Revitalizing Your Skin: 6 Hydrating Skincare Tips for a Radiant Glow

Whether you have dry, oily, or combination skin, overall hydration and a revitalizing skin routine are essential.

It seems as though regardless of how much time or effort you put into your skincare regimen, at one point or another, you'll probably suffer from dehydrated, dull, and dry skin. But don't worry — even if you are experiencing some dryness. It is a common skin concern for many and is easy enough to tackle.

Dehydrated skin is skin that lacks moisture or skin that does not have the ability to retain moisture. Many of us know all too well from personal experience that dry skin often looks sallow and dull, and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles becomes more pronounced. And, much to our dismay, it immediately hinders that healthy, lit-from-within glow.

So, what's a person to do? What is the best way to combat dry skin? The great news is that it is relatively easy to reverse. By implementing our hydrating skincare tips, sticking to a revitalizing skin routine, and adding the right hydrating skincare products, you'll get that radiant skin you've always dreamed of.

Keep scrolling below to find out more about revitalizing your skin!

Why is skin hydration essential?

Obviously, skin hydration is essential for life itself. In addition to that, skin hydration is important for skin health. When the skin does not contain enough water, roughness and loss of elasticity occur in the outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis.

These symptoms contribute to dullness, roughness, and discomfort and detract from a glowing, healthy- and youthful-looking complexion. Skin hydration improves skin elasticity, which helps combat the appearance of sagging and fine lines and wrinkles. Overall, the skin is the body's target organ, and when it is adequately hydrated, it feels, looks, and functions at its best.

4 signs of dehydrated skin

Knowing when your skin is dehydrated is key to being able to take care of it properly. There are many signs of skin dehydration, and telling when you're suffering from it is pretty straightforward. Here are four signs of dehydrated skin:

1. Fine lines — In the skincare world, one of the things we are all trying to avoid is the dreaded fine lines. When skin is dehydrated, it's not uncommon for fine lines to make an obvious appearance. While fine lines are technically wrinkles, they don't look like regular wrinkles. Instead, they look like a tiny network of connected fine, triangular, and rectangular lines.
   
2. Itchy skin — If you feel like you have an eczema flare-up or a dry skin rash, you could be suffering from dehydrated skin. When moisture is missing from your outer layers of skin, you may experience itchiness and tightness. So, if you're in an arid environment, itchy skin is a common sign and one of the first symptoms you'll experience of skin dehydration.
   
3. Increase in skin sensitivity — When your skin is dehydrated, it's likely your natural skin barrier is out of balance. When your skin's moisture barrier is off, it cannot protect itself from external irritants like smoke, wind, and other pollutants. Unfortunately, this results in hypersensitive skin.
   
4. Decrease in skin brightness — Dull skin is another sure sign of dehydrated skin. When skin is dehydrated, it is likely that you will have a buildup of old, dead skin cells, keeping your skin from renewing and regenerating properly. This may make your skin appear dry and flakey, but keep in mind that dry skin is different from dehydrated skin.

Dry skin vs. dehydrated skin: what's the difference?

Differentiating between dehydrated skin and dry skin can be tricky if you don't know what you're looking for. Remember, dry skin is a skin type, while dehydrated skin is a skin concern. Dehydrated skin is lacking water and looks sallow and dull. Dry skin lacks the necessary oils, leaving it looking flaky and feeling tight.

Dry skin is often genetic and feels like a perpetual dryness that has to be addressed morning and night. However, individuals may experience dry skin during season changes and a decrease in humidity levels.

Dehydrated skin is dull and flat and has a more noticeable skin texture, like fine lines. Regardless of your skin type, you may suffer from skin dehydration. Thankfully, you can eliminate it with a dedicated and hydrating skincare routine and conscious lifestyle changes. 

If you have oily skin that is dehydrated, your skin may look lackluster and especially greasy with more breakouts. If you have dry skin, you'll look and feel tight, flakey, rough, and dull and have a more noticeable skin texture. Your skin could also be itchy and painful.

6 revitalizing skin tips for hydrated skin

Thankfully, reversing dehydrated skin is relatively simple. By incorporating the skincare tips below, you're sure to have skin that radiates from the inside out:

1. What you put in your body matters — Healthy, hydrated skin starts inside. This means the first step to hydrated skin is your diet. Thankfully, there is a wide variety of hydration-boosting foods to enjoy. First, you'll want to find a way to incorporate a good amount of essential omega-3 fatty acids into your everyday diet. 

Our skin needs both water and healthy lipids to keep it hydrated, which means foods like avocados, seeds, nuts, and oily fish are essential components of our diets. These foods have a positive effect on the skin's hydration levels. Talk to your primary care doctor about taking an omega supplement if you aren't getting enough of these nutrients through your meals.

You should also ensure you're getting enough vegetables, fruits, and other foods containing vitamins A, C, and D to help maintain a healthier skin barrier to help lock in moisture. Eating foods with high vitamin and water content (like cucumbers, cantaloupes, and watermelon) helps improve your skin's overall hydration and elasticity.

It's also important to cut back on or at least be mindful when consuming dehydrating foods, such as soda, alcohol, coffee, and salt- and sugar-rich foods.

2. Drink enough water every day — Drinking enough water throughout the day is key to hydrating the skin. Your organs — including the largest organ, the skin — absorb moisture when you drink water, so it's important to make sure you're getting enough. 

The age-old rule for drinking water was to drink eight eight-ounce cups of water each day. This isn't necessarily the case, however. The best rule of thumb here is to drink half of your body weight in ounces each day. For example, an individual who weighs 160 pounds should be drinking 80 ounces of water daily; that's 10 eight-ounce cups! While someone who weighs 120 needs 60 ounces of water per day.

3. Skip the harsh, active skincare ingredients — If you're suffering from dehydrated skin, it's important to look at the ingredient list on each of your skincare products; some harsh ingredients may be the culprit. You could use all of the hydration-dense products in the world, but if you're overusing products that contain ingredients like Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHAs), you are likely to find yourself dealing with dehydrated skin often.

Yes, products with actives like retinol and other acids are amazing — there's no denying that! Consumers must know how to use them properly to avoid damaging their skin barrier. If used too much, these ingredients can wreak havoc on the skin. A balance between antioxidants, actives, and protectors is crucial.

If you need help figuring out where to start, the best thing you can do is to listen to your skin. If it is feeling especially irritated or dehydrated, pause chemical exfoliates and amp up the amount of products that will aid in reducing trans-epidermal water loss by building up your skin barrier (think niacinamide and ceramides). Also, switch to a gentle cleanser to clean your skin.

4. Limit how often you exfoliate — In addition to pausing chemical exfoliation, make sure you aren't overdoing it with physical exfoliates, too. 

A good face and body scrub definitely have their place and are great at removing residue buildup and dead skin cells. However, overdoing the physical exfoliates can cause more problems than most would care to handle. Too much exfoliating means risking damaging your natural skin barrier. Instead, keep your physical exfoliating to one or two times weekly.

5. Reconsider your shower habits — We're not saying to skip out on your daily hygiene routine. What we mean is to reconsider how you're doing it. It's the middle of the winter, and a long, piping-hot shower sounds amazing. Who are we kidding— that's a year-round luxury, not only reserved for the colder months. 

But these long, hot showers could be part of why your skin is suffering. Long showers with hot, hot water encourage moisture to exit your skin, leaving it feeling majorly dehydrated. Instead of spending 30 minutes in a stream of scalding water, opt for shorter showers with lukewarm water.
A few other habits to incorporate into your shower routine to improve skin hydration include skipping the oil-stripping soap. Instead, use a gentler body soap or wash. When you dry your face, pat it dry with a soft towel rather than dragging your towel across the skin.

In addition, apply lotion, shea butter, or body oil right after your shower to lock in moisture. For bonus points and an ultra-hydrating effect, apply these to the skin while it is still slightly damp.

6. Jam-pack your skincare routine with hydrating ingredients — Hyaluronic acid (not nearly as harsh of an ingredient as "acid" makes it sound) has been center stage as the hydration hero for quite some time. Yes, it is an awesome hydrator. After all, it can hold up to a thousand times its own weight in water. However, there are many other products with hydrating ingredients to incorporate into your hydrating, revitalizing skin routine.

Still trying to figure out where to start? Here are some naturally hydrating ingredients you'll want in your skincare products:

• Glycerin — Glycerin is ideal in skincare products because it increases skin hydration, relieves dryness, and refreshes the skin's surface. It is also an emollient, which means it helps soften skin.
  
• Argan — Argan oil helps moisturize the skin, aiding in age prevention and sun protection, and supports acne care.
  
• Moringa — Moringa oil hydrates the skin while preventing and treating dry skin conditions.
  
• Rosehip — Rosehip oil supports well-hydrated and moist skin while boosting natural collagen production.
  
• Borage — Borage seed oil helps treat skin conditions that make your skin feel tight, dry, and dehydrated, such as dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea.
  
• Avocado — Avocados are a great source of vitamins C, E, K, and B6, which aid in preventing dry and dehydrated skin.
  
• Sea buckthorn — Sea buckthorn has been used in skincare for centuries because it is rich in antioxidants, vitamins E and K, and carotenoids, which work together to protect and support your skin's natural barrier.
  
• Hibiscus — Hibiscus is brutally moisture-rich, helping the skin to stay hydrated, soft, and supple while supporting a youthful, glowing complexion.
  
• Ojon — Ojon oil penetrates the skin to deep levels and restores moisture and hydration.

Find the revitalizing skin products you need at Kalahari Rose

Revitalizing skin is made easy with the natural, hydrating skincare found at Kalahari Rose. If you're looking for quality skincare products like gentle cleansing oils, hydrating serums, and moisturizing face creams to help you achieve your skincare goals, make sure to try Kalahari Rose.

Our face creams and other skincare products use nourishing and natural ingredients that promote flawless, youthful, healthy-looking skin. Whether you have oily, dry, combination, sensitive, or mature skin, we have quality, effective products that are perfect for your skin type.

The best botanical and natural skincare begins with the best botanical and natural ingredients. We source only organic and food-grade oils from vegetables, seeds, fruits, and ocean algae. This also means they are cruelty-free and vegan. Learn more about each ingredient here.

Be sure to check out our line of face creams, eye creams, serums, masks, cleansers, and more and experience the best Mother Nature can offer. Contact Kalahari Rose to ask questions about our products, how to incorporate them, and to get additional skincare tips to give your skin the TLC it deserves.