Does drinking more water help hydrate dry skin?

There are many good reasons to drink water - It's refreshing, it helps your brain function, maintain energy levels, regulates body temperature, aids in digestion, and ultimately keeps your body healthy. When we drink water it does not go straight to the skin but goes through the intestines, gets absorbed into your bloodstream, and is then filtered by the kidneys before it hydrates cells. So, when it comes to moisturizing your skin, drinking water falls short.

So, what does work?

Your skins natural moisture level is first determined by your skin type and then fluctuates depending on what your skin's protective lipid barrier is exposed to. This lipid layer helps keep moisture in and germs and irritants out. You should minimize your exposure to depleting elements - low humidity, harsh winds, dry heat, high altitude, sun, alcohol and harsh soaps. Diet can also play a role in strengthening your skin's ability to maintain moisture by eating foods rich in essential fatty acids found in walnuts, flaxseeds, salmon and olive oil.

Regardless of how oily or dry your skin is, it needs effective moisturizing products to maintain healthy skin function. The first step to effective skin hydration is using humectant agents in your daily care products. Hyaluronic acid has been praised for many reasons, one of which is its potent water-retaining powers, with experts saying it's able to hold 1,000 times its weight in water. Because the powerful humectant hydrates by drawing in moisture from the environment and locking it into the skin it is a great product to use on all skin types.

Drenching your skin with products that contain Hyaluronic Acid provides more than just moisture - it may be the key to perpetually youthful skin! Hyauronic Acids' hydrating nature also makes it an important anti-aging ingredient and has been named as the "key to youth". As we age, the body's natural storage of hyaluronan is depleted, which is one of the reasons skin can look visibly parched and crêpe like during its later years. Add a good moisturizer twice a day and you will instantly improve the look and feel of dry and dehydrated skin.

So, drink water for your health and, use humectant and moisturizing products to keep well hydrated this summer as well as throughout the rest of the year.

To your skin health,

Linda Lopez