How to hydrate your skin for a youthful look

I never really thought of hydration to have major anti-ageing benefits for my skin. But after going to the launch of a new skin care range, D’Lumiere Esthetique, created by renowned cosmetic surgeon and dermatologist, Dr Daniel Lanzer, I’ve changed my way of thinking. In terms of skin, Dr Lanzer says, hydration refers to how much fluid and water retention is in the skin. So if your skin is looking dull, tired and not so dewy, it’s probably dehydrated. “Hydrated skin is the key to a youthful look,” says Dr Lanzer. “The skin becomes plump with less wrinkles and looks smoother and cleaner.”

RELATED: 13 celebs who defy their age

But when it comes to dehydration some parts of the body are affected more than others so you need to give them some extra TLC including your eyes, lips, back of hands, face and neck. But no matter what your age, hydration should be top of mind. “Hydration keeps collagen and elastin aligned and reduces skin creasing in everyone,” says Dr Lanzer.

Find out more how hydration can create a youthful look with our Q&A with Dr Lanzer.

Q What are the short- and long-term benefits of hydrating the skin?

“As collagen and tissue hydration declines, the appearance of wrinkles become more visible,” explains Dr Lanzer. “Increasing collagen and fluid will keep skin supple.” But when a person smiles or squints with dry skin, the skin becomes creased and more lined and this can be permanent. “If the tissue is well hydrated, it does not crease so easily, which can have a long-term effect of reducing lines,” he explains. “This is seen especially around the eyes and the mouth.”

Q What are the biggest dos and don’ts when it comes to hydrating skin?

It’s a must to wear sun protection and to use skin care every single day, as well as, staying hydrated from the inside by drinking plenty of water! “Skincare that contains DNA repair enzymes may have a direct effect on the genetics of the cells to enhance aging and therefore hydration,” explains Dr Lanzer. “But smoking and too much sun can cause skin to be at higher risk of dehydration.”

Q What other anti-ageing strategies can you use to give the skin an anti-ageing boost?

“Facial fillers that contain an injectable gel with hyaluronic acid are designed to replace any hyaluronic acid you have lost,” explains Dr Lanzer. “It does this by filling the space of volume loss which improves folds and wrinkles, as well as attracting water to replenish moisture to your skin.”

Viva Radiofrequency can also be used to give the skin anti-ageing boost. “It’s a fractionated device that stimulates the collagen by causing an inflammatory rejuvenating effect,” explains Dr Lanzer. “The result is that there are more active and fresh cells and these all increase the hydration and anti-aging appearance.”

Hyaluronic acid in skin care is also a great way to keep your skin hydrated. “Hyaluronic acid has anti-ageing benefits as it draws water to the skin and helps prevent moisture loss, which increases collagen,” says Dr Lanzer. “A reduction in these type of ingredients increases ageing. Therefore, creams that increase hydration or increase the chemicals in the skin dermis that enhance hydration are useful.”

Also look to AHAs and vitamin C. “Ideally the stronger the chemical concentration the better the result,” says Dr Lanzer. “Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant and also can improve water retention.”

The best ingredients to help keep your skin hydrated:

1.Hyaluronic acid moisturiser

2. AHA

3. Vitamin C

4. Sun protection

5. Skincare with DNA repair enzymes (such as D’Lumiere Esthetique).

Check out what our members have to say about products containing key hydrating ingredients:

Ultraceuticals Ultra Moisturiser Cream

“I had dry skin prior to using this cream because I had a bad skincare routine that irritated my sensitive skin. In just couple of nights after using Ultraceutical range only and this cream during the night my skin came back to what it was: normal to combo. After using this Cream just one week day and night, my skin did not need any moisturizers during the day! It was plump and nourished.” -Yohanna

Paula’s Choice Resist Daily Smoothing Treatment with 5% AHA

“Within two weeks, I noticed a definite difference in my skin texture and appearance. My skin felt and looked smoother and my fine lines were smoother too. Heavy wrinkles are still there of course but this definitely is a gem for me.” -ZiggysZone

Alpha-H Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid and Grapeseed

“This is my third bottle of Alpha-H Vitamin C Serum and that’s how much I love it. I noticed that when I stopped using this serum, lines start to appear on my forehead and cheeks due to collagen depletion as I get older (I am in my early 40s). Applying this serum once a day in the morning has helped bring back firmness and luster to my skin.” -April347

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer® Fluid SPF50

“Very light in texture and rubs in very quickly, I love this product because when I apply it under make up it does not affect my make up at all. My skin aborbs very quickly so I use more than I thought I would. It has a very high SPF (50) which was the highest I could find at the time. There is no tacky feeling like some thicker sun protection and you can not see it on your face and does not clog up your pores which is really important for me as I have large pores.” -Tessamc

Did you know that hydration has anti-ageing benefits? How do you keep your skin hydrated?