Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. From within and without. You’ve been told this so often that sometimes people skim over it. But we are here to make a case for that very hydration, which is crucial for good health and skin.
Drink water to hydrate from within. But when we talk about hydration externally, we call it moisturizing in beauty and skincare language.
Why Moisturize at All?
It sounds very basic, yes, but there are still some out there who do nothing to their skin, let alone moisturize. To them, our refrain is: “To be blessed with good skin is a boon, but to maintain it that way is a choice!”
To those who have already made that choice, effective moisturizing is just a few paragraphs away.
So, why moisturize at all?
- The stratum corneum, the topmost layer of the skin, has cells that overlap to form a protective barrier. Another layer, called the lipid bilayer, contains free fatty acids, cholesterol, and ceramides. All these components help retain water in the epidermis. They also limit the loss of water through the skin, called trans epidermal water loss (TEWL).
- Many lifestyle factorslike cold weather, low temperatures, air conditioning, environmental pollution, makeup, room heaters, hot water showers, harsh cleansers, etc., strip the lipids from the skin and disrupt the skin’s protective barrier. The result: loss of moisture.
- Natural agingis another important factor that impacts the skin’s ability to hold moisture. So is genetics. Seasonal changes, hormonal imbalances, and stress are unavoidable, but they do add to the damage.
- The role of facial oils.Our faces secrete oil all the time. Again, the same factors like genetics, seasonal changes, use of incorrect products, hormonal changes, and stress trigger excess oil production. While the daily secretion of oil is fresh and good for the skin, some of this oil gets trapped within the pores, exposed to outside air, and becomes oxidized.
- Oxidized oilsare not good news for the skin. They become a breeding ground for bacteria and dirt, clogging your pores. These bad oils must be washed off. But how do we separate bad oils from good oils? We don’t have a mechanism for that. The good oils get removed too when we cleanse our face. The result: loss of oil.
- Loss of moisture and oils,along with the skin producing less oil as we age, hugely impacts the skin’s ability to stay hydrated. The result: skin loses its radiance and plumpness and becomes prone to wrinkling.
Moisturizers – The Ultimate step in formula
A good moisturizer:
- Helps replenish the lost water and oils
- Prevents the skin from becoming dry and flaky
- Restores the youthful look
- Makes skin appear bright and healthy once again
- Smoothens out some of the fine lines too
When to Start Moisturizing?
Young people need moisturizing too. That depends on genetics, your overall health, and lifestyle. But the rule of thumb is to start as soon as you feel your skin is getting dry. While no one can strictly prescribe an age to start a moisturizing routine, people at the age of 25 years—and an hour older—definitely need one. And then it continues for life!
How to Choose Moisturizers?
The first step would be to get your skin analyzed and then choose a moisturizer that suits your skin type. You could get that done with us at Astrea. In today’s times, skin is exposed to toxins in the environment, food, and lifestyle habits. Choose moisturizers that have no chemicals and are enriched with natural healing ingredients.
Astrea’s moisturizers are made from botanical extracts, essential oils, and natural preservatives. With zero chemicals, they are formulated to heal and nourish skin. They are absolutely safe to use, even on children’s tender skin.
A well-hydrated skin is a natural beauty essential, boosting confidence levels and creating a feel-good mood. It becomes the canvas for any further enhancement you would want, like makeup. You may have your own set of moisturizers, but if you really care for a poison-free world, move over to natural skincare and cosmetics like Astrea’s.