If your skin suffers from itchiness and redness or feels flaky and irritated, it’s a sign of dehydration. Dehydrated skin also brings along increased sensitivity, dryness around the mouth, visible dark circles around the eyes and a slight appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
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While it’s good to pamper your skin with moisturizers, serums and toners, the right amount of hydration keeps it glowing from inside out. Dryness and dehydration cause the skin to become weak thereby damaging its barrier and reducing the elasticity.
Though our body is naturally equipped with all the elements that our skin needs to stay hydrated, external factors such as cold weather, sun rays, improper diet and certain lifestyle choices can end up leaving the skin dry and dehydrated. But fortunately, there are many ways to maintain the hydration in your skin and keep it adequately nourished to function properly.
Read on to know the many ways to keep your skin hydrated:
1. Choose The Right Cleanser
If you are suffering from dehydrated skin, it’s time to switch your cleanser for something that doesn’t strip your skin of its natural oils.
If you have dry and acne-prone skin, cream-based hydrating cleansers might work great for you. As someone who suffers from severe skin dehydration in cold weather conditions, I always make it a point to cleanse my face with CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-foam facial cleanser. It’s mild, affordable and keeps the skin feeling soft and supple.
If you have oily skin, choose a gel-based or water-based cleanser that can help clear off the dirt and pollutants while retaining the hydration in your skin. Some of my favorite gel-based hydrating cleansers are Forest Essentials Kashmiri Saffron face wash, CeraVe Hydrating facial cleanser and KIEHL’s Calendula deep cleansing face wash.
2. Get A Humidifier
The dry winter air can suck the moisture out of your skin and make it feel dry and flaky. A humidifier can help address this concern by replenishing the moisture in the air around you. Try placing a humidifier in the room where you sleep to see how magical this little device is.
I have recently invested in this cute humidifier that is not just easy to carry but also looks like a décor piece when kept on the desk. I plan to use it more during the upcoming winter season.
3. Change Your Face-Drying Habits
The biggest reason for dehydrated skin, that most people don’t realize, is their poor face-drying habits.
If you have a habit of wiping your face with a harsh and abrasive towel, your skin is bound to lose its moisture no matter how good your cleanser is. The best way to overcome this habit is to start treating your skin like a flower. Every time you cleanse your face, take a soft towel and gently pat it on your face until it’s damp (and not entirely dry). Now this is the time when you should be applying moisturizer to lock some of that hydration into your skin.
4. Make SPF Your Best Friend
No matter how much you hate wearing SPF for a 2-minute walk to the grocery store, don’t make the mistake of skipping it. SPF, in the simplest possible words, is heaven wrapped in a tube. Your skin can suffer irreparable damage if exposed to the sun for even a short duration of time, thereby causing it to lose its hydration and develop early signs of ageing.
Sunscreen creates a physical barrier between the sun and the moisture in your skin. So if you are skipping sunscreen, you may as well stop doing anything that comes under skincare.
5. Drink Plenty Of Water
When you put water in your body, it extends some of that hydration to your skin. And when your skin is adequately hydrated from the inside, it will show on the outside. Ideally, you should be drinking at least 2 litres of water during the day. I always carry a 1-liter bottle in my handbag that has to come home empty, and there’s another one on my bedside table that needs to be emptied before bed.
You can also fulfil the fluid requirements of your body with citrus juices and fruits like berries, watermelon and oranges. Trust me, your skin will love you for this!
6. Invest In A Thick And Rich Night Cream
Your skin loses a lot of its hydration during the sleep hours, which is why it’s very important to choose a heavy moisturizer at night that can help lock the moisture in. Choose a ceramide-rich moisturizer that is also infused with other important components that can help treat your skin concerns. I use CeraVe moisturizing cream at night and don’t plan on switching anytime soon as it works amazingly on my skin.
7. Do Not Over-Exfoliate
Dry and dehydrated skin leads to dead skin cells and flakiness that might just tempt you into exfoliating more often. But exfoliation isn’t the solution for dehydration. In fact, it causes your skin to lose its moisture barrier quicker than you can imagine.
Scale back on exfoliation to just once a week to get rid of those dead skin cells. When the weather gets a little warmer and your skin feels supple and hydrated, start exfoliating once in 4 to 5 days.
8. Invest In A Satin Pillowcase
Cotton pillowcases tend to absorb the moisture from your face thereby nullifying your entire nighttime skincare routine. Switch to a satin pillowcase as it repels moisture and is gentle on the skin. I have been using this satin pillowcase for many months now and find it to be very effective in that way.
So there you have it! Remember that maintaining the hydration of your skin is as important as slathering it with a good-quality moisturizer. Make sure that you do everything in your power to keep your skin feeling hydrated and adequately nourished to take on the day. Drink plenty of water, eat lots of citrus fruits, sleep well and maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep your skin young and glowing.
