We always hear, and are told, that hydration is so important. For the body, it’s essential as every single cell in our body needs water, and for our skin, it’s one of the most anti-ageing and regulating of ingredients.
When you have a dry skin, you want to slather that moisturiser on, all you can think about is to relieve than tightness and make your skin smooth and supple again. It’s like an instant effect, on goes the cream, and ahhhh …. All better!
However, when you have an oilier tendency skin, some of us even skip it altogether. How does it make sense to add this layer of cream to the skin, when there is a layer of oil on there already? You want your skin to be drier, with smaller pores and the last thing you want is an even oilier skin!
We’ve all been there, “To Moisturise or Not To Moisturise, that is the Question!” The truth is that there are 3 main types of “moisturisers”, there is one that hydrates, and then there is one that lipidates, and then there’s one that does both. And, this is something extremely important to understand if you want to balance your oil and hydration levels in your skin accurately.
Let’s break this down…
Hydration is adding water to your skin.
This is done through using ingredients which are humectants. Humectants work by pulling water from the air or from the deeper layers of your skin, to the surface of your skin. I know, it seems odd and every time I explain this to a client, disbelief hits first, then it’s like a eureka moment! The most common types of humectants are Hyaluronic Acid, Urea, Glycerin, seaweeds and algaes. Hyaluronic Acid in particular, can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water! L’eauxygénante is a fine mist spray, packed with Hyaluronic Acid, and is a great way to add that easy boost of hydration throughout your day!
Lipidation is adding fats to your skin.
This is done through using ingredients such as animal fats, plant oils, NMF (Natural Moisturising Factors) and your own sebum (oil). Lipids work by forming layers, in between and around skin cells, creating a barrier that keeps the moisture in, and prevents it from escaping, as well as keeping impurities out. This forms our skin barrier function. The superstars within this category are the Sérum T.E.W.L., the Crème Masque Vernix and the Crème Dermo R-L.
Now …. Do we need hydration? Do we need lipids? Or do we need both?
The simple answer is ALWAYS going to be that we need both. However, we don’t always need to APPLY both. This is where it gets interesting!
I’m going to split this explanation up into two groups; those of us who are on the drier tendency with our skins, and those of us who are on the oilier tendencies with our skins.
Oily Tendency
Let’s start with oilier tendency skins, everyone needs hydration, and particularly when your skin is on the oilier side. When we have oilier skin, we tend to want to strip it off these exasperating oils, but this is actually a catch 22. Strip the oils, and they will come back with a vengeance! If you add hydration to your skin, it tricks the skin into believing that it doesn’t need to produce as much sebum, so your skin gradually produces less oils, becomes more mattified, and finally begins to regulate itself. I refer to this process as regulating your sebum and hydration levels.
However, you do not need lipids! You are already producing enough oils naturally, so why add some more? This is the absolute key to regulating an oily tendency skin! Read the ingredients of your skincare properly, and if you see any lipids high up in the ingredients list, put that pot away! My absolute go-to for an oily tendency skin will always be the Serum Amniotique E as it’s super hydrating, penetrates really quickly and will absolutely regulate your skin. It also leaves not a single wisp of anything on the skin after applied. An absolute dream for any oily tendency!
Click here to discover all of our Hydrating products.
Dry Tendency
Now, for the drier tendency skins; this is slightly more complicated. If your skin feels dry, you are either lacking in lipids or hydration or both. There is a huge misunderstanding about dehydrated skins and dry skins, there’s a big difference between the two! If your skin is dehydrated, your biggest marker is if your skin feels tight. If your skin is dry, your biggest marker is if your skin is feeling a little rough and is flaking a little. If you have both these symptoms then you are both dehydrated and dry.
Click here to discover all of our Lipidating and Nourishing products.
Hydration is always needed, no matter whether you have an oilier skin, a drier skin, a sensitive skin or a whatever skin. Just like your body will always need water, your skin will too. Hydrating the skin accurately is also one of the best anti-ageing actions you can do for your skin, it will fill those cells up to the brim with as much water as they can take, and will plump up the skin, fill those wrinkles in, and give you that youthful glow you’re after! With every single skincare prescription from us, you will always find that we prescribe one of our three Hydrating Serums, as we know that they are key to a healthy and balanced skin.
Now for the treatments and cures …. The good bit!
As always, we believe in the “Skin Instant” which means that generalisations of a dry skin, oily skin and combi skin, just hit the surface of your true skin, we like to look at all of the differentials, so that we can treat your particular skin. Your skin may have a combination of all of the above, plus other differentials added such as if your skin is also sensitive or sensitised, thick or thin, pigmented, young or mature, etc … or your skin may be affected much more by one condition rather than another. All of these differentials will make a difference to your treatment plan. For an exact treatment plan, tailored specifically for you, please do take our advanced Skin Analysis contact or contact us directly at concierge@embassyofbeauty.co.uk, where you will be in contact with an experienced skin consultant who will attend to your every need.
I really hope that helped you to understand a little better what your skin may be lacking and how to treat it to create a balance of oils and hydration, so you can reach the ultimate goal of radiant skin!