Body and face hydration: why do you have to do it every day?

Let it be said: for the skin of the face like that of the body, hydration is the number 1 beautiful skin reflex. It is thanks to this good habit that we delay the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, that we maintain a radiant complexion and perfectly soft skin in all circumstances.

But why does this gesture absolutely have to be performed every day? We take stock with a skin expert.

L‘hydration, an essential gesture to strengthen the skin

Skin hydration is based on well-established natural mechanisms. “The water from the blood plasma irrigates the extracellular matrix of the dermis, composed of highly hydrated polysaccharides (such as hyaluronic acid) which form a kind of supple and dense gel, in which the supporting fibers (collagen, elastin) are bathed. ..), and structural glycoproteins”, explains Frédéric Hornec, Animation Director Institut Esthederm and Etat Pur. “The water circulates from the dermis to the epidermis on the surface, and crosses the different layers of the skin to moisten them, in a dynamic and adaptive movement to the ambient humidity.”

Daily, the skin is a living organ that makes every effort to maintain an optimal level of hydration : “it regulates the insensible loss of water (the water which naturally evaporates from our body, editor’s note), and it produces water sensors and lipids which make it possible to maintain water in the epidermis and capture the ‘water of the atmosphere’, continues the expert.

So why hydrate daily if the skin is already doing so well on its own? Well because on a daily basis, it is threatened by multiple factors that dehydrate it: vagaries of the weather, pollution, too hot baths and showers, inappropriate or too stripping cosmetic care… All these elements contribute to altering the hydrolipidic film of the skin. skin, whose role is “to waterproof the skin and prevent dehydration by preventing the evaporation of the water contained in the epidermis”, specifies Frédéric Hornec.

Conscientiously moisturizing your skin every day will therefore help strengthen this shield and keep the skin as supple and luminous as possible. This is all the more important when you know that over time, the hydration of the skin naturally decreases. Another good reason not to ignore this essential gesture!

Thinner than the skin of the body, and unprotected by clothing, the skin of the face is on the front line against the multiple aggressions of everyday life that put its beauty at risk.

“Good hydration from an early age is the key to delaying the first signs of loss of radiance,” assures Frédéric Hornec. Yes, but actually what is good hydration? To do well, you should apply at least a serum and a moisturizer adapted to your skin type, age and season every morning and every evening. A quick reminder: the ideal treatment must provide water (to hydrate, therefore) but also lipids (this time to nourish) which will help the skin retain water and prevent dehydration. Dry skin is the type of skin that needs nourishment the most.

“Applying a moisturizing care mist enriched with hyaluronic acid such as Esthederm’s Cellular Water Mist after cleansing and before applying the serum is also a good hydra-booster reflex to integrate into your routine”, underlines the specialist.

Don’t forget: the eye contour is the first area of ​​the face to show signs of dehydration. It is therefore important to use an eye care daily, to be applied just before serum and moisturizer.

We tend to pamper our body skin less than our face skin, and that’s a mistake. Because it also needs hydration to stay soft and firm for as long as possible.

“The ideal is to moisturize the whole body once or twice a day (for example after the shower), choosing a pleasant texture so that the application is a real pleasure”, advises Frédéric Hornec. “Betting on a biomimetic formula, in perfect affinity with the skin (that is to say with ingredients similar to the components naturally present in the skin or perfectly assimilated, editor’s note) makes it possible to maintain an optimal level of hydration.”

On particularly scaly areas such as the heels or elbows, one can apply a thick layer of moisturizer, after a scrub that will reduce the thickness of the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the epidermis) and facilitate the penetration of moisturizing active ingredients. For the heels, it is possible to use products with a greasy texture, to be applied in the evening in a thick layer, under socks, always after exfoliation.