Water could be the elixir of youthful looking skin

A huge percentage of our body is made up of water, and it’s this internal hydration that plays a major role in ensuring skin is hydrated on a deeper, cellular level. Understanding this, it makes perfect beauty sense to ensure that water levels, both internally and externally, are flush so that skin has a fighting chance of remaining plump and luminous every day, at any age.

The alternative is not pretty: dehydration is a major contributor to ageing, as any loss of water promotes a reduction in the elasticity of the skin, resulting in less fullness, radiance and the onset ofcreping skin and fine lines. To keep dehydration at bay, it is important to stay internally hydrated by drinking enough water. According to the Australian Medical Association, about 1.5 to 2 litres of water each day is sufficient for fit adults.


External hydration is where the beauty industry weighs into the equation, and there are some clever brands with hydrating products  at the core of their beauty  ethos. But as Elisa Simonpietri,  international scientific director  for Biotherm points out, no amount of skincare lotion or anti-ageing potion can deliver water into the skin unless the right ingredients accompany it.
“The skin is impermeable, so we combine several strategies targeting both surface hydration and deep hydration to provide a good level of moisture and maintain it,” she says of her company philosophy. “Every type of skin, regardless of its condition, needs moisturisation. Overall, daily moisture loss amounts to between 800ml and 1000ml through a process known as transepidermal water loss. Lack of moisturisation is usually the main Form of imbalance found in all skin types,” she explains.

Additional dehydration can be caused by factors such as harsh exfoliants, soap-based cleansers, allergies and poor diet. To ensure you are getting hydration from skincare, Billie Weston, shuuemura beauty expert, suggests looking For products that contain botanicals, oils, minerals and hyaluronic acid to assist skin cells in retaining internal
moisture as well as absorbing moisture topically. “The absorption process is aided when certain minerals are added to the formula,” she explains. During Warmer months, keep
a hydrating mist close by, always pack a moisturising cleanser For a post-yoga clean and indulge in a hydrating mask after a long day outdoors. These simple steps may just help you to stem the flow-on effects of ageing.