Our skin is much more than just a covering. It acts as a true barrier against external aggressors, regulates our temperature, and also reflects our state of health and emotions. To perform all these functions, it has one fundamental need: hydration.
Hydrating your skin daily isn't a luxury reserved for cosmetics enthusiasts. It's a vital need, often neglected, yet essential to our skin's well-being. Let's delve into this key topic together to understand why and how to give our skin the hydration it needs.
Understanding the role of skin hydration
The skin is made up of several layers, and the one we're interested in here is the outermost one: the stratum corneum. It acts as a protective barrier, preserving the skin's natural moisture while defending it against environmental aggressors. However, this barrier can quickly become weakened: temperature changes, pollution, UV rays, stress, fatigue, harsh cosmetics... all of these contribute to an insidious loss of water.
Contrary to popular belief, hydration isn't just for dry skin. All skin types, even oily skin, can become dehydrated. This is a temporary phenomenon that indicates a lack of water, not a lack of lipids. Oily skin can therefore feel tight, dull, and uncomfortable if it isn't properly hydrated.
Dehydration: when the skin sounds the alarm
Dehydrated skin is often dull, tired, and rough to the touch. It can feel tight, especially after cleansing or at the end of the day. Dehydration lines may also appear, giving a false impression of premature aging.
This lack of water disrupts the skin's barrier function, making it more susceptible to external aggressors. It's a vicious cycle: the more dehydrated the skin is, the more vulnerable it becomes, and the more it deteriorates if nothing is done to restore its moisture.
Fortunately, this problem is reversible. With the right techniques, the right products, and a little consistency, the skin quickly regains its radiance, suppleness, and comfort.
Why is moisturizing your skin so essential?
Skin hydration fulfills several fundamental functions. First, it helps maintain the skin's elasticity and suppleness. Well-hydrated skin is plumper, softer, and visibly smoother. This directly impacts the appearance of the complexion, which is often brighter and more even.
But hydration also works deep down, particularly on skin aging. When skin lacks water, signs of aging appear earlier: fine lines, sagging, loss of firmness. Proper hydration therefore helps preserve youthful appearance for longer, naturally.
Furthermore, well-hydrated skin is stronger skin. It resists environmental stressors better, reacts less to climatic variations, and heals more quickly. It also tolerates other cosmetic treatments better, because hydration creates a healthy and receptive skin environment.
Hydrate from the inside out… and from the outside
It's common to hear that you need to drink 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day for beautiful skin. This is partly true. Proper hydration also comes from what you eat: water, herbal teas, and fruits and vegetables rich in water, such as cucumber, watermelon, or tomato. But that's not enough.
Indeed, only a small proportion of the water we drink directly reaches the skin. Hence the importance of supplementing this intake with suitable cosmetic treatments, which will act on the surface to limit transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and restore the protective hydrolipidic film.
The right daily routine is simple: gently cleanse your skin, apply a serum or hydrating lotion, and then seal it all in with a suitable cream. This seemingly simple routine can transform tired skin in just a few weeks.
Choosing the right skincare products for your skin
Each skin type has its own specific needs. Dry skin, which naturally lacks sebum, will appreciate rich textures, plant butters, nourishing oils, and enveloping formulas. It needs hydration, but above all, nourishment to restore its lipid barrier.
Normal or combination skin will benefit from balanced, fluid-textured skincare that hydrates without feeling heavy. Opt for formulas containing hyaluronic acid, vegetable glycerin, or aloe vera, which provide moisture without leaving a greasy residue.
As for oily or blemish-prone skin, it's important not to deprive it of hydration simply because it produces too much sebum. Dehydrated oily skin will overproduce sebum to compensate, which perpetuates shine and blemishes. Lightweight, non-comedogenic, and mattifying skincare products enriched with hydrating ingredients are ideal.
Adapting your routine to the seasons
The skin's needs also vary throughout the year. In winter, the cold, wind, and heating dry out the skin. It becomes rougher, more sensitive, and more uncomfortable. This is the time to introduce richer creams, protective balms, and regular hydrating masks.
In summer, on the other hand, heat and perspiration can disrupt the skin barrier. The skin loses water through evaporation, especially after sun exposure. A lighter routine is essential, using gel or sorbet textures that are highly hydrating yet refreshing, and always with good sun protection.
Hydrating your body: an often-forgotten step
We often remember to moisturize our face, but the rest of our body is sometimes neglected. Yet, our arms, legs, back, and chest need just as much care. After showering, hot water and hard water weaken the hydrolipidic film. Applying a moisturizing lotion or cream is therefore crucial to restoring the skin's balance.
Certain areas are particularly prone to dehydration: hands, feet, knees, elbows… Here again, targeted treatments can truly make a difference. Lips also deserve special attention, as they lack sebaceous glands. A repairing balm applied daily protects and deeply nourishes them.
The ingredients to prioritize for optimal hydration
Moisturizing products contain specific active ingredients that can retain water in the epidermis. Hyaluronic acid, for example, is a star molecule in this area. Naturally present in our bodies, it has the capacity to retain up to a thousand times its weight in water. Used in serums or creams, it immediately restores comfort and plumpness to the skin.
Vegetable glycerin is also very effective. It captures ambient moisture and delivers it to the skin. Aloe vera, meanwhile, is known for its soothing and moisturizing properties, ideal for sensitive or irritated skin. Finally, ingredients like urea, PCA, and lactates mimic the skin's natural components to strengthen its protective barrier.
Born to Bio: Naturally nourishing your skin
At Born to Bio, we place skincare at the heart of our values. Our formulas, composed of naturally derived ingredients, are designed to deeply nourish.
Whether it's our certified organic aloe vera gel , ideal for an immediate cooling and comforting effect, or our certified organic citrus facial treatment , rich in plant-based active ingredients for soft skin.
👉 Also check out:
• Our Certified Organic Honey and Shea Rich Body Lotion , ultra-nourishing for dry skin,
• Our Organic Jojoba Care Oil , which balances and softens without leaving a greasy film,
• Our Light Aloe Vera Body Lotion - Certified Organic , to nourish your skin with a light fragrance.
All our products are made in Bio Seasons Laboratories in France, in the Vichy region, and are Cosmos Organic certified, without controversial ingredients. Because we believe in simple, honest, and kind beauty!
In conclusion
Hydrating your skin means listening to it, understanding it, and respecting it. It's a daily, discreet yet fundamental step that directly impacts our comfort, appearance, and skin health. Drinking enough water, choosing suitable skincare products, adapting your routine to the seasons, and avoiding unnecessary irritation: these are all simple habits to adopt starting today.
Because skin is alive, it deserves our full attention. And because it accompanies us throughout our lives, it's best to take care of it with tenderness… and hydration.
👉 To learn more, check out this article: How to properly hydrate my body?
💡 And here's another article you might like:10 natural products to deeply hydrate your skin
