Skin Dehydration: A Major Cause of Premature Aging, Skin Sensitivity and Breakouts

How Dehydration Happens

When your skin becomes dehydrated, you experience symptoms of dryness, flakiness, roughness, irritation and cracking, hence the look of prematurely aged skin. In addition, oils in your skin that contain natural bacteria are trying to come to the surface of the skin to be washed away, but they can’t. They remain under the skin causing blockage and breakouts.

Extreme temperatures, air-conditioning, heaters, soap, medications, sun, alcohol and smoking, all affect the protective barrier of your skin, making it react easily to active ingredients or outside elements as a result. This is known as sensitive skin.

Through sun exposure, Ultra Violet Rays breakdown fibers in our skin known as elastin, which prevents the skin to snap back into shape, resulting in wrinkles. The sun also absorbs water from your skin which leads to lines and wrinkles looking deeper and more pronounced.

Healthy skin contains between 10-20% water. When your skin is less than 10% water, it is considered to be dehydrated.

How To Hydrate

Normally, your skin will maintain its own water level, however when outside elements are present, water loss increases in your Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF). Dehydration symptoms can be eliminated by replenishing the NMF and normalizing the Stratum Corneum, the outer layer of your skin. Water naturally binds to the NMF and this binding is what creates skin hydration.

Weekly exfoliation is key to removing dead skin cells to allow natural oils to come to the surface of the skin and ingredients to penetrate properly, followed by a protecting program. A proper skin routine will both supply hydrophilic substances to the Stratum Corneum that will attract and retain moisture. These substances will also restore and maintain the barrier of your skin to prevent further water loss. Drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water a day is also vital in hydrating the inside of your body.

When looking for ingredients in products, you should look for humectants that will hydrate the Stratum Corneum. Hyaluronic Acid is a naturally occurring sugar molecule that is found in our body but most abundantly in our skin, eyes and joints. Other beneficial ingredients include Lactic acid, Vitamin D, C and E, Flax Seed oil, Evening Primrose oil, Safflower oil, Borage oil and Linolenic acid. Internally, you should eat organic foods such as wheat germ, nuts, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, egg yolks, salmon, fortified milk, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes and citrus fruits.

By supplying your skin with internal nourishment and proper external care, you will maintain balance of your Stratum Corneum leading to healthy, strong and more youthful looking skin. Why not work to prevent rather than work to treat?