Dehydrated Skin: Characteristics and Definition
Our skin reflects the overall health of our body. As a living organ, it breathes, absorbs moisture, and acts as an interface between our body and the environment.
Adult skin is made up of approximately 70% water, distributed throughout its different layers. This water represents around 20% of the body's total water content.
Skin hydration is regulated by two major processes:
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Water diffusion, which includes transepidermal water movement (the transport of water from the bloodstream to the skin's surface) and insensible water loss (IWL), the continuous and imperceptible evaporation of water from the outermost layer of the skin.
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Water retention. In the dermis, this process relies on large molecules called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), which capture and retain water. In the epidermis, water retention is maintained by a protective barrier composed of polar lipids that regulate water loss.
These two major physiological mechanisms depend on cellular metabolism and the ability of skin cells to synthesize essential components: fibroblasts in the dermis produce GAGs, while keratinocytes in the epidermis produce polar lipids.
The energy driving these processes comes from cellular respiration, which supports the skin's natural hydration mechanisms:
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By promoting the synthesis of GAGs, which attract and retain water to maintain the skin's moisture reserves, cellular respiration contributes to natural skin hydration.
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By stimulating the synthesis of polar lipids, which form the skin's protective barrier, cellular respiration helps protect against dehydration.
However, everyday life continually exposes skin cells to external stressors that can affect their activity and weaken the processes involved in maintaining natural skin hydration.
As a result, dehydrated skin may appear dull, lack radiance, and become more prone to showing signs of aging.
But dehydration is not inevitable!
Don't wait until your skin's moisture reserves are depleted. Today, advanced skincare products can help support the skin's natural hydration mechanisms, maintain moisture levels, and restore a healthier, more radiant-looking complexion.
