How to Hydrate Your Skin

Dehydrated skin can be frustrating to deal with – it can make makeup application more difficult and cause a dull or sunken complexion. Unlike dry skin, which is the result of fewer lipids in the skin surface, dehydrated skin is caused by external factors, making it a skin concern rather than a skin type. Fortunately, this means that with the right tips and tricks, you can improve skin hydration – leaving you with plumper, healthier-looking skin. In this article, we’ll help you find the best way to hydrate your skin with various lifestyle changes and the support of moisture-boosting skincare products.

Why skin hydration is important

Skin hydration is important to help maintain a healthy skin moisture barrier – the layer of skin that works to protect you from external aggressors such as harsh weather, pollution and UV rays. Good hydration also helps prevent visible signs of premature aging and can support brighter, clearer skin. We often think of dry skin and dehydrated skin as the same thing, but there’s a key difference that will influence what to look for in your skincare.

Dry vs dehydrated skin:

Dry skin is a skin type that produces less natural oil than combination or oily skin

Dehydrated skin means your skin isn’t holding enough water

Signs that you have dehydrated skin

Sometimes it can be hard to tell if your skin is dry or dehydrated, so it’s good to understand some of the causes and indicators of dehydration. Your body could be showing signs of dehydration if you often feel dizzy or fatigued, while your skin may be showing different signs. Let’s dive in.

Dehydrated skin causes:

Extreme weather conditions – low humidity and cold temperatures can dry out your skin, while heat can cause your skin to lose water through sweat

Showering or bathing in water that’s too hot and using harsh soaps or exfoliating products

Dietary problems, including low water intake and high caffeine or alcohol intake

Dehydrated skin indicators:

Itching sensations or allergy-prone skin

Dull or sunken-looking skin, especially around the eyes

Increased appearance of fine lines

There’s a simple ‘pinch test’ you can do to quickly tell if you need to replenish skin hydration. Lancôme Australia’s skincare specialist Brittany Hanchard explains:

Skincare Expert Tip:

“Gently pinch a small amount of skin on the back of your hand. If the skin snaps back right away, you’re in the clear, but if it slowly returns to normal, you’re likely dehydrated. If you’re still unsure, check out our Lancôme skin screen to get a personal skin analysis. In as little as 20 minutes, we’ll be able to tell you what your skin is lacking and the types of products that are going to help manage your concerns.”
“You can turn to humectant ingredients like hyaluronic acid to bind water to the skin and enhance skin hydration. To lock in moisture and form a protective layer over the skin surface, you’ll want to incorporate emollient ingredients like ceramides and squalane.”

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most efficacious ingredients that work to keep your skin hydrated.

Key ingredients to hydrate skin

From facial serums to moisturisers, there are a number of essential skincare ingredients that you can incorporate into your daily routine to bolster skin hydration.

Hyaluronic acid: skin hydration and hyaluronic acid go hand in hand. Hyaluronic acid is a water-attracting molecule that binds water to the skin, enhancing moisture retention and locking in hydration to keep the skin plump and supple.

Squalane: this ingredient is also naturally produced in the body and found in sebum – the skin’s natural oils. When applied through topical skincare products, squalane mimics the skin’s natural oils, which helps rehydrate the skin.

Ceramides: rounding out this trio of body-produced ingredients, ceramides are lipids that make up half of the composition of your skin’s moisture barrier. Ceramides and their skincare benefits are vital to your skin’s ‘defence structure’, keeping out environmental stressors than can compromise and dehydrate the skin.

Hydrating vs moisturising – what’s the difference?

Hydrating is about increasing water content in the skin, whereas moisturising is about strengthening the skin moisture barrier and preserving the skin’s natural oils. While hydrating and moisturising are different, covering both elements in your skincare ritual is going to be mutually beneficial.

So, how can you moisturise and keep the skin hydrated? Brittany Hanchard weighs in:

The best way to hydrate skin in 5 skincare steps

Skincare can play an important role in supporting skin hydration. The solution is to ensure each product you use in your skincare regimen is targeted towards hydration. The structure of your skincare routine will likely remain the same, but choosing products formulated with hydrating ingredients is the key to unlocking supple skin. Read on for our guide on how to hydrate skin with Lancôme’s most nourishing products.

1. Switch to a gentle cleanser

No matter your skin type or condition, cleansing is an important part of any skincare regime. As your skin changes throughout the seasons, you might need to switch up the type of cleanser you use. If you are experiencing poor skin hydration, switch to a gentle cleanser like the Crème Mousse Confort Face Cleanser. Its nourishing formula is enriched with rose extract to provide comfort to dry skin: simply massage into damp skin and rinse with lukewarm water.

2. Use a toner or essence

Toners in skincare have come a long way; unlike alcohol-based toners of the past, modern toners and essences are often infused with hydrating ingredients that can help maintain the skin’s moisture levels. We love the Advanced Clarifique Double Treatment Essence because it combines two hydrating essences that work together to even skin tone, while helping skin appear plumper and brighter. Shake the bottle to emulsify the two essences and press into clean, damp skin.

3. Hydrating serums

Face serums designed to address skin hydration can be the most effective step in your skincare routine. To help combat dehydrated skin, choose serums with deeply hydrating ingredients that aim to strengthen the skin moisture barrier. You can layer hydrating serums or use a serum that combines ingredients for you to target multiple concerns. Our ultimate hydrating serum for dry skin is Génifique Ultimate, touted for its unique formulation of four ingredients (including hyaluronic acid) that aims to improve skin radiance and elasticity. This, in turn, can help reduce the appearance of dehydration lines. Dispense a single dropper of serum into your palms, then tap the product into your face and neck.

4. Moisturiser and eye cream

We want to emphasise the importance of a face moisturiser to seal in your skincare and deliver a final hydrating infusion. As the perfect final step in your AM and PM skincare routine, the velvet-smooth formula of the Génifique Day Cream can help refine your skin for a hydrated, radiant complexion.

Eye creams and serums can be used in both your morning and night skincare rituals. When it comes to how to hydrate your skin, eye serums are an ideal solution for the delicate eye area that often shows visible signs of aging and dehydration first. Smooth the Advanced Génifique Light-Pearl Eye Serum around the eye contour using the patented applicator. Powered by seven pre- and probiotic fractions, caffeine and arginine, this eye serum helps depuff eye bags, and diminish the appearance of fine lines and other texture.

5. Treat yourself to a face mask

Face masks are a luxurious way to provide extra skin hydration once or twice a week. We love the Advanced Génifique Light Pearl 360 Eye Mask for its relaxing and refreshing effect. Just 20 minutes of wear can help depuff under-eye bags and smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for a luminous skin effect.

Lifestyle tips to boost skin hydration

On top of targeted skincare products to keep skin hydrated, you can also make several lifestyle changes to increase your body’s water content and mitigate visible signs of skin dehydration, such as:

Drink enough water
Reduce alcohol and coffee intake
Use broad-spectrum SPF every day
Avoid excessively hot showers and artificial heating
Eat a nutrient-dense diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids
Get enough sleep

Now you know all about how to keep skin hydrated, discover our face mapping technology that can help you create the best skincare routine for your needs.