Effective Skin Hydration - The Challenge For Modern Skincare
Essentially, the main functions of a good moisturiser are to help retain water in the skin's superficial layers, enhance the skin's protective barrier and assist in cellular repair.
Unfortunately, most moisturisers don't live up to these basic claims and very often their hydrating action ceases after just two hours of application.
Therefore, the challenge for modern skincare products is to provide a long-lasting moisturising effect that lasts all day, while maintaining resilient, luminous and soft skin..
The key to effective skin hydration is to use moisturisers that can lock the water inside the skin's cells by connecting hydrophilic (water-loving) molecules to skin binding sites, rather than just temporarily dampening cells, as ordinary moisturisers do.
You may have heard about the beneficial hydrophilic properties of hyaluronic acid but how does actually it work? Here's a quick explanation: Hyaluronic acid belongs to a group of water-soluble compounds found only in the skin in stratum corneum and collectively known as the Natural Moisturising Factor (NMF).
NMF is the skin's self-moisturising mechanism responsible for maintaining the hydration levels in the skin at the most optimal level.
Hyaluronic Acid, like other NMF components, works by attracting water from the air and combining it with the skin's own water content ensuring that the superficial layers of the skin are kept hydrated despite being exposed to harsh environmental elements.
Unfortunately, the mechanism of skin self-hydration is being constantly weakened by pollution, sudden temperature changes, excessive skin cleansing, UV radiation and our eternal skin enemy - time.
As a consequence, the skin becomes more and more dehydrated, looses elasticity and firmness and becomes more prone to wrinkle formation, sun damage and physical injury.
To effectively target skin dehydration, it is necessary to re-establish the skin self-hydration mechanism through strengthening the water-retention barrier of the skin and supplementation with NMF components, such as hyaluronic acid.
Is there anything else apart from hyaluronic acid that could enhance and maintain the hydration levels in the skin? Hyaluronic acid, with its capacity of attracting x1000 its own weight in water to the skin binding sites, is an excelling skin hydrating ingredient.
However, the skin also needs something that would enable prolonged water retention at the cellular level.
Pantothenic Acid fulfils this need better than any other ingredient.
When applied topically, it not only enhances water retention in the skin cells, but is also accelerates the closure of skin wounds and acts as an anti-inflammatory.
However, Pantothenic Acid does not show the ability to attract water on its own.
Therefore, a combination of both - Pantothenic Acid with Hyaluronic Acid would create a hydrating serum with unbeatable hydrophilic (water-loving) properties.
Medik8 is one of the few brands that has come to this realisation.
Its revolutionary Hydr8 B5 is a clear, oil-free gel that contains both Pantothenic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid at optimal concentrations.
The serum helps to transform the skin by rebalancing its moisture levels and maintaining hydration for up to 24 hours.
Medik8 recommends that you use it underneath your regular moisturiser for an enhanced hydration effect or as a standalone lightweight hydrator if you have oily or acneic skin type.
Unfortunately, most moisturisers don't live up to these basic claims and very often their hydrating action ceases after just two hours of application.
Therefore, the challenge for modern skincare products is to provide a long-lasting moisturising effect that lasts all day, while maintaining resilient, luminous and soft skin..
The key to effective skin hydration is to use moisturisers that can lock the water inside the skin's cells by connecting hydrophilic (water-loving) molecules to skin binding sites, rather than just temporarily dampening cells, as ordinary moisturisers do.
You may have heard about the beneficial hydrophilic properties of hyaluronic acid but how does actually it work? Here's a quick explanation: Hyaluronic acid belongs to a group of water-soluble compounds found only in the skin in stratum corneum and collectively known as the Natural Moisturising Factor (NMF).
NMF is the skin's self-moisturising mechanism responsible for maintaining the hydration levels in the skin at the most optimal level.
Hyaluronic Acid, like other NMF components, works by attracting water from the air and combining it with the skin's own water content ensuring that the superficial layers of the skin are kept hydrated despite being exposed to harsh environmental elements.
Unfortunately, the mechanism of skin self-hydration is being constantly weakened by pollution, sudden temperature changes, excessive skin cleansing, UV radiation and our eternal skin enemy - time.
As a consequence, the skin becomes more and more dehydrated, looses elasticity and firmness and becomes more prone to wrinkle formation, sun damage and physical injury.
To effectively target skin dehydration, it is necessary to re-establish the skin self-hydration mechanism through strengthening the water-retention barrier of the skin and supplementation with NMF components, such as hyaluronic acid.
Is there anything else apart from hyaluronic acid that could enhance and maintain the hydration levels in the skin? Hyaluronic acid, with its capacity of attracting x1000 its own weight in water to the skin binding sites, is an excelling skin hydrating ingredient.
However, the skin also needs something that would enable prolonged water retention at the cellular level.
Pantothenic Acid fulfils this need better than any other ingredient.
When applied topically, it not only enhances water retention in the skin cells, but is also accelerates the closure of skin wounds and acts as an anti-inflammatory.
However, Pantothenic Acid does not show the ability to attract water on its own.
Therefore, a combination of both - Pantothenic Acid with Hyaluronic Acid would create a hydrating serum with unbeatable hydrophilic (water-loving) properties.
Medik8 is one of the few brands that has come to this realisation.
Its revolutionary Hydr8 B5 is a clear, oil-free gel that contains both Pantothenic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid at optimal concentrations.
The serum helps to transform the skin by rebalancing its moisture levels and maintaining hydration for up to 24 hours.
Medik8 recommends that you use it underneath your regular moisturiser for an enhanced hydration effect or as a standalone lightweight hydrator if you have oily or acneic skin type.
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