If you're experiencing skin dehydration, consider the climate you're in.
The old way of taking care of your skin would be to think of dryness as a skin type issue. If your complexion is dehydrated, it’s probably because your skin is naturally dry, right? Nope. In fact buying your skin products by skin type is exactly the
wrong thing to do, because it doesn’t take into account the climate you live in. Experts say skin dehydration (and on the flipside, oiliness) is a climate issue. Turns out, the
temperature and the environment around you (the wind, the sun, the pollution, etc.) have a direct effect on your skin’s hydration levels, which is why using climate smart skincare products, like
Pour Moi, is the new (and better) way to getting your healthiest, happiest skin ever! To really understand skin dehydration and climate, we need to talk about something called transepidermal water loss (TEWL)—how the skin loses water to its surrounding environment through evaporation, says Avnee Shah, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. “In humid climates, where there is a higher amount of water vapor in the air, our skin slowly loses water to the atmosphere, allowing the body time to replenish the loss,” she explains. “But in polar or desert climates, skin loses water more quickly than it can replenish, leading to dry, dehydrated skin,” says Shah. That’s because in a polar climate, you’re dealing with low humidity coupled with indoor heating. Research shows that TEWL increases as much as 25 percent with such conditions. In a desert environment, you don’t have the bitter chill, but you do have dry heat and constantly running air-conditioners, which also causes a lack of moisture in the air and in your skin. So, aside from permanently relocating to a tropical locale (we can dream, right?), how do you deal with skin dehydration as a result of your climate? Well, for one thing, switch your skincare products to
Pour Moi, the world’s first climate smart skincare line. Additionally, we spoke to top skin experts to find out how to get more moisture into your skin, stat.
Address skin dehydration by hydrating properly—with the right ingredients
You’d think that chugging gallons of water would help replenish skin moisture, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, says Shah. “That’s helpful for overall health, but you can still have dry skin while drinking a ton of water,” she says. “That’s because drinking water doesn’t stop TEWL from happening.” To address skin dehydration, you need to slow down the loss of water with the use of topical moisturizers. But here’s the thing: Not all moisturizers are created equally. You can’t just slap on any ’ol face cream and expect to see results. You need the right
ingredients in the right formulations. One major ingredient to look for: the super-humectant, hyaluronic acid, an ingredient that pulls moisture from the air and gets it into the skin. While other brands use one standard size hyaluronic molecule in their products, often too large to work properly,
Pour Moi Day Creams contain three-different sizes of Hyaluronic acid to ensure you don't experience skin dehydration in any humidity level. In dry environments where larger molecules can’t grab moisture from the air, the smaller size molecules will kick on (shutting off the large molecules) and start pulling water from the foods and beverages you drink. While in humid environments, the medium and large size molecules shift into high gear to pull water from the air.
Pour Moi’s climate smart moisturizers are designed to know when to utilize the small, medium or large size Hyaluronic acid molecules so that whenever you are, your skin stays optimally hydrated at all times.
Get your skin ready to receive moisture
When the air is too dry, your skin can’t properly attract skin-nourishing water.
Pour Moi’s proprietary complex, HyalurTruf+, multi-weighted hyaluronic acid paired with white truffle extract, helps boost skin’s function so it can soak in more hydration from the atmosphere. A layer of dry, flaky skin can also block hydrating ingredients from getting where they need to go. To clear the way, try a gentle exfoliant twice a day, start with
Pour Moi Hydrating Balancer to prep, moisturize and
pH balance skin, then follow it with
Pour Moi The Black Serum, which contains black diamond powder to gently cut through and slough away the dead stuff.
Take a different approach for day and night
Your skin has different needs during the day than it does at night, so one product won’t cut it 24/7. During the day, your skin is faced with climate aggressors such as UV rays from the sun and pollution, both of which can exacerbate dryness (not to mention wrinkles). The goal is to create a
healthy barrier to ward off these offenders. “We want to try to keep our skin from becoming dehydrated because our skin creates a physical barrier to keep us protected from infection and the elements,” says Christina Dukes, PharmD BCOP, a pharmacy specialist in Mississippi.
Pour Moi’s Day Creams contain Climate Energized Beautifiers (CBEs)—humectants, emollients, and occlusives, tailored to the climate around you, to both hydrate and protect skin from environmental assaults. Then at night, your skin goes into repair and replenish mode.
Pour Moi Night Cream contains fatty acid-rich shea butter and vitamins to deeply hydrate and support the healing process—in any climate.
Double up for best results
If you live in a polar climate, you probably know that one layer of clothing is never enough. Well, it’s the same with your skin. To tackle skin dehydration effectively, you need a 3-step ritual. Start by sweeping on a
Hydrating Balancer with a cotton pad, followed by a serum. In polar and desert climates, if your skin is dry and fragile, the
Pour Moi Black Serum adds a highly concentrated dose of Hyaluronic acid and squalane, as well as skin-protecting antioxidants and botanical ingredients. If your skin is battling oil, opt for the
White Serum. Apply the serum, and then top with with your
Day Cream or
Night Cream.
Shorten your shower
We know; a hot shower feels really good on a chilly morning, but that steamy spray may be standing between you and more hydrated skin. “The hotter and longer your shower, the drier you skin will get,” says Shah. “Hot water strips the skin from natural oils that act as barrier to TEWL and causes more evaporation,” she explains. Dial down the temp a little and keep your shower to no longer than five to 10 minutes. And while you’re in there, rethink your body wash. “Heavy-duty cleansers, especially when fragranced, can irritate the skin and remove more of those great, protective oils our body makes naturally,” Shah says. These harsh ingredients could be causing skin dehydration. Choose products with words like “mild,” “gentle,” and “soap-free cleanser” on packaging. When you step out of the shower, apply your moisturizer while your skin is still slightly damp to lock in moisture.
B.Y.O.H.
That’s bring your own
humidity. If you live in a climate that lacks moisture, consider plugging in a humidifier in your bedroom to boost skin’s hydration levels while you sleep. TEWL increases at night while your skin goes into repair mode, so it’s an especially important time to increase the moisture in the air.
