Hydrate yourself! All about moisturising skincare

There is no such thing as a moisturising cream
‘Moisturising' and 'retaining moisture' are two terms that are often confused with each other, but are completely different. To get straight to the point: there is no such thing as a moisturising cream. Say what? Yep, here's the thing: our skin is incapable of absorbing moisture from the outside - via the skin, that is. This is because our skin is impervious to water. If it were, a daily shower would provide sufficient moisture. But it doesn't work like that.

Strengthen the skin barrier
Do you have dehydrated skin? Then this is probably because your skin barrier is disrupted, which means moisture escapes from your skin more quickly. So your skin is less able to retain moisture. Do you want to moisturise your skin? Then there is work to be done in strengthening your skin barrier. By making your skin barrier stronger and healthier, your skin can retain moisture better, which automatically makes for better-hydrated skin. Simple, right?

Moisturising ingredients
So moisturising means making the skin barrier stronger. What skincare ingredients do we need to do so? In skincare, look for vitamin C, niacinamide, squalane, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, panthenol and shea butter. These hero ingredients make your skin barrier stronger and ensure that less moisture evaporates from your skin. Hyaluronic acid, for example, acts like a sponge in retaining moisture, which benefits your dehydrated skin. You'll find hyaluronic acid in abundance in Merme Berlin Facial Hydration Serum, one of our hydration favourites. Collagen is also good at binding water, making it a great ingredient for dehydrated skin. And you'll be working on anti-aging, too! Merme Berlin Facial Collagen Serum contains vegan collagen and, in addition to moisturising, it also has a restorative and strengthening effect.

Drinking water = hydrating?
Alcohol, salt and coffee are known to do little for your hydration. Caffeine is diuretic and will not make your skin any more hydrated. Green tea and water are good for your body, but unfortunately, your litres of water and tea will not show in your perfectly hydrated skin. Of course, your body and skin cannot live without moisture, but that pot of green tea will not directly reach your top skin layer. Our advice: Apply as many moisturising and barrier-recovering ingredients as possible and you'll be fine. Invest in a good routine consisting of vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, collagen and glycerin.

What is your favourite moisturising skincare product?