product is applied, the cells can begin to swell up and are unable to absorb anything else. This means that your other skin products won’t be properly absorbed and working to their full potential.
What does overhydrated skin look like?
One of the signs of overhydration is that your skin can often feel dry – even though you are over-applying moisturiser! Although in some cases, skin may become very oily, and its texture may become bumpy or you may get clogged pores and breakouts. Another sign is that when you apply moisturiser, it will sit on the surface of the skin and not absorb properly.
What can I do to fix it?
If you think you’ve been over-hydrating skin, there are a few steps you can take to repair the skin barrier and get your skincare routine back on track.
- Use less moisturiser
This may feel counter intuitive at first, especially as your skin may feel dry and tight. Apply a very small amount and stick to applying twice daily. Using only a little amount of ishga Marine Cream will go very far in producing long-lasting results for nourished, healthy skin.
- Simplify your skincare routine
If you use multiple products in your routine (multiple serums, oils etc) then it can be hard to determine what products are causing the overhydration. You may want to reduce the steps in your routine for the short-term, to work out what works well for your skin, and what isn’t serving it. For example, you could look at a simple routine including only cleanser, moisturiser and an SPF to begin with. Once you know what is producing results for your skin, you can gradually reintroduce more products, leaving 2-4 weeks between each so skin has time to adapt again.
- Use the right moisturiser
The cause of your skin overhydration could be a result of using the wrong moisturiser for your skin type. Take a look at the ingredients in your moisturiser and find out if they work for your skin type. Not sure what your skin type is? Find out here. We have a range of ishga Marine Creams to suit different skin needs, so your skin gets exactly what it needs.
How long will it take to treat the skin overhydration?
This will depend on the rate of cell turnover and life cycle of the skin, which could be up to 3 months. On average the skin cycle takes 2-3 weeks between the ages of 18-25, increasing to 4 weeks between the ages of 25-40. As we grow older the rate of the skin cycle begins to slow down and by the time you are in the age range 40-50 it will have slowed to around 8 weeks and to 12 weeks by the time you reach your 50’s and 60’s.
Don’t confuse overhydration with dry or dehydrated skin
Skin overhydration is caused by excessive use of moisturising products. Dry and dehydrated skin are other matters. Dry skin is caused by a lack of oil and is a skin type, whereas dehydrated skin needs hydrating. The simplest way to avoid getting dehydrated skin is to make sure you are drinking plenty of water each day and applying an effective moisturiser twice a day.
