3 common misconceptions about hydration

Skin becomes dependent on moisturizers

The first preconceived idea is that your skin becomes dependent on moisturizers and that, by getting used to being constantly hydrated, your skin becomes lazy. This is completely false: if you had dry skin before, your skin will remain dry. This may be genetic, due to a defect in the keratin of corneocytes or intercellular lipids. But the most common reason is that, as we age, we produce fewer ceramides and our cutaneous barrier is weaker, sebum production diminishes and these first changes occur relatively early, from our late thirties onwards. So it's perfectly normal to feel that your skin has become drier than before. This is not a side effect of moisturizing, but a normal evolution of your skin. The other thing is that the use of retinoids and exfoliating acids will tend to make your skin drier at first, which can also give the false impression that your skin has become drier.

Moisturizer is the most important product in your skincare routine.

The second misconception is that your moisturizer is the most important product in your skincare routine and the one you should spend the most on. As we've seen, moisturizing is an important and indispensable step, whether your skin is dry or oily, but it's certainly not the product you should spend the most on. The product you should invest in most is your serum. I say this because we sometimes see overpriced moisturizers at totally unjustified prices. It's true that, from your forties onwards, your skin can become drier and it's a good idea to use a cream that contains a few anti-aging active ingredients, but you have to remember that the moisturizing cream is the last step in your skincare routine and that these active ingredients will have a harder time penetrating your skin, so I think it's better to invest in a serum that will be more effective. For anti-aging, I recommend investing in anti-oxidant serums in the morning and retinol or copper peptide serums in the evening. The active ingredients in serums are often more concentrated and penetrate your skin barrier better. Rather than a cream that comes at the end of your skincare routine, whose active ingredients will have more difficulty penetrating the skin, especially as they are often less concentrated. The aim of a moisturizing cream is to hydrate, and above all, it must perfectly match your skin type. And last but not least, you can find excellent moisturizing creams at reduced prices, such as the Ordinary's cream with natural moisturizing factors and hyaluronic acid, which contains glycerine, amino acids, ceramics and sugars. This cream is perfect for normal to combination skin types.

We don't need sunscreen in winter

The third misconception is that you don't need sunscreen in autumn and winter. Many people mistakenly think that sunscreen is only for summer, but this is a myth. As you know, ultraviolet rays don't really cause sunburn in winter, but that doesn't mean they've disappeared, because UV rays penetrate clouds. And even in winter, UV rays continue to be the leading cause of wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and skin cancer, so we must continue to protect ourselves from the sun, but of course with special sun creams for everyday use.