Do You Really Need to Hydrate Your Skin with Water-Based Products?

“Hydration” is one of those words that’s been repeated so many times in skincare, most people stop questioning it. You’re told your skin is dry? The answer must be hyaluronic acid. Or a water-based serum. Or a 10-step routine with layers of lightweight “hydrators.”

But… what if the problem isn’t that your skin is lacking hydration?
What if the real issue is that it’s struggling to hold onto the hydration it already has?

Let’s ask a few questions that don’t always get asked:

• If skin is a barrier designed to keep water in, how exactly does applying water-based products on top “hydrate” it?

• Why do so many people feel drier after stopping hyaluronic acid—even though it’s supposed to “pull in moisture”?

• How did humans keep their skin supple and strong before bottled serums and lab-isolated ingredients existed?

• If hyaluronic acid draws water from the environment, what happens when you’re in a dry climate or under indoor heat or A/C?

• Have you ever looked at the full ingredient list on your hydrating serum and asked, “Is this for my skin—or for the shelf life and texture?”

• Why is it that people who stop using “hydrating” products often say their skin is better once it resets?

• If you’re constantly needing to reapply hydration… is it really hydrating you?

• What’s more important: adding water to the surface, or restoring your skin’s ability to seal it in?

• Have you ever compared the skin of someone who eats nourishing fats and minerals vs. someone who layers hydrators daily?

These aren’t gotcha questions. They’re invitations. To pause. To rethink. To come back to the possibility that your body might already know what it’s doing—if we stop getting in the way.

So What Do We Recommend Instead?

We don’t recommend more steps or more water.

We recommend supporting the skin barrier so it can hold in hydration on its own. That means giving your skin the raw materials it needs to function—not just temporarily appear dewy.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Feed it fat. Not seed oils or petroleum, but real, nutrient-dense fat—like grass-finished tallow. Your skin barrier is made of lipids. If it’s lacking fat, no amount of water will stay in.

• Stop stripping it. Over-cleansing, exfoliating, and layering too many actives weaken the barrier. Sometimes, doing less is the most supportive thing you can do.

• Nourish from the inside out. Hydration isn’t just about what’s on your skin—it’s also about minerals, sunlight, movement, sleep, and real food. It’s all connected.

• Focus on resilience, not dependence. Skin that doesn’t need to be “topped off” every few hours. Skin that knows how to function on its own. That’s the goal.

We’re not against water. We’re not even against the occasional serum. But we are for skin that doesn’t rely on products to feel good. Skin that reflects what’s going right inside your body. Skin that isn’t confused by conflicting signals and bandaid fixes.

The Bottom Line

Most of us don’t need more hydration products.
We need less interference and more support.

When the skin barrier is healthy and nourished, it’s fully capable of holding onto moisture—no hyaluronic acid required. You don’t have to chase hydration. You just have to stop giving your skin reasons to lose it.