When it comes to your skin, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again that hydrated skin is happy and healthy skin. But can you over hydrate your skin? 

Is too much hydration bad for skin?

It may surprise you to know that it is possible to give your skin too much hydration if you over-moisturise, or use the wrong products. 

If your skin becomes overhydrated, it can become less inclined to produce moisture on its own. This is because the state of overhydration has signalled to the skin that it contains enough of the skin’s most vital building blocks such as water, protein and lipids like ceramides.

When the skin produces less moisture, it can slow down the production of these essential nutrients – turning into a cycle of over-moisturising. 

The skin’s natural lipid barrier can become damaged by overhydration, making the skin more prone to infection and irritation. As the skin’s barrier protects it from external aggressors, it’s important to make sure that your routine replenishes the moisture rather than depletes it.

How does over hydrated skin happen?

Overhydrated skin is often a result of consistently using too much moisturiser on your skin. If one morning you apply more of your day cream than usual, the likelihood is that that alone will not lead to over hydrated skin. However, when this happens every day as part of your routine, your skin may not thank you. 

Confusion sometimes comes from trying to figure out if you have dry or dehydrated skin, with many people mistaking them for the same thing. 

Dry skin is a skin type, in a similar way to oily or combination skin, where the skin does not produce or hold enough sebum. This often leaves flaky, scaly and irritated skin. Whereas dehydrated skin does not have enough water to heal itself. Skin can be both dry and dehydrated, but in misinterpreting dry skin for dehydrated skin, there is the possibility of adding too much moisture to the skin. 

What does over hydrated skin look like?

There are some classic signs of over hydrated skin to look out for, which include: an uneven skin texture, clogged pores and blackheads. As well as this, the skin often feels dry even after applying excessive amounts of moisturiser. For some people, overhydration manifests as very oily skin. 

Learning when to use a product and how to keep your skin healthy is important to helping you feel the best you can in your skin. 

How to hydrate your skin with UpCircle

Body

1. Hand + Body Lotion

After cleansing your body and using our Haircare Duo to look after your locks, it’s time to hop out of the bath or shower and start adding some hydration back to the skin. 

With a zesty aroma to boost your mood, our Hand + Body Lotion is rich in fatty acids to help nourish and hydrate the skin. Skin-loving ingredients like coconut oil and jojoba oil soothe and protect the skin, and the lotion is infused with the residual water of organic bergamot fruit, a by-product of the juicing industry.

2. Body Cream

Another option to nourish your skin is our award-winning Body Cream with Aloe Vera + Cocoa Butter. This rich, lightweight formula leaves a non-greasy finish on the skin, while adding a hit of hydration. 

While it helps to soothe sensitive skin, this hydrating body cream works well for all skin types – with nourishing shea butter, linseed and olive oil. This body cream is made with the anti-inflammatory extract of leftover date seeds, a by-product of date farming which is clinically proven to reduce redness.

3. Body Oil

After using your lotion or body cream, give your skin the love it deserves with a luxurious body oil. Our soothing Body Oil is infused with nourishing upcycled passion fruit oil, plus tangerine oil and kumquat oil.

Fast-absorbing and non-greasy, this body oil leaves skin deeply moisturised and gorgeously scented. You can find our fan-favourite body oil in our "The Unreleased Trio" Cracker, alongside our delightful Home Mist and nourishing Lip Balm.

Face

1. Eye Cream

After cleansing and toning your skin, it’s important to add hydration back into your skin. Our Eye Cream is formulated using hyaluronic acid and coffee to help plump and brighten the skin. 

Made with upcycled coffee oil extracted from repurposed grounds and anti-inflammatory maple bark extract, a by-product of the wood industry, this eye cream helps to refresh and renew the skin.

Gently dab under the skin and use morning and evening. The eye cream should be the first part of the moisturising section of your skincare routine. 

2. Face Moisturiser or Night Cream

Next, it’s time to use a moisturising cream on the skin. In the mornings, use our Face Moisturiser – formulated with moisturising aloe vera and vitamin E which helps to boost collagen production. Multi award-winning, this moisturiser is deeply hydrating and fast-absorbing.

In the evenings, opt for our Night Cream with Hyaluronic Acid to help replenish the skin’s moisture barrier. Enriched with niacinamide to minimise pores and rich in pro-retinol to reduce signs of ageing, this cream helps to support skin regeneration. 

Smooth the moisturiser across your skin and allow the skin-loving ingredients to absorb.

3. Face Oil

Use our Face Oil with Coffee Extract to help lock in the moisture provided by your moisturiser. Helping to brighten and boost the skin, this oil works through occlusion, forming a protective seal over your skin.

This oil helps to fade dark spots and hyperpigmentation, while boosting collagen to keep the skin firm. Formulated using intensely nourishing rosehip oil and jojoba oil, this oil is unsurprisingly a fan-favourite.

4. Lip Balm

Last but certainly not least is your lips! Lip care is often neglected, but an important part of your moisturising routine. 

Our Lip Balm with Hemp Seed Oil is nourishing and hydrating for the delicate skin on your lips. Rich in fatty acids to strengthen the skin barrier, our lip balm also includes softening shea butter.

The hemp seed oil used in the formulation helps to replenish the skin’s barrier and protect against environmental stressors, making it perfect for our lip balm.  

Stick to natural products with skin-loving ingredients to help support your skin barrier and get the right amount of hydration for your skin. 

Discover our full range of products at UpCircle.