Skin hydration is extremely important. Most of you ladies have likely used a moisturising face cream for many years and applied it right after you finish showering. 

However, this step alone may not be enough to give you properly hydrated skin. When left unchecked, dehydrated skin can lead to long-term damage.

What does dehydration do to your skin?

A large loss of water causes your skin to shed a large amount of calcium ions. This signals your body to start growing a new layer of skin. 

This new layer is not necessarily a good one, because it isn’t given enough time to structure itself properly. This leads to keratin that is not well attached, and lipids that are not well-modelled. This leads to you having a layer of skin that is unable to maintain proper hydration, and kickstarts a cycle where your body creates increasingly defective layers of skin.

Here are some common symptoms of dehydrated skin:

• Skin redness
• Skin pigmentation
• Enlarged pores
• Signs of wrinkles
• Sensitive skin

If you are suffering from any of the symptoms above, you may have dehydrated skin and need to look at restorative measures. Here are four tips that will help you alleviate some of the symptoms.

Use the right cleansers

Some cleansers, especially those that are soap-based or gel-based, can have a detrimental effect on skin’s moisture levels. Look into bSoul skincare products like Hydra Milk Cleanser which cleanses but doesn’t dehydrate your skin.

Use the right moisturising cream

Moisturising creams like the bSoul Hydra Comfort Face Cream, Nutri Comfort Face Cream, Hydra Age Face Cream (for women over 30) and Hydra Age Rich Face Cream (for menopausal skin) are designed with this in mind, thanks to the mallow extract, avocado oil, unsaponifiable olive oil, shea butter and Natural Moisturising Factors (NMF) found within. 

Avoid petrochemical-derived ingredients

Common ingredients such as paraffin, mineral oil and silicones have short term moisturising effects that prevent the skin’s release of natural moisture or water.

Additionally, petroleum derived ingredients also result in dehydrated skin due to their effect on your skin’s natural oil production. These chemicals indirectly cause skin dehydration by adversely affecting your skin’s protection against the environment, 

Get the right nourishment

While it is important to drink enough water, you should also remember to have a balanced diet that includes plenty of water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables.