The science behind skin dehydration

When your skin is well hydrated, it looks vibrant, smooth, and fresh. But when your skin’s natural processes for maintaining hydration break down, it can start to look dull and have visible lines. No one wants that.

That’s why it’s so important to keep your skin hydrated by caring for it in a way that helps maintain cell health while sealing in moisture.

What causes dehydrated skin?

In a perfect world, your skin does a pretty good job of keeping itself hydrated, but our world is rarely perfect.

Your skin’s natural hydration process is easily disrupted by a lack of water and other risk factors that are part of everyday life, including harsh weather, extreme indoor environments, everyday stress, or even daily cleansing.

Can oily skin be dehydrated?

And those of us with oily skin are not immune to dehydration. While oil provides a type of moisture, it doesn’t combat the dehydration that occurs due to a lack of water. So, all types of skin — even oily and combination — can become dehydrated.

Likewise, if your skin is dry, it may not necessarily be due to dehydration — but rather, a lack of oil at the surface. By watching for symptoms of true dehydration, you’ll be better prepared to treat it.

How to know if your skin is dehydrated

Common signs of dehydration include skin that feels tight or is dry, flaky, itchy, dull looking, rough or marked by fine lines and dark shadows.

Some symptoms can appear as early as your teen years, but in general they become more noticeable as you grow older.

How your skin works to stay hydrated

Your skin has its own, complex method for keeping itself hydrated. The outer skin—the epidermis—is made up of several layers of cells are in a constant state of being sloughed off and renewed.

In the deepest layer of the epidermis, membrane proteins called “aquaporins” work to transport water from cell to cell, helping to nourish your skin naturally.

Above that layer, other cells adhere together to form tight junctions that seal in water and control which molecules pass between them.

The top layer of the epidermis then forms a barrier to the external environment using lipids, mostly ceramide, and natural moisturizing factors. Water and those natural moisturizing factors work together to hydrate the skin.

How to hydrate skin

The first step to fighting dehydrated skin is to make sure you drink plenty of water and eat a healthy diet heavy in fruits and vegetables. But you can also help by upping your skin care regimen.

Tapping into Nobel-prize winning research, Artistry™ scientists developed the Artistry Hydra-V™ system to optimize skin’s natural processes to help refresh, replenish and revitalize skin at the surface.

It uses encapsulated Norwegian fjord water to release hydration deep into the upper layers of your skin and encourages the movement and storage of that water.

It also includes acai berries that, when combined with a moisturizing liposome, deliver lasting hydration and promote tightly locked skin cells.

The system features a cleanser, toner, gels and creams for oily, combination or dry skin. Want to find the one that’s right for you? Learn more about these products at Amway.