Published: April 15, 2023
It’s no secret that water is essential when it comes to keeping the body healthy. After all, roughly 60% of the human body consists of water, with the skin itself containing slightly more than this.
While this may be the case, statistics show that around 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. This not only has detrimental effects on a person’s health, but also on their complexion.
If you know that you’re guilty of not paying close enough attention to providing enough hydration for your skin and body, then read on. Bionyx is about to dive deep into the details of why hydration for your skin is so important, along with tips on how to rehydrate a thirsty complexion.
The Benefits of Hydration for Your Skin and Body
When it comes down to it, just about every bodily function requires water. From your brain, which performs to a higher standard when kept sufficiently hydrated, to your heart, which uses water to regulate blood pressure, hydration is needed for everything in the body.
So, with the skin being the body’s largest organ, it should come as no surprise that good hydration for your skin is absolutely vital. Your skin performs so many essential functions. It regulates your body temperature, eliminates toxins, and protects your body from all of the harmful compounds that the environment throws at it. However, in order to do this effectively, it needs to be kept hydrated.
When Dehydration Occurs…
It’s pretty easy to tell when your skin is feeling happily hydrated. It will look plump and soft, and it will emit a radiant glow. After all, your skin cells are drinking up all of the water that they need in order to function to their full potential.
However, when hydration for your skin is lacking, then problems start to occur…
Dehydrated skin lacks the glowing radiance that hydrated skin boasts. It will look dull and can often feel uncomfortably tight. It can even be accompanied by itching and scaly patches. Fine lines and wrinkles also suddenly become so much more noticeable when the skin is dehydrated.
Dehydration vs Dryness
Dehydrated skin may sound a little like dry skin. However, the two are very different. Dry skin is a skin type that doesn’t produce enough sebum, which is its natural oil. As a result, it fails to keep itself adequately moisturized. On the other hand, dehydrated skin lacks hydration, meaning water. It’s a temporary state that you can remedy, rather than being a skin type that you’ll have to live with for a longer period of time.
So, as you can see, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Sure, you may not currently be meeting the mark when it comes to providing sufficient hydration for your skin and body, but there is plenty that you can do to fix this…
How to Hydrate Your Skin
While keeping your entire body hydrated will also help to improve hydration in your skin, water that’s consumed internally can take a while to filter through to your skin cells – all of your other organs get first dibs.
So, to maintain sufficient levels of hydration for your skin, turning to topical products is always helpful:
Look for Skincare Products Containing Humectants
When it comes to hydrating skincare ingredients, it doesn’t get much better than humectants. This group of ingredients has moisture-binding properties. As a result, humectants are able to quickly bind water to the skin, enabling them to hydrate and plump up the appearance.
There are plenty of humectants out there, but there are a few in particular that are revered by industry experts because of how powerful they are. Hyaluronic acid, which you’ve probably heard of, is one of them, along with lower-molecular sodium hyaluronate. Hyaluronic acid works on the outermost layer of your skin while sodium hyaluronate takes things slightly deeper, but both serve to provide hydration for your skin.
Glycerin is another fantastic humectant. In fact, although hyaluronic acid may be the most talked-about of the two, glycerin has actually been proven to be even more effective.
Whatever the case may truly be, you ideally want to be using skincare products that contain both, such as Bionyx’s BioLift Platinum Deep Wrinkle Concentrate. This is a super hydrating serum. Although primarily aimed at reducing the appearance of wrinkles, it does this by plumping the complexion up with moisture. This makes it perfect for providing some extra hydration for your skin.
You’ll also find multiple humectants in the Bionyx Rhodium Facial Toner. If you have dehydrated skin, a toner is a worthwhile addition to your skincare routine. It’s applied directly after cleansing, which is when your skin is most vulnerable to moisture loss. A hydrating formula such as ours will help to keep your skin cells feeling quenched and refreshed.
Avoid Using Skincare Products Containing Drying Ingredients
So, you now know which ingredients will help to hydrate your skin. However, there isn’t much point in using these if you’re also using ingredients that dry out your skin alongside them!
Certain ingredients are notorious for stripping away the skin’s protective barrier. This speeds up the rate at which moisture evaporates out of the skin, leaving the skin dehydrated.
Some of the biggest culprits are sulfates, parabens, and certain alcohols. While they can be present in all types of skincare products, they’re most commonly found together in cleansers.
So, before your next cleanse, check your cleanser’s ingredient list. If you spot any of the drying ingredients mentioned above, it’s time to switch to a gentler formula, just like the Bionyx Rhodium Mousse Cleanser. Not only are its cleansing agents wonderfully mild, but they’re derived from coconuts, making them feel soothing on the skin too. Even better, you’ll find multiple humectants in this cleanser, along with amino acids to brighten the look of dull, dehydrated skin.
Protect Your Skin From the Sun
Remember how we talked about certain ingredients damaging the skin’s protective layer, which speeds up moisture loss? Well, the sun’s UV rays do this as well. The more time you spend out in the sun without any sunscreen to protect your skin, the faster your skin will dehydrate.
So, if you want to be confident that you’re providing enough hydration for your skin, make sure that you don’t allow the sun’s UV rays to deplete your skin’s moisture levels. Keep your skin protected with a broad-spectrum, SPF 30 (at least) sunscreen every single day, even during the winter months. It may seem a little odd to be slathering your face with sunscreen on a dull and dreary winter’s day, but UV rays can cause damage at any time of the year.
Pamper Your Skin With Hydrating Face Masks
It’s important to maintain topical hydration for your skin daily with hydrating serums and moisturizers. However, weekly face masks can also be transformational for your complexion.
Compared to serums and creams, the contents of a face mask tend to pack more of a punch. This is why they’re usually removed from the skin after a certain period of time. Although you may only use a face mask for 10-15 minutes, they pamper your skin with a high concentration of potent ingredients in that timeframe.
Choose a face mask containing hydrating ingredients, such as the Bionyx Alloy Magnetic Synergy Mask, and you’ll notice a difference in how hydrated your skin looks immediately after you’re done masking. This formula is brimming with numerous hydrating compounds, including hemp seed oil, marula oil, baobab oil, and coconut oil. It’s also infused with coral seaweed extract, another ingredient known for its hydrating humectant properties.
Another option would be our Platinum Transformative Thermal Mask. It’s loaded with aloe vera extract, which is famous for being one of the most hydrating botanicals out there. It also contains a blend of vitamins and minerals to purify and brighten the complexion.
How to Hydrate Your Body
Now that you’re aware of the steps you need to take to provide ample hydration for your skin, let’s talk about what you can do to hydrate your body:
Drink More Water
We’ll begin with the obvious – drinking more water. We all know that we should be drinking eight glasses of water a day, but statistics show that around 89% of us aren’t drinking enough.
If you know that you’re guilty of neglecting to drink enough water, then it’s time to make a change. Start by drinking one to two glasses of water first thing in the morning. This is when your body (and skin) is particularly desperate for some extra hydration. Then, drink a glass of water with each meal that you eat, as well as any snacks, before wrapping up your day with another glass or two.
This may seem difficult at first, so try to make each glass of water that you drink a little more fun and enjoyable. Add in different fruits or herbs to naturally flavor the water, while also giving your body an extra dose of antioxidants!
Eat Hydrating Foods
Ensuring that you’re drinking enough water each day is so important, but the foods that you eat can actually help with this. Some foods have a much higher water content than others. Consuming more of these will help to provide some extra hydration for your skin and body.
Need some ideas?
Try adding more cucumber, lettuce, and celery to your meals. Tomatoes, radishes, and squashes also have a high moisture content, as do watermelons, strawberries, spinach, and mushrooms.
Stay Away From Foods That Dehydrate the Body
Just like with skincare, some ingredients hydrate while others dehydrate. When it comes to food, items such as coffee, refined sugar, alcohol, and salt should be avoided as much as possible.
In small amounts, they’re not too big of a deal (although they’re still detrimental). However, consume them in excess and they could end up contributing to your dehydration in a big way.
Summary
If you want your skin to look smooth, bright, and healthy, then keeping it hydrated is absolutely essential. Fortunately, from using humectant-infused skincare products to eating moisture-rich foods, there is so much that you can do to boost your skin’s hydration levels to ensure that it’s always glowing!
Click here to check out more bestselling hydrating skincare products from Bionyx.