Measuring the level of hydration of the skin is essential to help select the right skincare products and set up an effective routine. It also detects a number of parameters assessing the health assets of your skin's health attributes. Parameters being tracking skin hydration level at different depths, detecting dryness, looking for signs of aging and evaluating skincare efficacy.
Monitoring skin hydration level determines the overall health and functionality of the skin. Properly hydrated the skin maintains a robust barrier protecting it from external factors contributing to dryness, wrinkles, as well as dermatologic conditions leaving the skin itchy, inflamed, peeling or fissured.
Everybody wants a healthy, smooth, supple and radiant skin!
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So, measuring your skin surface hydration pinpoints esthetic and dermatologic implications. As it affects all of us, it is a significant market for cosmetic brands, the pharmaceutical industry and scientific research.
Recognized as the body's largest organ, the skin needs proper care, hydrating being the fundamental first step. Changes in your skin can be a warning that your overall health is changing.
If eyes are the mirror of your soul,
skin is the mirror of your health!
So many factors can impact the skin and its hydration levels, the 2 primary ones being:
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Smoking, responsible for premature aging (drastic loss of skin elasticity and collagen); skin discoloration (fingertips, mouth and around the lips); dull looking grey skin; and can provoke acne, eczema or psoriasis conditions,
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Sun UV rays can cause skin cancer, keratoses, wrinkles and loss of skin elasticity.
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Once you’ve become aware of the importance of taking care and maintaining your skin health, several steps and options are available to you. Here is how you can hydrate (by adding water to your skin) and moisturize (by locking the water into your skin):
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In Western culture, having a skin care routine is common practice, using products containing hyaluronic acid, collagen, ceramides, fatty acids… Use a gentle cleanser, a hydrating and moisturizing cream, and on a regular basis apply a mask and exfoliate your skin with a scrub (mechanical) or peeling (chemical) to remove the dead skin cells.
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You should also hydrate your skin from within by drinking water, avoid hard water when you shower, eat high water content foods (fruits, vegetables...) and avoid caffeinated beverages.
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If you are considering Chinese Medicine, acupuncture is an amazing way to help maintaining your skin hydration levels! The lung is the organ responsible for regulating water passage and controlling the skin.
Additionally, consuming Chinese herbs and teas, as well as drinking hot water before and after meals is highly beneficial. When you drink water, your brain will automatically process it as hydration.
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You can also use masks and serums consisting of traditional Chinese herbs such as ginseng, gingko biloba, goji berries or Chinese wolfberries for example.
So, let’s hydrate inside and out!


As hydration refers to water, measuring skin surface (stratum corneum) hydration scientifically using the MoistureMeterSCÂ is the best option to assess the biophysical properties and functionality of the skin barrier. These measurements provide insights into skin type and seasonal variations in skin condition.
Patented, the MoistureMeterSC ensures accurate, reliable and user-friendly measurements. It’s a lightweight, all-in-one Instrument with a sensitive round probe head measuring the dielectric constant in relation with the actual thickness of the stratum corneum.
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It is insensitive to electrolytes, present in cosmetic products

The probe, formed of two concentric electrodes is placed on the skin and the electromagnetic field is induced. The electrodes are coupled capacitively to the highly conductive, water rich layers of the epidermis forming 2 capacitors, dry stratum corneum acting as an insulator.
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It operates on a single, precise defined radio frequency of 1.29 MHz.
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For professionals working in the pharmaceutical, personal care or chemical industries, as well as those conducting skin research studies or the promotion and efficacy testing of skin care products, the MoistureMeterSC is the perfect tool giving you the most accurate results on skin hydration.

In addition, the MoistureMeterSC isn’t just an Instrument assessing skin hydration. Combined with the DMC Software, it offers the option of wirelessly collecting the data displayed on the screen. It then allows users to set up individual projects by measuring and collecting data, plotting the results or exporting them to other programs for editing.
The versatility and extreme precision of the MoistureMeterSCÂ makes it an essential Instrument in sensitive skin surface hydration measurement.
Publications
Skin Research and Technology
Measurement of hydration in the stratum corneum with the MoistureMeter and comparison with the Corneometer.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology
A Phase 2, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of a Novel Nutritional Supplement Product to Promote Healthy Skin.
Lund University
Biomarkers and skin barrier function in atopic dermatitis and mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology
Hydrating effects of moisturizer active compounds incorporated into hydrogels; in vivo assessment and comparison between devices
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