Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. From within and without. You have been told this so often that sometimes some people skim over it. But, we are here to make a case for that very hydration, which is so very crucial for good health and skin.
Drink water to hydrate from within. But, when we talk of hydration externally, we call it moisturising in beauty and skincare language.
Why moisturise at all ? It sounds very basic, yes, but there are still some out there who do nothing to their skin, let alone moisturise. 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 already have made that choice, effective moisturising is a few paragraphs away.
So, why moisturise at all?
The stratum corneum, the topmost layer of the skin has cells which overlap to form a protective barrier. Another layer, called the lipid bilayer, has free fatty acids, cholesterol and ceramides. All these together help in retaining water in the epidermis. They also limit the loss of water through skin called the transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
Many lifestyle factors like 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 skin’s protective barrier. Result : loss of moisture.
Natural ageing is another important player in skin being unable to hold moisture within. So is genetics. Seasonal changes, hormonal imbalances and stress are unavoidable but they do add to the damage.
Second in point is 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. Now, while the daily secretion of oil is fresh and good for the skin, some of this oil gets trapped within the pores, is exposed to outside air and gets oxidised.
Oxidised oils are not good news for the skin. They become the nest 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. Good oils get removed too when we cleanse our face. Result : loss of oil.
Loss of moisture and loss of oils along with the skin producing less oil as we age, hugely impacts skin’s ability to stay hydrated. Result : skin loses its radiance and plumpness, becomes prone to wrinkling.
Step in moisturisers ! A good moisturiser does this :
- Helps replenish the lost water and oils
- Prevents the skin from becoming dry and flaky
- It restores the youthful look
- Skin appears bright and healthy once again
- It smoothes out some of the fine lines too.
When To Start Moisturising?
Young people need moisturising too. That depends on genetics, your over all health and lifestyle. But rule of the thumb is start as soon as you feel your skin is getting dry. While no one can strictly prescribe an age to start the moisturising routine, people at the age of 25 years and an hour older definitely need one. And then it continues for life!
How To Choose Moisturisers?
First step would be to get your skin analysed, and then choose a moisturiser that suits your skin type. You could get that done with us at Astrea. In todays times skin is exposed to toxins in the environment, food and lifestyle habits. Choose moisturisers that have no chemicals and are enriched with natural healing ingredients.
Astrea’s moisturisers 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 childrens’ tender skin.
Listing our range of moisturisers. Choose one that suits you.
A well hydrated skin is a natural beauty essential, boosting confidence levels and a feel good mood. It becomes the canvas for any further enhancing that you would want, like makeup. You may have your own set of moisturisers, but if you really care for a poison free world, move over to natural skincare and cosmetics like Astrea’s.