Hydration or Moisturization – What to do this Winter?

Hydration and Moisturization are two terms that are used very frequently in our daily skincare vocabulary, and we often use them interchangeably considering them the same.

But are they really the same?

No, these are two entirely different terms. Our skin requires both hydration as well as moisturization. Before going into the details of these two terms, lets understand some important facts about our skin.

What is hydration?

As we all know skin is the largest organ of our body and in terms of chemical composition, the skin is about 60-70% water.

The skin composition makes it very clear that water is an essential component for our skin. When skin lacks in water, it becomes dehydrated, looks dull, uncomfortably tight and loses its lustrous appeal. The important fact here is – even oily skin types can suffer from dehydration, as water is required by all skin types in the same way. When the water content of the skin is depleted, the results become visible on the skin including less elasticity and rough skin.

Hydrated skin looks plumper. The plumpness smooths out fine lines and wrinkles, so your skin looks youthful. Hydration further gives skin a natural radiant glow and it makes every skin cell in your body work at its optimum best.

Moisturizing

Hydration for skin is as essential as drinking water is for your body. But it doesn’t matter how many glasses of water your skin drinks every day, because if there’s nothing to keep this water in, it’ll evaporate into thin air, leaving your skin dull and dry (back to square one). 

Moisturizing helps lock in moisture by preventing hydration from escaping the skin.

The natural lipid barrier of our skin protects itself from damage and loss of water but if you’re someone who suffers from dry, flaky skin very often, then you may need some extra boost – this is where moisturization comes into play.

How to hydrate and moisturize your skin?

For Hydration, it’s crucial to follow the requisite water intake per day. And the daily intake of water should be at least 2-3 liters.

Along with water intake, we recommend the practice of natural hydrators to keep the skin hydrated and youthful. Natural humectants, not only help attract water to the surface of the skin, but also deliver hydration and nutrients to the deeper layers, as well. This helps skin to keep itself hydrated throughout the day.

Some common natural humectants that we use in our products are fresh Aloe Vera, organic Honey, pure steam distilled floral waters etc. Forest Essentials “Pure Aloe Vera” and “Pure Rose Water” are light, cooling facial gels, that are specifically designed to hydrate the skin. We recommend the application of hydrating gels, before moisturization as a part of your morning and evening skincare regimes.

For Moisturization, the intake of healthy fats in your diet, including monounsaturated fats and Omega -3 Fatty Acid, is vital. The healthiest way to lubricate the body from inside is with pure ghee preferably from A-2 Cows. Cooking oils made from hand pressed seeds and nuts are also recommended. One can add Avocados, Nuts, Flax seeds, Sunflower seeds, Fish oil.

External application of moisturizers over skin is equally imperative. Some of the natural moisturizers are natural oils extracted from various plants – including nuts and seeds. Cold pressed Sesame oil, Almond oil, Coconut oil, Cow’s Ghee, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter and organic Beeswax are some good examples. These natural moisturizing ingredients help in fighting the signs of aging by locking in hydration in a very efficient way.

Our moisturizers help in locking in moisture and countering the various concerns caused by lack of essential moisturization:

Night treatment creams: “Sandalwood and Saffron” and “Jasmine and Patchouli” provide the necessary reparative nourishment and moisture to the skin at night.

Our specifically formulated Teenage skin creams:“Eladi Day cream” and “Kumkumadi Night Cream” are very effective recipes of some of the finest seasonal ingredients mentioned earlier.

For more mature skin types, our iconic Age Defying Range is made of the perfect formulas for skin that needs reparative attention.

How many of you recall your mothers and grandmothers saying – a drop of Ghee a day keeps dry skin (and all your problems) at bay? A massage using the “Tejasvi Emulsion”– our star performer from the Age Defying Range is prepared with pure Cow’s Ghee, Ayurvedic herbs and roots hat Indian women have sworn by for glowing, moisturized and plumped skin, for centuries. This is a great product for moisturizing skin, especially dry and mature skin types.

Also Read – How to take care of your skin in Winter?

As you can see, hydrating and moisturizing aren’t optional, they both are essential parts of our daily skincare practices.

Dr. Taruna Yadav

Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (B.A.M.S.).

Diploma in Stress Management.

For Forest Essentials.