First, the bad news: Our skin is constantly losing moisture. On average, about 400 mL of water evaporates from our skin every day. It’s a natural process—called transepidermal water loss (TEWL)—caused by environmental factors, damage, and, well, life. And all of that water loss is exacerbated if the skin barrier is weak. But now the good news: this moisture loss is not the end of the story. With a combination of the right skincare products and a few simple lifestyle hacks, you can not only replenish that lost moisture—but also strengthen your skin’s barrier function, improving its ability to hold onto moisture.

Understand how moisturizer works.

A moisturizer is made of three key components: humectants, occlusives, and emollients. Let’s break that down. Humectants attract the water to the skin, occlusives keep the water on your skin, and emollients make everything go on smoothly. Now within each of those categories there are plenty of ingredients options, but for the purpose of strengthening our skin’s barrier function—and preventing that naturally occurring water loss—let’s focus in on the humectants. An effective humectant pulls water from the atmosphere into the top layer of the skin. A superstar humectant will do much more. Hyaluronic acid is the MVP superstar of all humectants because not only is it like a very absorbent sponge—capable of holding 1,000 times its weight in water—but it also helps strengthen and fortify the skin’s hydrolipidic barrier. In other words, all that good moisture stays locked inside the skin.

BL+ COMPLEX strengthens the skin barrier, helps to prevent TEWL, and promotes skin health. How does it do all that? BL+ COMPLEX increases the transcription of genes that encode for proteins important for epidermal keratinocytes differentiation—a natural process that is crucial in determining the quality of the skin barrier. The result is that the skin barrier is stronger, it retains moisture better, and TEWL is greatly reduced.

Add a serum to your skincare routine.

To hydrate the skin on a deeper level, you’ll need a serum. Serums typically contain higher concentrations of active ingredients and are better equipped to penetrate the skin’s surface. BL+ The Serum contains the BL+ COMPLEX and three types of hyaluronic acid: Sodium Hyaluronate forms a film on skin’s surface to lock in moisture and strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier; Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid reinforces the natural immune system and stimulating the release of specific antibacterial peptides and boosting the cellular repair process; and Fragmented Hydrolized Hyaluronic Acid, with a super low molecular weight, penetrates deeper and more effectively to provide a significant firming and hydration action. Blue Lagoon Seawater is rich in electrolytes that energize skin cells, making them more receptive and optimally functional. The electrolyte-rich water boosts the performance of the overall formulation and hydrates the skin.

Protect all that moisture.

Keep drinking water (at least eight glasses a day), eat water-rich fruits and vegetables (cucumber, spinach, celery), and whatever you do, do not smoke or use any products with drying alcohol. Equally important: mind your environment—especially in the winter. Cold, low humidity air can cause skin to dry out. Cold air also tightens pores, reduces circulation, and reduces sebum production. Low humidity, hot showers, and central heat also contribute to skin dehydration, which is why it's so important to create a winter-specific regimen to soothe weather-worn skin. In the skin’s dream world, you would live in a rainforest so do what you can to approximate that environment: Put a humidifier in your bedroom, set the temperature to warm (but not too hot), and apply BL+ The Serum to the skin immediately after a shower or when it’s slightly damp to lock in as much moisture as possible.