Ok, here are two hard truths that we cannot deny.
Every day, your skin loses water. This is normal and unavoidable.
As you get older, your body’s internal processes — from skin cell turnover to workout recovery — slow down and take longer to complete or recharge.
This leaves room for signs of aging, such as wrinkles and age spots, to occur.
There are any number of things you can do to reduce these issues. Hold tight, we’re getting to the important part.
Your skin will lose water, yes, but lose too much water and your skin will become dehydrated, leading to a myriad of problems, including:
Dehydrated skin is skin lacking in moisture and occurs when the protective uppermost layer of the skin, known as the stratum corneum, is lacking in moisture through water loss.
It is not so much a skin type as a skin condition.
Not so fun fact: Even oily and combination skin can be dehydrated.
This leads us to the next issue, which is usually directly linked to dehydrated skin: premature aging. Premature aging can be brought on by the same causes as dehydrated skin, such as sun exposure and constant lack of sleep, as well as smoking and environmental factors.
Overcleansing and use of harsh chemicals in your skincare: This will strip away the protective layer provided by your acid mantle, and allow for excessive water loss through your skin. We recommend using an all natural oil cleanser twice a day to repair, maintain and protect your skin’s acid mantle.
Using a skincare routine not suited to your skin type: If your skin is already dry through a lack of sebum and natural oils, your acid mantle is likely already compromised, so you need to use a skincare routine designed to repair and hydrate your skin.
Not drinking enough water: Your cells, including your skin cells, need sufficient hydration in order to function properly and move through their turnover cycle. Try to get the recommended 8 glasses of water a day (if you exercise regularly and lose water through sweat, this water intake amount needs to be higher). Create a mental schedule during your day, for instance, set yourself mini alarms in your phone and always have a water bottle around you, until you have created a habit of drinking water all through out the day.
Prolonged exposure to sun: Always wear sunscreen. This is non-negotiable if you want to avoid premature aging, wrinkles, age spots. Sun damage penetrates your skin with UV rays, which damage the DNA in your skin cells, causing wrinkles. It’s that age old saying “there is nothing healthy about a tan.” Your older self will thank you, so slather up and cover up!
Skipping your hydration: This one might seem obvious, but it is so important for keeping your acid mantle intact and doing its job to seal in your skins natural moisture. This even applies if you have oily or combination skin!
By using both an humectant (attracts and draws moisture into your skin) and an emollient (provides a protective layer to seal in moisture) in your skincare routine, you are ensuring your skin has the best chance to keep the moisture it already has, as well as increasing these levels.
Quick tip: apply your hydrators with damp hands, to increase the water being drawn into your skin.
Stress and lack of sleep: Sometimes it seems these two are out of our control. But this can be one of the biggest causes of premature aging. The hormones and inflammatory responses that are triggered in the body by lack of sleep and stress will age your body faster, through overall slower body rejuvenation, including your skin cells.
Not using an anti-aging routine: Dermatologists recommend introducing an anti aging aspect to your skincare routine before your 30s. The logic behind this is simple: if you start incorporating anti-aging products into your daily routine at an earlier age, such as in your early 20s, when your skin elasticity and hydration begins to decrease, less damage will be done to the skin as opposed to if you begin using these products in your late 30s. Taking preventative steps by using anti-aging products at a younger age can help in the long run.
If you have ever suffered from oily skin, breakouts, acne, or all of the above, you may have found yourself googling causes of these issues. Found yourself down a bit of an internet black hole? We hear you!
There is a lot of confusing information out there, as it affects a vast majority of people at some point in their lives, so we want to clear up any uncertainty about one of the most common factors in this issue: sebum.
Problems can arise when you consume too much added sugar — that is, sugar that food manufacturers add to products to increase flavour or extend shelf life.
These problems range from obesity, diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease and cancer, to name a few!
But how does sugar affect your skin? Let's look at 4 ways sugar can and will mess with your skin health!
