Most people have a lack of water in the body, including in the skin. Scientists say that there are 99% of them. Why be surprised that cosmetologists have taken the task of moisturizing as an obligatory stage of any care!

What is the cause of dry skin, how to properly moisturize the skin depending on the type of skin and is it possible at home? Details in this article.

Causes of dry skin

All skin types in one way or another susceptible to the problem of dehydration (dehydration)... But, of course, dry skin comes first on this list. Dry skin can be due to many reasons, but there is a fundamental difference:

1. Dryness, caused by a lack of sebum production(truly dry skin).
2. Dryness due to insufficient moisture content in skin.

At the same time, cosmetologists use different tactics, focusing in the first case on nutrients, and in the second on moisturizing and restoring the epidermal barrier, which is closely interconnected.

Blood, which brings water and nutrients to the skin, is the main supplier of fluid. Insufficient blood supply, which primarily depends on drinking regimen and the quality of the products consumed, definitely leads to dehydration of the whole body and skin, in particular.

• In deep layers skin water is in a gel-like state due to the structural components of the dermis (mucopolysaccharides, glycosaminoglycans) - this ensures the water balance in the skin.
• In the upper layers(in the stratum corneum of the epidermis) there is a small amount of water, but the regulation of its intake and evaporation is carried out precisely at this level. Structures such as the epidermal barrier, the hydrolipid mantle, and the corneocytes of the stratum corneum play a decisive role in this.

All components of the skin, on which its moisture content (hydration) depends, can change depending on many external and internal factors, which is manifested by a different skin condition in the same person, not only in different time periods, but also in different parts of the body in one moment.

4 types of skin hydration

It is from understanding the mechanism of water entry into the skin that the main directions of skin hydration have been developed:

1. Creating an additional protective film on the skin surface to minimize moisture loss.
2. Restoration of the protective structures of the epidermis.
3. Hydration of the skin by replenishing the natural moisturizing factor (NMF), increasing the synthesis of aquaporins, an osmotic component.
4. Osmotic humidification

Let's consider each direction of moisturizing in detail: when it is applied and to whom it is recommended.

Group I: creating an additional protective film

For some skin problems, it becomes necessary to use agents that create waterproof film on the skin surface, which will prevent fluid loss. This is necessary when:

1. dermatological diseases, manifested by increased dryness and inflammation.
2. after procedures such as peels, plastic surgery, with frequent contact with detergents

For this purpose, apply fatty acid(lanolinic, stearic) and fatty alcohols (palmitic, caprylic, lanolinic), petroleum jelly, paraffin, mineral oils, solid animal fats (badger, goose, bear), vegetable and animal waxes, solid vegetable oils(coconut, shea, cocoa, macadamia).

With normal protective function of the skin, it is not recommended to use such drugs, and with dermatological indications, their short-term use is permissible.

In modern cosmetic products preference is given to vegetable oils (shea, jojoba, macadamia), phospholipids, aloe vera, glycerin, collagen, hyaluronic acid, chitosan and β-glucan, which create the thinnest mobile film on the surface without disturbing the epidermal barrier and maintaining a sufficient level of moisture.

Group II: restoration of the epidermal barrier

Without "fixing" the epidermal barrier itself, it is impossible to restore the normal level of skin hydration. To restore it, the same components are used, of which it consists: ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids.

They are composed of the so-called epidermal lipids, which are significantly different from sebum fats, so you can often find a combination of oily and dehydrated skin.

The epidermal barrier is a complex protective structure in the most superficial layers of the epidermis. If it is violated, symptoms such as dryness, flaking, a feeling of tightness and itching, the appearance of spots and irritation in response to external influences occur.

As a rule, this happens with improper care: oily problem skin overdried by the use of agents that violate the epidermal barrier and stimulate the production of sebum, which entails additional skin problems (exacerbation of acne, dehydration and hypersensitivity).

The sources of these restorative drugs are:

• vegetable oils: olive, soy, black currant, borage, primrose, evening primrose oil (vitamins E and A are added to exclude oxidation);
• antioxidant oils: avocado, shea, grape seeds, wheat germ, rice bran, which additionally have phytoestrogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.

III group: moisturizers (replacement therapy)

Includes NMF Components: hyaluronic acid, urea, lactic acid, amino acids(proteins of soy, silk, milk), sodium pyroglutamate, minerals(magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium), polysaccharides(laminarin, aloemannan, etc.), collagen, etc.

They all serve a specific function in the skin hydration process and are widely used in moisturizers. However, in winter time hyaluronic acid and urea can be harmful because they change the state of the aquatic environment in the stratum corneum, as if freezing the epidermis.

In cold weather, moisturizer should be applied at least 30-40 minutes before going outside.

IV group: osmotic moistening

Due to the superficial application of osmotically active mineral substances (for example, thermal water) using an aerosol, water is redistributed to the upper layers of the skin and the normal water balance is restored.

Osmotic humidification works well in the summer if the epidermal barrier is not violated.

How to choose the right type of hydration

Moisturizing is necessary for the skin in winter and summer. In cold weather preferable preparations containing natural vegetable oils and vitamin complexes.

In the summer it is better to use natural moisturizing factor ingredients and osmotic moisturizers.

Traditional bonus - Elena Malysheva's point of view

Misconceptions and scientific beliefs about skin hydration can be learned with a test. Answer a few questions and check the answers with the data from the Avene laboratory.

• Do all active moisturizers work the same way?
• Is drinking plenty of fluids enough to hydrate the skin?
• Are you dehydrated oily skin?
• Does dehydrated skin absorb water like a sponge?
• Does permanent skin hydration help slow down the aging process?

In fact, there are three types of hydrating substances:

• clogging (surface coating), for example petroleum jelly, the action of which is to create a film on the epidermis that inhibits the imperceptible loss of moisture from the skin surface;
• moisturizers, such as glycerin, a hygroscopic substance that captures and holds water molecules at the level of the surface layers of the epidermis;
• bioepidermally active, for example, biocementin - a substance similar to epidermal lipids, restoring the intercellular substance of the stratum corneum, and therefore increasing the effectiveness of protection against dehydration.

2. Drinking plenty of fluids is enough to hydrate the skin. It's a delusion.

According to scientific concepts, human body 2/3 consists of water, therefore a sharp reduction in water consumption leads to dehydration of the whole body and can lead to a serious decrease in the water content of the skin (the dermis contains 70% water). But drinking plenty of water cannot fully compensate for the required amount of water to moisturize the skin, since the hydration of the epidermis depends both on the water content in the dermis and sweat glands, and on the ability of the epidermis to retain this moisture using the hydrolipid mantle.

3. Oily skin is not dehydrated. It's a delusion.

The phenomenon of dehydration is common to all skin types, and although dry skin is more susceptible to it due to a damaged protective hydrolipid mantle, oily skin can also be dehydrated for the same reason (due to aggressive skin care products - alcohol lotions, extreme climatic conditions, drug courses of treatment).

4. Dehydrated skin absorbs water like a sponge. Of course, this is a delusion.

If, for the sake of experiment for dehydration, rub the skin with acetone, and then try to moisturize it with water, it will become clear that water does not penetrate into the skin, but forms a drop on its surface. Indeed, the structure of dehydrated skin is disturbed, and it is not enough just to adjust the supply of water to the cells in order to restore its level of hydration. Such skin should also be provided with a means of trapping and retaining water molecules.

The saturation of skin cells with water plays important role in the regulation of a number of physiological processes, including the synthesis of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid.

Or her dehydration, can be the cause of many dermatological diseases, but in itself this the phenomenon is not an ailment... It is for this reason that it can be difficult to diagnose skin dehydration in some cases.

It is known that water plays an important role in the functioning of the human body at the cellular level, not to mention its entire systems. Human skin also cannot exist without moisture, it needs appropriate moisture and comfort.

If there is a lack of water in the systems of the human body, then the term "dehydration" or dehydration is used, and this problem is often eliminated quite simply. Sometimes you just need to drink enough drinking water, which will help to hydrate and restore body systems and normal skin moisture levels.

In the modern world and over the past few decades, the term "dehydration" is not applied quite correctly. Dehydration is the correct term for a lack of moisture. inside the body system but not a lack of moisture in human skin. The actual dehydration of the skin is very difficult to identify, because it is not a dermatological pathology. Due to the systemic lack of water in the body, problems with the skin appear, for example, its keratinization and peeling, in addition, the lymphatic system is damaged and premature skin aging is noted due to a lack of the integrity of its structure, as well as elastin and collagen.

Hydration of the epidermis depends directly on the amount of liquid you drink... If a person consumes an insufficient amount of moisture, then the activity of the respiratory and excretory systems will be disrupted, just like the functioning of the sweat glands. It is customary to call dehydration a complex of manifestations associated with a lack of moisture, but this is not so. Each of these disorders has its own name, symptoms, causes and remedies. The problem of dehydration of the skin is not always eliminated by drinking water alone.

It is correct to call dehydration a lack of moisture within the body's system, but not a lack of moisture in human skin.

Factors of normal skin hydration

The ability of the stratum corneum to retain moisture deep in the skin;

Relative humidity;

The amount of time it takes to transfer moisture from deep dermal layers to the stratum corneum;

The amount of moisture transferred from the inner skin layers to the outer skin layers.

What explains the normal moisture level of the skin

The balance of skin hydration is based on the correct functioning of the circulatory and lymphatic systems. The fluid from the tissues is injected into the dermis using the circulatory system, after which it interacts with the hyaluronic part of glycosaminoglucans deep in the dermis using fibroblasts.

A certain part of the free liquid is transferred to basal layer of the epidermis to become a part of it. In addition to moisture, this layer contains amino acids that appeared after the breakdown of filaggrin in the granular skin layer.

The ability of the epidermis to retain moisture inside itself

Retention of moisture in the epidermis for a long time provides high enzyme activity, which is very important for the health of skin cells, because the timeliness and usefulness of exfoliation of dead cells from the skin surface depends on this.

The granular layer of the epidermis, which plays the role of a defense mechanism, reduces the rate of movement of fluid in the epidermis and the evaporation of the natural moisturizing factor from its surface.

Hydration of the epidermis depends directly on the amount of fluid you drink. If a person consumes an insufficient amount of moisture, then the activity of the respiratory and excretory systems will be disrupted, just like the functioning of the sweat glands.

The lymphatic system of the body

To maintain optimal skin protection, a balance of hydration of the circulatory and lymphatic systems of the human body must be observed. If observed imbalance, then various dermatological diseases can occur, for example, pronounced keratinization of the skin caused by insufficient enzyme activity or a lack of collagen in combination with a violation of the integrity of the structure of the epidermis and its self-healing function.

The hydration of the epidermis and dermis depends on the amount of water a person drinks. If its deficiency is noted, then the work of many systems and functions of the body is disrupted.

Ambient relative humidity

The relative humidity of the environment plays an equally important role in skin hydration. In conditions of high humidity, there is a decrease in transdermal moisture loss and a relative balance of the level of hydration. Under the same conditions low humidity the opposite effect is noted, due to which the hydration of the skin is noticeably reduced.

Stratum corneum

Slowing down the movement of moisture in the skin layers is one of the functions of the stratum corneum, since this layer consists of hydrophobic cells that repel water molecules. In addition, the stratum corneum promotes preservation of antigens in the epidermis and is a protection for the skin layer covered with an acidic coating based on naturally occurring acid.

Maintaining the required lipid level of the skin

The naturally occurring acid shell acts as the outer protective coating of the skin. In addition, it takes part in slowing down the water movement in the skin, which is why it is able to maintain a certain percentage of free fluid in the epidermis.

Epidermal lipids, which make up the double molecular layers of the stratum corneum, are protective barriers of the epidermis as it is considered a powerful moisture barrier.

It does this through the cyclical movement of keratin-containing cells through the layers of the skin. As a result, ceramides make up a little less than half of the total lipids of the epidermis and play an important role in slowing the transepidermal fluid flow in the skin.

This percentage of free fluid in the skin is vital for the activity of skin enzymes within the granular layer of the epidermis.

Enzymatic activity

Water is responsible for regulating almost all chemical and enzymatic reactions of the body, while the activity and activity of enzymes is vital for humans. Enzymes act as catalysts that allow the minerals and vitamins that enter the body to be absorbed with maximum efficiency. In addition, it is enzymes that reduce their activity with a lack or absence of free fluid in the epidermis, and this can have an extremely negative effect on the general skin condition.

For example, if we are talking about hyperkeratosis, then this dermatological disease is associated with disturbances in the process of dissolution of desmosomes, which connect keratinocytes.

This dissolution process is carried out with the participation of the enzymes glucosidase and protease, and its activity is related to the amount of free fluid in the skin. If desmosomes do not dissolve, then keratinocytes may not be ready for skin exfoliation. For this reason, they can accumulate on the surface of the skin and cause clogged pores due to the blockage process in the hair channels.

Systems involved in the skin secretions and dermatological ailments associated with them

The body systems involved in retaining moisture in the skin include:

Normal hydration of the epidermis and dermis can be guaranteed by the joint efforts of the patient and his attending physician or cosmetologist. The specialist will assist in building and maintaining the system of protective skin barriers, and the patient will supplement the work done with regular consumption the required amount clean drinking water. The skin cover must be able to independently maintain the functioning and stability of all systems and even the cells that are in it.

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Save so as not to lose!

Skin dehydration is a process as a result of which, under the influence of various external or internal factors, moisture is lost from the structure of skin tissues. Olga Kozhemyako, a cosmetician of the salon, a specialist in face and body aesthetics, a leading trainer of Simone Mahler in Latvia, told us about this.

Why does the skin lose moisture?

Dehydration is the loss of water from a substance or tissue. Dehydration of the body - pathological condition due to a decrease in the water content in the body. I would like to note that in cosmetology we operate with the term "skin dehydration", which is acceptable with a slight lack of moisture in the skin (dryness and flabbiness of the skin, the appearance of wrinkles on the skin of the face, sharpened features).

The main cause of skin dehydration is inadequate intake of pure water, the second most common cause is inadequate skin care. The next most important reason is the scarcity of a nutritious diet - diet, fasting, taking diuretics, etc.

It should be mentioned that the working conditions also cause dehydration of the skin, for example, working in air-conditioned rooms, in dusty and smoky rooms, night shifts. Overuse of tanning beds, prolonged exposure to direct sunlight without protective equipment, lack of sleep, smoking, neglect of health and stress are also causes of insufficient moisture in the skin.

Signs of skin dehydration and how to recognize it

Feeling of tightness of the skin of the face,
- Small peeling of the skin on the face or body,
- Grayish-pale complexion (often described as "tired" or "lifeless" complexion),
- Visible mesh of small wrinkles in the cheeks and neck,
- Premature loss of elasticity.

There are various diagnostic devices for measuring the moisture level of the skin, and each person can determine the pronounced dehydration of the skin by changing their sensations (the skin is tightened and you want to repeatedly apply cream or spray your face with water).

Don't confuse "dry" and dehydrated skin - they are completely different concepts. "Dry" skin is a definition of skin type, an inherited condition of thin, sensitive skin. Dehydrated can be any skin type from dry to oily.

Dehydration of the skin occurs gradually over time, however, signs of moisture loss appear with an already prolonged lack of moisture. As you know, dehydration of the skin occurs with insufficient water intake or with its active evaporation from the surface of the skin and with microcirculatory insufficiency of the skin.

Basic rules for moisturizing

There is nothing better than water- drink up to 2 liters of clean water per day and take water treatments!

By choosing cosmetics appropriate to the needs of the skin and the season, it is possible to improve the condition of the skin. This will also help proper cleansing skin, the use of appropriate tonics.

In the morning and in the evening, a moisturizing serum or a rejuvenating serum with hydration is applied to the previously cleansed skin of the face, and a cream corresponding to the needs of the skin is applied to it. During the day, additional spraying of special moisturizing toners or water is possible. Apply a moisturizing mask once or twice a week.

Do not forget about the problem of seasonality and the necessary appropriate protection:

Avoid sun exposure - use a filter, avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, tanning beds, and wide-brimmed hats.
From frost and wind - protective day creams will help you, forming a persistent protective film on the surface of the skin of the face.
For body skin - appropriate clothing will help you.

"Very often, in order to save money or time, people ask to do only a mask or peeling," says the beautician. !

Injection methods to eliminate dehydration:

Mesotherapy (up to 60 min) - procedure for insertion into the skin drugs, which fully and permanently moisturize it.
Biorevitalization (up to 60 min) - injection techniques for effective moisturizing and skin rejuvenation with various hyaluronic acid preparations.