The importance of skin hydration

Water is very important to our overall health. Your body consists of about 70% water. Like any other organ in your body, your skin’s tissue is made up of many kinds of cells, which all need the right amount of water to function properly.

The skin performs many important functions for us from helping us to eliminate toxins, to temperature regulation, providing a sense of our environment through tactile and temperature sensations and most importantly as a protective barrier to keep harmful things like micro-organisms and irritants from our environment from entering our bodies. It is important to help our skin perform at its best.

Skin that is not hydrated enough will become dry, tight and flaky. Dry skin is less resilient and small gaps can open up between the cells in the outer layers of the skin, making the barrier less robust at keeping harmful things out of the skin. This can lead to red, itchy, flaky skin, or sensitisation and reactions.

Dry, dehydrated skin is also more prone to wrinkles and fine surface lines due to shrinkage of cells in the top layer of the skin. The dry flaky cells on the surface also don’t reflect light as well, making the skin look dull, rough and unhealthy. Hydrated skin looks healthier, smoother and softer. When your skin is well hydrated it is more supple, plump and resilient.

You can help your skin to remain healthy and well hydrated from the inside by consuming enough water from the food and drink in your diet, and from the outside by helping it to retain that moisture by using moisturisers and emollients. Be mindful that caffeine is a diuretic and therefore too much can cause the body to lose more water, but it’s fine to drink in moderation.

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