Why skin hydration is important

Very often skin hydration is a term that is hardly understood. While most people believe in keeping their skin moisturised, it is important that the focus shifts towards hydration which is how much water content your skin has

Skin hydration is essential for maintaining skin health and vitality. Our skin serves as a protective barrier between our body and the outside world, and it is, therefore, crucial to always keep it well-moisturised. This helps to maintain skin elasticity and suppleness and reduce dryness.

Hydration is more than just drinking a decent amount of water. Do you include fatty acids in your diet with foods like pumpkin seeds, olive oil, salmon, walnuts, etc.? Add this rich nutrient to your diet today and start seeing the glow on your face in some time.

Excessive cooling or heating in the closed environment creates a dry effect in the atmosphere, sucking the moisture from the air and even your skin. Therefore, turning your air conditioner or heater also helps in keeping the skin hydrated and healthy

— Anish Nagpal, Co-Founder, Dermatouch

Humectants in skin care are the ingredients which attract moisture from the environment to hydrate the skin. They help to keep the skin lubricated. They are basically hygroscopic substances. Some examples of humectants commonly used in skin care are Hyaluronic acid, glycerin, urea and lactic acid

—Dr. Karishma Kagodu

— Plastic Surgeon, Founder and MD Dr. Karishma’s Aesthetics

Our lifestyle, pollution, exposure to different light waves, certain medications and medical conditions can lead to dry, dull, flaky, dehydrated skin which results in compromised skin health and its barrier

— Dr. Meghna Gupta, Founder and Dermatologist, Delhi Skin Centre

Proper skin hydration helps to maintain soft, supple skin that looks and feels healthy. Furthermore, it can protect against conditions like dry skin, eczema, skin rashes, and irritation caused by environmental factors like wind or extreme temperatures. By understanding skin hydration and working to keep your skin properly hydrated daily, you can help ensure that you maintain healthy, glowing skin for years to come

— Dr. Navnit Haro, Founder & Director of Derma Miracle Clinic

Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body? It’s also one of the most important, as it helps protect you from the outside world. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your skin is well hydrated. “Understanding skin hydration is a crucial part of skincare. Skin hydration involves maintaining optimal moisture levels in the skin through a variety of methods such as using skin products with hydrating ingredients and avoiding harsh cleansers that can strip away natural oils from the skin. Proper skin hydration helps to maintain soft, supple skin that looks and feels healthy. Furthermore, it can protect against conditions like dry skin, eczema, skin rashes, and irritation caused by environmental factors like wind or extreme temperatures. By understanding skin hydration and working to keep your skin properly hydrated daily, you can help ensure that you maintain healthy, glowing skin for years to come,” says Dr. Navnit

Haror, Founder & Director of Derma Miracle Clinic.

HYDRATION VERSUS MOISTURISATION

If the skin is not hydrated, it would appear dry and dehydrated, if hydrated, it will appear healthy and supple. Our body has a major content of water, however most of it does not go to our skin and hence skin needs both nourishment and hydration. Hydration is the ‘cementing factor’ between your cells. “Our lifestyle, pollution, exposure to different light waves, certain medications and medical conditions can lead to dry, dull, flaky, dehydrated skin which results in compromised skin health and its barrier. On the other hand, a moisturiser is like putting a seal on the skin which would trap the water underneath in its place and result in less TransEpidermal Water Loss (TEWL),” explains Dr. Meghna Gupta, Founder and Dermatologist, Delhi Skin Centre. A moisturiser is a broad term that covers humectants, occlusives and emollients. Modern day products often do work as both a hydrator and a moisturize r . Humectants are molecules that hold and attract water, hence, the key ingredient in Skin Hydration. Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Lactic Acid, Aloe, Honey are some wellknown humectants. Shea butter, Lanolin, Mineral Oil, Plant Oils come under moisturisers.

WATER WISE

Skin hydration typically relies on water-based products, such as hyaluronic acid, which helps to draw water into the skin. Anish Nagpal, CoFounder, Dermatouch says, “to attain healthy and happy skin, you have to keep it hydrated. Science suggests that our skin constitutes 30% of the water that we might end up losing with sweating. Therefore, maintaining the optimum level of hydration in the body is important. However, here, hydration is more than just drinking a decent amount of water. Do you include fatty acids in your diet with foods like pumpkin seeds, olive oil, salmon, walnuts, etc.? Add this rich nutrient to your diet today and start seeing the glow on your face in some time. Extreme temperature water pouring on your body can make it dry and itchy. Home appliances like air conditioners and heaters can be why your skin lacks hydration. Excessive cooling or heating in the closed environment creates a dry effect in the atmosphere, sucking the moisture from the air and even your skin. Therefore, turning your air conditioner or heater also helps in keeping the skin hydrated and healthy.”

ADVANTAGE HYDRATION

Keeping your skin hydrated will help you improve skin elasticity too. People who do not keep their skin hydrated and happy usually end up looking older than their age.

Dr. Karishma Kagodu — Plastic Surgeon, Founder and Managing Director of Dr. Karishma’s Aesthetics (Kaesthetics) says, “Hydrating ingredients are ingredients which attract water to the outermost layer of the skin, while moisturising ingredients lubricate the skin to prevent water from escaping. Both are equally important to maintain a healthy skin barrier. Humectants in skin care are the ingredients which attract moisture from the environment to hydrate the skin. They help to keep the skin lubricated. They are basically hygroscopic substances. Some examples of humectants commonly used in skin care are Hyaluronic acid, glycerin, urea and lactic acid.”