The dictionary term for hydrate is to combine with water or its elements to form a hydrate. In most cosmetic and medical books it means that cells and tissues absorb water. Either way, moisturizing your skin at least twice a day will help with the aging effect on your skin and is what you need to do to keep your skin looking youthful, supple and radiant.

Our skin is affected in many different ways when we don’t hydrate it properly. Things like age spots are caused in part by dehydration of the skin. When your skin is dry or dehydrated, it will lose its elasticity and resiliency, or the skin’s ability to return to its original state after pressure is applied.

Due to our aging process and environmental stress, the resilience or tightness and elasticity of our skin gradually deteriorates and then we begin to see the appearance of spots and wrinkles. That beautiful tan that makes us look so attractive and that everyone wants is taking its toll on the hydration process. Not to mention UV rays which have been shown to more or less destroy healthy looking skin.

There is no miracle cure for these types of problems, except to take measures in your young life, which some have not done, to keep our skin hydrated. For now the best we can do is start to hydrate our skin properly and I mean now. The sooner you can start giving your skin the hydration it needs, the sooner it will start looking younger.

There are a ton of different moisturizing products on the market today and I know it’s hard to decide which one to go for, but let me give you a few pointers on what to look for.

You may want to look for a moisturizing balancer that is a water-based product and not an oil-based one. Remember that skin knows how to naturally absorb water and use it where it needs it most, so when it comes to skin care products, you really should choose water-based. Better yet, if you can get your hands on a water-based product that doesn’t contain parabens, those are the nasty little preservatives that are linked to skin diseases and possible cancer-causing agents, this would be an ideal product.

Of course, moisturizing your skin through a skin care product like a hydrating balancer isn’t the only way to add moisture to your skin. Water intake is the single most important thing you can do for the look and feel of your skin. Many of us do not drink enough water on a daily basis. The average water intake for the average person is at least 6-8 8-ounce glasses of water per day.

There’s always some excuse why you’re not getting enough water. I’ve been in the nutrition field for over nine years and have even heard some of my clients say that I don’t have enough time to drink all that water while they sit there with a soda in hand. Little do they realize, that is until I tell them, that just because what they’re drinking is liquid doesn’t mean it’s supplying the body with the water it needs. In fact, for every 12-ounce soda you drink, you actually take a few ounces of water out of your body. That’s right, soda is a diuretic, as is anything that contains carbonation, alcohol, and caffeine.

So that soda or coffee you have with lunch or dinner is actually helping all the other causes of stress and our environment to dehydrate your body instead of hydrating it. Take some time and think about it the next time you use your skin care products and have a soda or coffee.

So be sure to use a condom-free, natural, water-based skincare moisturizer balancer to give you a younger-looking complexion.