As dead skin builds up, it can diminish the absorption of important skincare essentials like your serum and moisturiser, exfoliation is therefore an important skincare step in aiding the recovery of dehydrated skin,use once or twice a week only.
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Hot water
Hot water will strip your skin of its natural oils and those natural oils are what protect your skin against water loss by forming a barrier.
Believe me I know how indulgent a simple hot bath or shower feels especially on a cold morning or evening but you will thank me by telling you to turn down that heat and opt for a more lukewarm temp.
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Your daily diet
We already know that what you eat can impact your skin but did you know that our skin is reliant on essential fatty acids, think oily fish, nuts, and fresh green veggies to battle dehydration? So next time you decide to ‘diet’ consider how it might affect your complexion especially if you are depriving yourself of good fats.
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Heating/Air conditioning
As much as many of us have become reliant on heating or revised cycle air con in the cold months, both can dramatically disrupt the natural moisture balance in your skin. Now while it’s highly unlikely we’d be prepared to suffer the consequence of not turning the heating on, just make sure you balance your day with fresh air and if your skin is feeling particularly dry, keep on hand a spritz to add a burst of re-hydration when needed.
Most of us understand the negative impact of dehydration on our overall health but who knew it could wreak havoc with our skin!
