The dry facts - why hydrating doesn’t work and how to do it right.

If there is one thing that can trick me into buying another skincare product, it would be the potential deep moisture effect. My naturally very dry skin seems to have an unlimited thirst and for a very long time I thought it’s almost impossible to find a product that would satisfy its needs. Then it turned out I invested in some of the best hydrating products on the market – I just didn’t know how to use them.

What makes the skin hydrated?

My mission of finding the perfect moisturizer began around my mid 20’s. Until then my skin seemed self-sufficient. I was using basic skincare products for the pleasure that came with self-care rather than to meet my skin’s actual needs. Because there were no visible needs. I had great complexion, 0 tendency for breakouts and optimal level of hydration. Where did it come from, if not from the cream I was every now and then forgetting to use? It came from the inside:

• Natural skin barrier: t yer of the skin, called the stratum corneum works as a natural protection barrier. It consists of tough skin cells called corneocytes that are bound together by lipids: cholesterol, fatty acids and ceramides.¹ Thanks to the stratum corneum, the water can’t evaporate from the skin and various harmful environmental toxins and pathogens can’t penetrate it. ² The older we get, the weaker the barrier becomes.
• High collagen levels: in the protein’s natural state, water accounts for about 60% of the substance by weight.³ As collagen levels begin to drop around the mid 20’s, so does the skin’s hydration. Given the high water content, it is not surprising that this decrease has a dramatic effect on skin’s quality.
• Fast skin renewal: when we’re young, our damaged skin cells regenerate faster, which makes keeping the optimal hydration level much easier. As the collagen levels begin to drop, weakened stem cells no longer divide and replace as fast and gradually turn into adult skin cells, leaving the body surface dehydrated, wrinkled and dull. ⁴
• Hormonal balance: until my mid 20’s my hormones were on point. I always thought they’re responsible only for keeping the skin inflammation- free but it turned out they play a crucial role in skin’s hydration as well. Estrogen affects the production of elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid which impacts the skin’s moisture retention and elasticity.⁵ As soon as hormonal imbalance kicks in, skin stops producing as much natural moisturizing factors which leads to topical dryness.

Hydrating ingredients

No matter how great and plump it might be in our 20’s, the skin will gradually lose moisture and hydration over time. The good news is that we can significantly slow down the process with nourishing diet, improving sleep quality, proper hydration, stress management and, last but not least, the right skincare. ⁶ The right skincare has two components: the right ingredients and the right way of using them. Moisturizers, which rehydrate the outer layer of skin and strengthen the natural skin barrier, contain 3 main types of ingredients:⁷

• Humectants: they draw water from the deeper layers of the skin to the outermost layer and bind it; if air humidity is higher than 70%, to limited extend they can also attract water from the surrounding environment to the skin ⁸ , they tend to be noncomedogenic and non-oily ⁹ ; the most common humectants are hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, aloe vera, glycerin and fruit-derived AHAs. ¹⁰
• Occlusives: they provide an oily, heavyish layer on the skin surface that prevents the evaporation of water supplied by the moisturizer; they also prevent the penetration of irritants, allergens and other harmful particles from the environment into the skin; the most common occlusives are waxes, oils, and types of butter. ¹¹
• Emollients: they work to repair cracks in the natural skin barrier that begin to appear when skin gets dry and flakey; by filling the cracks with lipids, they leave the skin looking smoother, soothed and hydrated; the most common emollients are ceramids, oils and vitamin E.

How to moisturize the skin?

Think of humectants as ingredients that act like a water- absorbing magnet, and of occlusives and emollients as a blanket that helps keep the moisture and all the active ingredients in the skin. If you want them to work, make sure to layer them in the right order. Here’s how the moisturizing routine should look like:

Step 1 cleansing: this is the base of your everyday skincare routine. It helps remove the harmful particles from your skin’s surface and prepares its pores to absorb all the active ingredients. If you want to start hydrating your skin during this step, pay attention when choosing your cleansing products. The ones containing soap, SLS and SLES will promote dehydration. LAST Cleansing Gel’s rich, plant & science based formula solves problems with dehydration, tightness and destroyed lipid barrier – you can read more about its potent ingredients here.

Step 2 toning: water your skin with the extra kick of stimulation. Depending on the ingredients, toners can remove last traces of impurities, hydrate, exfoliate, brighten, soothe and increase skin renewal. LAST’s Exfoliating Toner adds anti-aging properties to this list: it protects the skin’s collagen from degradation, tones and strengthens skin barrier functioning. ¹²

Step 3 humectants: now your skin is ready to absorb non-oily serums, creams and moisturizers. Make sure to apply them while the skin is still damp from the toner – it will help the product absorb into the skin and maximize hydration. If you’re applying both serum and moisturizer, start with the thinner product. ¹³ When the air humidity is high, it’s easier for humectants to absorb water from the outside but as soon as the humidity gets low, the humectants can start absorbing the water from the deeper layers of the dermis into the stratum corneum which can lead to dehydration. ¹⁴ That’s why it’s important to prevent any evaporation with the next step of skincare routine.

Step 4 occlusives and emollients: time to seal the moisture in and improve the softness and smoothness of the skin! Finish your skincare routine with oil, wax and butter-based products. Emollients tend to be lighter and less concentrated than occlusives and since they both work as a moisture- protecting blanket for the skin, choose whichever works better for your skin’s current needs. When applying this layer, don’t apply „the more, the better” rule. Thick, heavy, oily occlusives and emollients can easily clog your pores, when used in excess.¹⁵

Nowadays cosmetics are often formulated with both hydrating and sealing ingredients so using just one product can be enough to increase the water content and protect the skin from further dehydration. Nevertheless, keep in mind that hyaluronic acid serums, the most popular hydrating skincare product, used alone can easily lead to skin dryness – in dry weather, they will suck water from deeper layers of the skin.¹⁶ The same applies to oils – they only retain water content, which makes them moisturizing but not hydrating. When used alone, they can remove lipids from the skin barrier and leave its surface dry. ¹⁷

Other ways to hydrate the skin

Bad skincare isn’t the only thing that could leave your skin dehydrated. It’s your lifestyle choices, too. If you want to keep the hydration in, follow these simple guidelines:

• Work on the quality of your sleep: research shows people who get high quality sleep ¹⁸ have 30% greater moisture barrier recovery in 72 hours than poor sleepers
• Include fatty acids in your diet: omega-3 and omega-6 play a critical role in normal skin function and appearance and strengthen the skin barrier ¹⁹
• Destress: highcortisol levels can lead to increase in oxidation, inflammation and glycation, the 3 main skin-quality killers ²⁰
• Quit or limit smoking: nicotine has been shown to impair overall blood flow by causing the narrowing of blood vessels and to accelerate premature aging, leaving the skin dry and dull ²¹
• Drink and eat your water: hydrate from the inside by drinking enough water and eating foods high in water content (tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, apples, lettuce and zucchini are the ones you can get all your round ) on daily basis

Think of your daily skincare routine as putting the puzzles together. There is only one way to do it right. You can go creative, push and try to replace but any attempt of going against the rule of one specific order will leave you with one big mess. Do you feel rebellious enough to risk the same effect on your face?

Marzena Jarczak

An international model based in Paris. A researcher, copy writer and a journalist exploring for us the areas of neuroscience, brain, biohacking, living healthy life. Author of Out & About series discovering cultural life in Paris in all its aspects. A strong, wise personality with a growth mindset.

Read more:

1. Histology, Stratum Corneum, National Library od Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information; Morgan B. Murphrey; Julia H. Miao; Patrick M. Zito., November 2021
2. Understanding the Epidermal Barrier in Healthy and Compromised Skin: Clinically Relevant Information for the Dermatology Practitioner, National Library od Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information; James Del Rosso, Joshua Zeichner, Andrew Alexis, David Cohen and Diane Berson, J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2016 Apr; 9(4 Suppl 1): S2–S8, April 2016
3. Hydration and nanomechanical changes in collagen fibrils bearing advanced glycation end-products, National Library od Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information, Orestis G. Andriotis, Kareem Elsayad, David E. Smart, Mathis Nalbach, Donna E. Davies and Philipp J. Thurner; April 2019
4. Anti-Aging Discovery Could Lead to Restorative Skin Treatments, Scientific American, Dana G. Smith, April 4, 2019
5. Menopause and Dry Skin: The Hormone Connection, WebMD; Wendy C. Fries, August 2010
6. What to know about dehydrated skin, Medical News Today; Amanda Barrell, January 2021
7. How to moisturize your skin, Harvard Health Publishing – Harvard Medical School, Beverly Merz, October 2016
8. Moisturizers, National Library od Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information; Anne Harwood; Ali Nassereddin; Karthik Krishnamurthy, August 2022
9. What are humectants, and what do they do?; Medical News Today, Mary West; March 2022
10. What are humectants, and what do they do?; Medical News Today, Mary West; March 2022
11. The Key To Keeping Your Winter Skin Hydrated Is This Trio Of Ingredients, TZR, Kelsey Stewart, October 2021
12. LAST PHA Exfoliating Toner
13. Apparently, There’s A Wrong Way To Apply Moisturizer — & This Is It, TZR, Jessica Defino, November 2019
14. Humectants, Explained: How They Work In Skin Care + 8 Natural Options To Try, MindBodyGreen, Jamie Schneider; December 2021
15. ‘I’m a Dermatologist, and This Common Acne-Causing Skin-Care Mistake Makes Me Cringe’, Well and Good, Zoe Winer; April 2021
16. Is Hyaluronic Acid Actually Making Your Dry Skin Worse?, Rachel Krause, October 2018
17. For the Love of Moisture, Please Stop Saying That Oils Can Hydrate Skin and Hair, Allure, Marci Bobin, January 2022
18. Does poor sleep quality affect skin ageing?, National Library od Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information; P Oyetakin-White , A Suggs, B Koo, M S Matsui, D Yarosh, K D Cooper, E D Baron, September 2014
19. Essential Fatty Acids and Skin Health, Oregon State University, Giana Angelo, Ph.D; February 2012
20. This Hormone Is Behind A Lot Of Your Skin Issues, Vogue UK, Georgia Day, December 2020
21. Cigarettes Smoking and Skin: A Comparison Study of the Biophysical Properties of Skin in Smokers and Non-Smokers, National Library od Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information; Taraneh Yazdanparast, Hournaz Hassanzadeh, Saman Ahmad Nasrollahi^, Seyed Mohammad Seyedmehdi, Hamidreza Jamaati, Amirkia Naimian, Maryam Karimi, Rahim Roozbahani, and Alireza Firooz