How to Hydrate your Skin from the Inside Out
Did you know that dry skin and dehydrated skin are not the same thing? When your skin is dry, it’s typically due to fewer oil-producing glands on the face and body. When your skin is dehydrated, it’s not necessarily cracked or flakey, but is characterized by loss of resiliency.
We can recommend all the skincare products in the world, but staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do to keep your skin happy and healthy. Skin that is well-hydrated will stay smooth, soft, and is less sensitive to outside irritants and germs. So what can you do daily to keep your skin hydrated? You know, other than drinking the recommended 6-8 glasses of water per day?
Eat Skin Friendly Foods
Your diet is crucial for healthy skin. We recommend making an effort to incorporate antioxidants and Omega-3s into your diet. Omega-3s can help reduce inflammation (goodbye, acne), protect your skin against sun damage, and improve the skin’s barrier function (hello, hydration). Omega-3s can be found in foods like fatty fish, nuts, and plant based oils.
Antioxidants can also help keep your skin hydrated by increasing it’s moisture retention. We recommend antioxidants that are rich in vitamin E, like sunflower seeds, walnuts, avocados, AND dark chocolate. Yep - just in case you needed an excuse to eat more chocolate. We recommend selecting a dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. You’re welcome.😉
Avoid Dehydrating Food and Drink
Now that you know what foods you should be including in your diet, let’s talk about what foods you should cut out of your diet. Food and drinks that are high in sugar and sodium contribute to excessive dehydration. Drinking or eating too much alcohol, coffee, processed foods, etc. may cause breakouts, skin irritation, and dullness (aka dehydration).
If you are trying to combat dehydrated skin, we recommend removing these items from your diet altogether. If you are trying to avoid dehydration, we recommend consuming in moderation. If you do indulge, be sure to simultaneously give your skin and body plenty of water.
Cut Back on Hot Showers
This might be a hard one - especially as we head into the Fall and Winter seasons. Although it may seem like steaming hot showers might help keep your skin hydrated, it actually has the opposite effect. Hot showers or baths cause water to flow OUT of the skin which in turn causes dehydration.
The solution? Lukewarm water and shorter showers. Rather than quitting cold turkey, try making these changes once or twice per week.
Avoid Over-Cleansing Your Face
Cleansing plays a huge role in your skin’s natural hydration. When you wash your face more than the recommended two times per day, it might actually backfire on you. Each time you cleanse your skin, you’re stripping it of its natural microbiome and moisturizing barrier agents. The result is dehydrated skin.
Stick to cleansing in the morning and evening. If you have to add in a third wash, try using a gentle cleanser. We recommend the Luxe Cleansing Balm by Rhonda Allison. Not only does it gently cleanse and hydrate the skin, but it’s also formulated with antioxidants and soothing botanicals to help keep your skin nourished.
You can shop our Rhonda Allison cleansers online or reach out to our esthetician for product recommendations.
Air Dry Your Skin
It’s natural to reach for a towel after washing your face. However we recommend either letting your skin air dry or gently patting your face to leave your skin slightly damp.
Following, we recommend applying your skincare products within 3-5 minutes of this while your skin is still damp. Why? The serums or moisturizer you apply will help your skin absorb the excess water.
Get a Good Night Sleep
A full night's sleep can do wonders for the mind and body - including your skin! Infact, your sleeping hours are when your skin spends the most time repairing itself and replenishing its moisture barrier - so the more sleep you get, the more time your skin has to repair itself. We recommend trying to get about 8 hours of sleep each night to promote healthy and hydrated skin.
Have trouble falling asleep at night? Try the following tips:
Minimize your screen time. Try trading in your nightly shows for a book about an hour before bed.
Get in a daily workout. Physical exercise has a positive impact on sleep.
Try meditating or breathing exercises for 10-15 minutes before bed.
Keep a consistent bedtime routine. Going to bed at different times each night could interfere with getting a good night sleep.