What’s the Difference Between Hydrating and Moisturizing?
As the summer months creep in, we spend more time outdoors and expose our hair and skin to the sun, wind and elements. Before we realize it, our hair is dry and brittle and our skin is cracked and flaky. Don’t let this happen to you! Be proactive about your hair and skin health. In this article, I’ll explain why it’s important to hydrate and moisturize your hair and skin and I’ll also give you some excellent ideas of products to start with. Read all the way to the end to learn how you can save money on the best hydrating and moisturizing products.
Hydrating
Hydrating is causing something to absorb water. Hydration is water only. Dehydration is a lack of water which will show in your skin as dryness and less elasticity. There may be tenting when you pinch your skin and, in this case, you need to ingest copious amounts of water. Here are some tips to keep your hair and skin well hydrated.
Avoid using products with harsh ingredients such as parabens, phthalates, DMDM hydantoin, formaldehyde and unnatural fragrances. These products strip natural oils from your skin and hair and can be toxic over time.
Turn down the heat on your hot tools and in your shower.
Do not excessively wash. We do not want to strip our skin and hair of its natural oils more than we have to. Wash your hair every other day if it’s short, or once a week if it’s long.
Always use sunscreen!
Exfoliate periodically to slough away dead skin to allow optimum moisture absorption.
Limit dehydrating food and drink such as alcohol, caffeine, and processed foods.
Of course, drinking water is your number one defense against dehydration. You should be drinking 48-64oz of water per day. This varies depending on activity and possible medical conditions, but you would definitely know if you needed to restrict your fluid intake.
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Moisturizing
Moisturizing means to diffuse water or liquid in small quantities into your skin and hair. This can be water, oils or vitamin and mineral serums. When the dry season comes, the elements and the environment dry out our skin and hair causing them to need moisturizers to keep them supple and viable. Dry, flaky skin is easily damaged, leading to cuts and tears in your body’s most important barrier.
The most important ingredients in moisturizers are humectants, emollients and occlusives. Humectants draw moisture in, emollients repair and lubricate the skin and hair and occlusives lock in water and moisture. Be mindful of ingredients and choose clean products. Great humectants are Hyaluronic acid, glycerin and aloe vera.
Well hydrated, moisturized skin shows less appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and is less likely to have acne breakouts. It is also important to keep your hair hydrated and nourished to prevent breakage and an unhealthy scalp.
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