How to hydrate your skin

I recently met a lady at an event. She told me she had very dry skin and wondered if I might know why. I asked her one simple question: “Do you think you drink enough water?” She immediately said no. Water is so vital to the health and proper functioning of our entire body & such a large percentage of our body composition is water. On average, males tend to be 60% water and females 55%. People feel thirsty when they are already 2-3% dehydrated yet it only takes for us to be 1% dehydrated for it to affect our mental and physical performance. Scary! Dehydrated cells can easily result in dry skin.

Environmental conditions can of course also dry out the skin & appropriate quality skincare will help with this. However, the best way to care for your skin and body is from within. Eating well and keeping yourself well hydrated is essential. What is also important is to consume the right types of fluids.  Alcohol and caffeinated drinks are not good! They will dehydrate you. Try not to consume too many sugary drinks too – that includes fruit juices. Ultimately filtered and or mineral/spring water and herbal teas are ideal. The amount of water you need to drink will depend on your size and activity level. Drinking plenty of water will help keep your skin clear as it flushes out the toxins (via your urine) that can build up.

Toxic excess in your body can manifest in different ways but with your skin it can result in spots. Hydrated skin cells can mean more youthful looking, refreshed, clear and vibrant skin. The skin is after all the largest organ of your body and it can reflect the health of your entire body, inside and out. After all, when you tell someone that they look well, you are judging mainly by the appearance of their skin. It is important not to counter-balance drinking plenty of water by using skincare that will dehydrate you skin. Watch out for products that contain alcohol and petroleum. You may be surprised at just how many products contain these ingredients. Alcohol is well known for being dehydrating and it is just the same when applied to your skin as it is in a drink. Petroleum forms a layer on top of the skin, suffocates it, preventing it from breathing and dries it out underneath. Not good!

There can never be enough emphasis on the importance of drinking enough water. After all, if you drained our bodies of water, there wouldn’t be a huge amount of us left! So keep your body topped up to stay healthy!