You may be dealing with skin that is dry, red, or scaly, or it may simply be irritating all over. There is a considerable chance that your moisture barrier is in need of some good old-fashioned tender loving care.
It is the moisture barrier of the skin, which is composed of cholesterol, fatty acids, and ceramides, that is responsible for retaining moisture and maintaining the health and hydration of your skin.
Serious problems with skin hydration might arise if it is injured or impaired in some way (for example, if your skin is unable to retain moisture).
"Consider the surface of your skin to be a brick walkway. "When your moisture barrier is disrupted, it's like deep cracks going up and down your sidewalk," explains a dermatologist who practices in New York City named Janet Prystowsky. When it comes to our skin, the fissures expose our delicate skin layers to dry air, which leads to the layers' dehydration.
The good news is that the damage to the moisture barrier is not irreparable. You are able to repair the damage to your skin and bring it back to its healthy state by making the necessary adjustments to your lifestyle.
But what about the finest part? You can accomplish it rapidly.
Although it takes time to make any long-term improvements to your skin, you may begin to rebuild your moisture barrier and see a significant rise in the skin's hydration level in as little as a few days. This will help you feel more confident about your complexion. Actually, after only one day you may see a difference in how well hydrated your skin is.
Are you ready to conclude the week with a complexion that is clearly different? If you want to start restoring your skin's moisture barrier and obtain the hydrated, healthy skin you deserve, follow this three-day cure.
What are the most effective methods for keeping your skin hydrated?
Following these simple pointers will ensure that your skin remains moisturized throughout the day.
Get 8 to 9 hours sleep.
Keep your showers between 5 and 10 minutes long and use water that is lukewarm.
Drink adequate water.
Reduce your intake of alcohol and coffee.
Limit or prevent smoking.
Make the switch to a milder cleanser.
Consume a diet that is both diverse and abundant in necessary fatty acids.
It is recommended that you make use of goods that include ceramides, hyaluronic acid, lipids, and fatty acids.
Use a hydrated sleep mask.
Take precautions to prevent the sun, wind, and cold from damaging your skin.
Petroleum jelly may be used to provide a barrier against moisture.
Make an effort to lower the amount of stress in your life.
How to determine the level of hydration in your skin
Before you start, it is a good idea to determine the degree of moisture that is currently present in your skin. There is a simple test that may assist you in doing this. Pinch the fleshy section of your skin with your thumb and index finger where your cheek and the region beneath your eye meet. This will help lift and tighten the skin.
When you do this, your skin will have the appearance of being "tented" for a short while, or it may seem to be stuck in the form of your pinch. Your degree of moisture may be determined by how fast your skin can snap back into place after being stretched.
When it snaps back into place more quickly, the degree of hydration is greater. A common sign of dehydration is skin that slowly returns to its normal position after being stretched.
A step-by-step guide to more hydrated skin in three days
Do you want your skin to be extremely hydrated over the course of three days? The procedure is as follows.
Sleep
There are advantages to having an early wake-up call. However, if you want to get a head start on mending the skin's moisture barrier, it is imperative that you catch up on your sleep, meaning that you should get between 8 and 9 hours of solid shut-eye each night.
During the time that you are asleep, your skin repairs itself and restores the moisture it has lost. Therefore, increasing the amount of sleep you receive and improving the quality of sleep you get may help your skin rebuild its moisture barrier.
Persons who had good quality sleep according to a research done in 2014 had a moisture barrier that recovered 30 percent better in 72 hours than people who had poor quality sleep.
Aim to obtain between eight and nine hours of sleep each night in order to facilitate the healing process of the skin.
What should I be drinking today?
A lot of individuals place their attention on goods when it comes to restoring their moisture barrier, but what you put into your body is just as essential as what you put on your body.
Therefore, if you want to restore your moisture barrier and refill the hydration to your skin, you need to give your body what it needs to keep hydrated. This can be accomplished by drinking enough water throughout the day.
In other words, ensure that you consume a lot of water.
Your skin is made up of 30 percent water, and focusing on staying hydrated — especially if you're not a big water drinker — can help offset water loss and increase hydration in the skin. Since your skin is made up of water, paying attention to staying hydrated can help increase hydration in the skin.
You should also try to restrict the amount of coffee and alcohol you consume in addition to consuming lots of water. Both of these are examples of diuretics, which increases the risk of being dehydrated.
One cup of water should be consumed for every alcoholic or caffeinated beverage that is consumed. This is a decent rule of thumb.
How should we spend the day?
Swap out the case for your pillow
To better protect your skin, you may want to think about switching out your cotton pillowcases with ones made of a material that is both softer and less absorbent. Try:
silk
bamboo
satin
Although there is no scientific evidence to support this claim, it is possible that silk cloth absorbs less moisture than cotton does.
Despite this, Prystowsky remains a supporter.
"Using nonabrasive textiles like silk pillowcases... can assist avoid additional harm to the compromised barrier," she explains. "The use of these pillowcases will help prevent future trauma."
Check the ingredients on your cleanser
It's necessary to wash your face every day, but if you're using the incorrect cleanser, you can be causing more damage to your skin's moisture barrier than you're fixing by doing so.
According to Weber, the very first thing you need to do in order to heal your moisture barrier is to quit harming it with strong cleansers.
Avoid:
gels or foams
goods that kill germs, cleansers, washes that exfoliate, and perfumed items
Weber goes on to say, "I also prescribe an oil-based cleanser and a herbal elixir that are formulated specifically for your skin condition." Together, they provide a mild cleansing, nourishment, and protection for your skin's protective lipid barrier while also providing a gentle cleansing.
Choose cleaners that aren't just fragrance-free but also don't include any botanical ingredients.
When should one go to bed?
It is Saturday, after all, so you may feel like staying up late, but you should really try to go to bed as early as possible (before 11 p.m.). The sooner you go to bed, the more shut-eye you'll receive and the more time your skin will have to heal itself while you sleep. If you go to bed earlier, you'll feel more refreshed in the morning.
Day 2
When to wake up
Today, your goal should be to get up at 8:00 a.m. It is early enough that you won't be so exhausted when your alarm goes off in the morning that you'll be hating your life, but it is late enough that you won't have to worry about not getting a full night's sleep.
What to eat today
Enjoy some sushi
You should go to your go-to sushi restaurant and get some tuna and salmon sashimi there. Both types of fish are rich sources of important fatty acids, the consumption of which has been shown to help build the moisture barrier of the skin.
…and some nuts and seeds
Vegan or vegetarian? No problem! Essential fatty acids may still be obtained through plant-based sources, such as flax seed, which is high in omega 3's and pumpkin seeds, which are rich in omega 6's.
Up your nutrition
Zinc consumption should be increased if you want your lunch to be more beneficial in terms of healing the moisture barrier. It is possible that zinc will stimulate the formation of collagen in the skin and speed up the healing process.
Foods rich in zinc include:
shellfish
beans
meats
nuts
seeds
whole grains
Consumption of collagen on a regular basis is also regarded to be beneficial for joints and skin, however there is not yet sufficient data from clinical studies to validate this theory.
How should we spend the day?
Prepare your supply with the appropriate items
You decided to stop using cleansers that stripped your skin of its natural oils and hydration yesterday. Now is the time to stock up on skin care products containing the components that will restore that lost moisture, so go ahead and make your purchase.
The following are the most essential components to search for:
ceramides to aid in the healing of skin and prevent water loss via the epidermis
hyaluronic acid, also known as hyaluronic acid (HA), is a humectant. A humectant is a chemical that binds moisture and helps slow down the pace at which water evaporates from the skin. HA is capable of binding up to 1,000 times its weight in water.
lipids and fatty acids, which are necessary for the formation of the moisture barrier and the retention of moisture, and which will need to be replaced if the barrier is to be repaired.
Oil up your skin
You don't have the correct items in stock, do you? Don't worry about it; there's a good probability that you already own the components that are necessary to fix the moisture barrier in your pantry.
According to Prystowsky, "essential fatty acids and vitamin E found in vegetable- or plant-based oils may also be absorbed via the skin," both of which are beneficial for the cell membranes of the body's many organs and tissues. "Oils such as sunflower oil, olive oil, and even maize oil [are useful] for... mild moisture barrier disruption," according to one study.
Hydrate yourself throughout the night
Consuming liquids on a consistent basis is your best bet if you want to hasten the process of repairing your moisture barrier, and it should be done around the clock. And what is the most effective approach to achieve that? by using a hydration mask while you sleep.
Blend one-half of a cucumber with a few tablespoons of aloe vera gel in a blender until the mixture achieves a smooth consistency, and then apply a very thin layer all over your face. This is a do-it-yourself alternative. It has been shown that aloe vera has moisturizing characteristics, while cucumber has been proved to alleviate dryness or irritation.
Day 3
When to wake up
It's possible that you won't be able to alter the time that you have to get up during the week, but adjusting the time that you go to bed — even if it's earlier than you're accustomed to — may help ensure that you receive enough sleep for your skin to properly repair itself while you sleep.
What will you eat today?
Cut up a sweet potato, coat it in olive oil, and roast it in the oven for a delightful lunch that will also perform a significant amount of repair work on your moisture barrier. This will result in a meal that is both delicious and beneficial to your skin.
Olive oil is loaded with the critical fatty acids you need to strengthen your moisture barrier, and sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, which is known to stimulate the creation of collagen.
Do you need anything that is more satisfying? Toast made with sweet potato is another option.
How should we spend the day?
Prepare yourself for the big guns: petroleum jelly
In the event that you feel as if your skin is not successfully retaining moisture, it is time to bring in the major guns, also known as petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly is one of the most effective things you can do, and it is also quite economical. If your moisture barrier degradation is more serious, you should consider using petroleum jelly.
Petroleum jelly, often known as Vaseline, is an occlusive that works by forming a barrier over your skin and locking in moisture. This occlusive may reduce the amount of water that is lost through the epidermis by as much as 98 percent.
Take a few full breaths in here
The Mondays may be really difficult. However, stress may induce a disruption in the function of the barrier and slow down the mending process.
If you want to fix your moisture barrier, it means you need to reduce the amount of stress you're under as much as possible.
When you next begin to feel overwhelmed, give yourself a moment to halt and focus on taking some deep breaths. Just a few minutes of practicing deep breathing may help to activate your body's relaxation response, keep tension at away, and make it far simpler for your moisture barrier to mend itself.
The rest of the week's guide to keeping your skin hydrated and looking its best
Consider this three-day remedy as a means of getting an enhanced moisture barrier off to a running start. You should be able to notice effects by the end of the third day, but if you want the improvements to your skin to be more long-lasting, you will need to keep up the good practices.
How to properly hydrate your skin from the inside out
Put your focus on meals and liquids that will keep you hydrated. Even while it has not been shown via scientific research that eating a diverse and healthy diet will moisturize the skin from the inside out, there are plenty of other reasons to do so.
Think about including some of these items into your diet:
oily fish
nuts
avocado
olive oil
sweet potato
cucumber
The following are examples of foods and drinks that can cause dehydration:
alcohol
caffeine
refined carbohydrates
sugary sweets and drinks
salty foods
How to bring moisture to the surface of your skin
In order to preserve the natural moisture in your skin, be sure to follow these tips.
Limit bathing
Even while taking long, hot baths may be a fantastic way to relax and unwind, doing it too often can cause your skin to become dry and flaky. If the water is really hot, it has the potential to strip the skin of its natural oils that keep it moist.
The same principle applies when you wash your face. Lukewarm water is excellent.
Think about taking an oatmeal bath the next time you want a relaxing soak with extra perks. Oatmeal may be soothing to skin that is dry and irritated since it possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities.
To prepare an oatmeal bath, use a food processor to reduce a few handfuls of oats to a powdery consistency, then mix the powder into the water in your bathtub. Don't let the temperature become too high!
Think carefully about the products you use on your skin
When it comes to preserving the moisture barrier of the skin, gentleness is of the utmost importance. This indicates that it is best to avoid using aggressive exfoliants and foamy cleansers, both of which have the potential to leave the skin feeling very dry.
Instead, you should stock up on products that have chemicals that may hydrate the skin, such as hyaluronic acid, glycerine, citric acid, and ceramides.
You might possibly get relief by using natural therapies. Previous studies have shown that coconut oil is a good moisturizer; but, if you have a sensitivity to coconut, you should steer clear of using it on your skin.
Aloe vera, on the other hand, is reported to be able to moisturize the skin and give therapeutic advantages.
Use a humidifier
Your skin may become more dry as a result of the air around you. The addition of moisture to the air that's produced by a humidifier is something that can be beneficial to the skin.
Remember sunscreen
It is tempting to use less sunscreen, especially when the sun isn't out, but using an SPF product regularly should be an integral part of your routine for taking care of your skin.
Sunscreen not only shields your skin from the harmful effects of the sun, but it also helps keep the moisture barrier of your skin from being stressed.
Use of a sunscreen with an SPF value of thirty or more is recommended, as stated by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
Use a moisturizing mask
You may give a basic homemade face mask, like the one with cucumber and aloe, a shot in order to keep and replace the moisture in your skin all throughout the week.
You might also try a mask that you got from the shop, but be sure you read the label first.