Starlight Skin

DEHYDRATION: LET’S GET DEWY Dehydrated skin lacks water in the epidermal tissue and is independent from dry skin, the skin type lacking natural oils, that it’s often confused with. Dehydrated skin manifests as a dull, crepe-like, flaky texture and can be experienced by anyone, regardless of skin type or other present skin conditions. How Does Skin Lose its Water Content? Water within the skin is continuously lost through trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL). This means water is pulled out of the skin into the external environment, especially during colder seasons when humidity levels are low. Natural perspiration throughout the day or during physical activity is also a predominant factor in TEWL. Why is it important to have a high moisture content in the epidermal layers? Aside from the “dewy” and youthful appearance that’s associated with hydrated skin, chemical reactions occurring within the epidermis (and the body) need H2O to complete their functions. This means for your skin to work at optimal levels it must be full of moisture! Can you imagine the visual difference of dehydrated grass and grass that’s been regularly watered? The later radiates a vibrant colour, a healthy texture, and is a thriving expression of life. Your skin will acquire these same traits once you take the correct measures to maintain its hydration levels. How to Keep Your Skin Hydrated: Starlight tips: Aim to drink 2-3L of purified water each day to help your skin and body thrive! Think of water as your “glow elixir” and flavor it with citrus, cucumber, or mint to make it even more delicious. Adding a collagen powder to your beauty drink can also be a smart addition. Remember to up your water quantities when consuming dehydrating beverages like coffee or alcohol! Exfoliating on a regular basis so your skin can accept the hydrating ingredients in your products is paramount in creating a dewy glow! Ingredients are unable to penetrate through a wall of chunky, dead skin cells, so without removing this layer any serums and moisturizers will remain superficial and be ineffective. The penetration of ingredients with water-binding properties into the lower depths of the skin is a Glow Getter’s best hydration trick! Common high-humectant and non-comedogenic ingredients include hyaluronic acid and squalane. When your serums are still moist on the skin is a great time to use a microcurrent, ultrasonic, or high-frequency device as these energies can assist in product penetration through their vibrational movements. Be sure that the serums used alongside these devices do not have highly stimulating ingredients such as AHAs or retinols, as combining the two can cause skin irritation. Once your skin has been flooded with nutrition from your water-binding serums it’s time to create a seal with a great moisturizer! The role of a moisturizer is to serve as an occlusive barrier, keeping important ingredients within the skin and preventing internal water from being lost through TEWL. A moisturizer’s secondary function is to protect the skin from external factors and irritants, which improves skin sensitivities and strengthens the epidermal lipid barrier. During lower-humidity seasons or for extremely dehydrated skin, an additional barrier can be added on top of a moisturizer to create a thicker, and more effective hydration seal. A great idea for this second barrier is argan oil, a natural oil that does not register on the comedogenic scale. This can be done during nighttime regimens only if the additional barrier is too thick, or shiny for some skin types during the day. Adding humidifiers to your house or bedroom, especially during lower-humidity seasons is an additional Starlight tip to keep you glowing! If there are high levels of water molecules present in the air, the chance of water being pulled from the skin is much less. Those long, hot showers and baths you love may also need to be reduced, as steaming water breaks down the skin’s lipid barrier and adds to the dehydration of your face and body. Follow the same Starlight advice to keep a hydrated face when it comes to the skin on your body. Start with a great body moisturizer to seal in the water from your shower and then apply a sealing oil on top! Both face and body hydration products are designed to last for an average period of 12 hours, so reapplication after this time is necessary on all body parts to keep your radiance at 100%. If areas such as the elbows, knees, and feet still aren’t as radiant as you would like, add on our favorite rich seal, natural shea-butter for a quick improvement! Shea butter is also a great ingredient to keep atopic dermatitis that coincides with dehydrated skin, such as eczema, under control instead of resorting to medical steroid products.