Why your skin still feels dry (even after layering all the serums)

Have you tried every serum, every mask, every “anti-ageing” routine — and your skin still feels dry and tired? You’re not alone. 


Even the most advanced skincare can fall short when it comes to dryness, sensitivity, or visible signs of ageing.


Because the real problem often isn’t on the surface: As we age, our skin loses key structural components – deep within the skin barrier. To truly restore hydration, resilience and a more youthful glow, support needs to come from within.


For years, collagen was considered the gold standard in anti-ageing skincare. But like all areas of science, skin research constantly evolves. Today, new insights are reshaping the way we think about hydration, resilience, and how to truly care for ageing skin.


Keep reading to discover the missing link in your routine — and why collagen alone is not enough to truly make a difference.

In this article

What is the skin barrier and what does it do for our skin?

How ageing weakens your skin structure

Why surface-level skincare can’t address deeper skin concerns

What is hyaluronic acid?

Why hyaluronic acid is not enough

How to choose the right skin supplement for hydration, repair and renewal

How SkinSpan™ works – and why it’s so different

What is the skin barrier and what does it do for our skin?

When we think about skincare, we often focus on the surface – hydration, glow, firmness. But underneath it all, there’s one silent hero responsible for nearly every visible sign of healthy skin: your skin barrier.

 

The skin barrier is a highly sophisticated system – a paper-thin layer made of lipids, ceramides, and tightly packed skin cells that quietly works around the clock to keep your skin functioning and looking its best.

 

Here’s what this invisible shield is constantly doing for you:

  • Keeping moisture in: So your skin stays plump, hydrated, and comfortable
  • Keeping irritants, bacteria, and pollutants out: Blocking the everyday stressors you don’t see but your skin feels
  • Maintaining a smooth, supple texture and healthy glow: Because moisture + protection = radiance
  • Supporting your skin’s microbiome and immunity: A healthy skin barrier nurtures a balanced environment for beneficial bacteria that protect you from inflammation and infection

In other words: if your skin looks and feels good – it’s because your barrier is doing its job.

 

But over time, this system starts to break down.

How ageing weakens your skin structure

Ageing triggers a number of biological changes that directly impact your skin’s structure and resilience:

  • Reduced lipid and ceramide production: These are the “mortar” between skin cells, sealing in moisture. With age, your skin produces fewer of them, weakening the barrier and making it more porous.
  • Decline in hyaluronic acid: Your skin’s natural water magnet decreases over time, leading to dryness and tightness.
  • Collagen and elastin loss: These structural proteins break down faster than they’re replaced, making skin thinner, less elastic, and more prone to damage.
  • Slower cell turnover: Skin cells don’t renew as quickly, so the outer layer builds up dead cells while the inner layers regenerate more slowly. This disrupts the skin’s ability to repair itself.
  • Oxidative stress: Years of UV exposure and pollution cause skin inflammation and free radical damage that further break down the skin barrier over time. Specific cellular protectants can help counteract these effects.

Over time, even with a consistent skincare routine, your skin’s natural ability to renew itself begins to slow. At the same time, essential structural components - like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and collagen - gradually decline, affecting hydration, firmness, and overall texture.


If you're curious about how collagen plays a deeper role in skin health, we've broken down the science in two of our most-read articles: Why your collagen supplement might not be working – and what actually does

Why surface-level skincare can’t address deeper skin concerns

Most skincare products only act on the surface of the skin. They can soothe, hydrate, or protect temporarily, but they can’t replenish the deeper biological components your skin loses over time – like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and collagen.


Therefore, topical solutions can offer temporary relief, but they don’t address the root of the problem. It’s like trying to pour water into a cracked vase – the water just leaks right out.


To truly repair, renew, and protect the skin long-term, you need to restore it from the inside: rebuilding structural integrity, enhancing cellular renewal, and strengthening the skin barrier at its core.


That’s where smart, science-based skin supplements come in. The right formula can deliver hydration from within, rebuild the barrier to maintain moisture, and support skin regeneration and protection. Together, they help your skin do what no topical can: stay strong, resilient, and radiant from the inside out.


Hyaluronic acid supplements have recently gained a lot of attention, often marketed as a smarter alternative to topical serums, which offer limited efficacy due to their large molecular size and short-lived hydration effects.


But there’s a downside to HA supplements that’s often overlooked.

Hyaluronic acid alone is not the answer

Hyaluronic acid is beloved for a reason: it binds water to the skin, giving that instant plumping, dewy effect. Recent research shows that taking oral hyaluronic acid supplements can genuinely boost skin hydration from within. 

What is hyaluronic acid?

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring molecule in the human body, best known for its remarkable ability to bind and retain water – up to 1,000 times its own weight. It's found in high concentrations in the skin, connective tissues, and joint fluid, where it plays a critical role in maintaining hydration, structural support, and lubrication. By keeping cells and tissues moist and resilient, hyaluronic acid contributes to healthy skin elasticity, joint mobility, and efficient wound healing.


As we age, the body’s natural production of hyaluronic acid decreases, which can lead to drier skin, fine lines, and joint stiffness. This is why it’s commonly included in skincare formulas, dietary supplements, and medical treatments – to help restore moisture levels, support skin plumpness, and ease joint discomfort.


In skincare, hyaluronic acid is celebrated for helping skin look plumper and smoother. Clinical studies demonstrate that oral HA improves skin moisture, enhances elasticity, and reduces wrinkle depth over time.¹ It works by increasing HA levels in deeper layers of the skin, supporting long-term hydration and barrier integrity from within – something topical treatments alone cannot achieve.


In the body, hyaluronic acid plays a vital role in joint lubrication by acting as a cushion and lubricant within the synovial fluid—the thick fluid that helps joints move smoothly and without friction. It also supports wound healing by regulating inflammation, promoting tissue repair, and facilitating the migration of skin cells to the site of injury.


However, when a supplement contains only one active ingredient, like hyaluronic acid or biotin, it misses the bigger picture: skin health is complex and requires more than just hydration.

Why hyaluronic acid is not enough


Just like the cracked vase that can’t hold water, skin without a strong barrier can’t retain moisture – no matter how much hyaluronic acid you add. That’s where ceramides play a critical role: they act like the glue that fills the cracks, sealing in hydration and protecting against further loss.


Moisture retention helps, but your skin needs even more. To stay healthy and resilient, it also requires support for renewal and regeneration – driven by antioxidants, cell-activating botanical compounds, and essential nutrients that promote a healthy rate of cell turnover.


A simple HA capsule, no matter how well marketed or how expensive it is, can’t meet all these demands. Real skin transformation requires a complete formula that hydrates, rebuilds, and renews – from the inside out.

How to choose the right skin supplement for hydration, repair and renewal

With so many beauty supplements on the market, it’s easy to be drawn in by trendy ingredients or vague promises of “glow.” Here’s what to look for in a powerful skin support formula:


1. Clinically studied ingredients

 

Not just “hyaluronic acid” or “ceramides” – but specific, research-backed forms shown in human trials to improve hydration, skin elasticity, or barrier repair. Examples include Ceramosides™ (plant-based ceramides) or hyaluronic acid at clinically effective doses (~120–240 mg daily).


2. Synergistic nutrients that promote collagen formation, strengthen the barrier, and support cell turnover

 

Look for a complete matrix: antioxidants (like Vitamin C) that protect collagen, ceramides that reinforce the lipid matrix, niacinamide to support the skin barrier, and longevity activators (like DracoBelle™ or PhytoCellTec®) to enhance skin renewal from within.


3. Bioavailable forms of essential vitamins and minerals

 

Focus on well-absorbed, active forms, like niacinamide (not just generic B3), bioactive Vitamin C (ascorbic acid or natural extracts like acerola), and copper in chelated forms that effectively support enzymatic skin repair and collagen production


4. Transparent sourcing and double-tested purity

 

Brands should disclose ingredient origins (e.g., European-sourced, fermented HA, natural plant extracts) and conduct third-party purity testing to verify absence of contaminants, allergens, and ensure potency.


5. A holistic formula targeting hydration, elasticity, barrier resilience, and skin longevity

 

The best supplements don’t just “moisturise” – they rebuild structural integrity, reduce oxidative stress, and enhance the skin’s regenerative capacity over time. Look for formulas that work on hydration, firmness, repair, and resilience together.


When you prioritise science-backed ingredients, advanced formulations and full transparency, you give your skin the support it needs to stay radiant, strong, and beautifully resilient at every age.

How SkinSpan™ works – and why it’s so different

We created SkinSpan™ out of frustration with the limited, superficial options in the beauty supplement space. Most products promise “radiance” without addressing the root causes of skin ageing. So we partnered with leading longevity researchers to design a formula that goes deeper – targeting the biological processes behind hydration, renewal, and resilience.


SkinSpan™ combines clinically studied ingredients at meaningful doses to support your skin from within:

  • Hyaluronic Acid (200 mg): A moisture-binding molecule naturally found in the skin, this high-potency dose improves hydration, elasticity, and skin volume – helping to plump and smooth from the inside out.
  • Ceramosides™ (30 mg): A patented, plant-based ceramide complex derived from non-GMO wheat lipids; clinically shown to restore skin hydration, repair the barrier, and reduce wrinkles² – enhancing skin quality in only 14 days³.
  • PhytoCellTec® Md Nu (10 mg): A rare stem cell extract from the Swiss Uttwiler Spätlauber apple, known for its extraordinary longevity. This patented ingredient supports skin stem cell vitality and boosts cellular renewal for fresher, more resilient skin⁴.
  • DracoBelle™ Nu (200 mg): DracoBelle™ Nu sd is a standardised dry extract from the plant Dracocephalum moldavica L. In cell studies, it significantly activated the longevity pathways AMPK and FOXO1. In a clinical trial with daily intake (200 mg over 84 days), the following skin effects were observed: +71,1% in skin hydration and +8.7% increase in dermis thickness⁵.
  • Vitamins and minerals: A targeted blend of vitamins and minerals – including Vitamin C, Niacinamide (B3), Riboflavin (B2), Biotin (B7), Vitamin A (as beta-carotene), and Copper – supports collagen formation, antioxidant protection, and skin barrier function.

SkinSpan™ isn’t just another beauty supplement. It’s a comprehensive skin longevity formula – designed to nourish, protect, and renew your skin on a cellular level.

Why should you choose AVEA?

Bottom line: Lasting hydration and radiance starts from within

If your skincare routine still leaves you chasing hydration, it’s not because you’re missing another serum – it’s because true skin resilience has to be built from the inside out.


Healthy skin isn’t just hydrated. It’s protected, renewed, and able to withstand stress.


That’s why SkinSpan™ goes beyond surface fixes – working at the cellular level to rebuild the skin’s natural barrier, restore hydration reserves, protect collagen integrity, and activate the internal renewal pathways that fade with age.


By combining clinically studied hyaluronic acid, plant-based ceramides, antioxidant defence, and stem cell protection, SkinSpan™ doesn’t just help your skin look better – it helps it stay stronger and age slower.


Because real radiance isn’t what you layer on top – it’s what your skin is built to hold on to, every single day.

References


¹Hsu TF, Su ZR, Hsieh YH, et al. Oral Hyaluronan Relieves Wrinkles and Improves Dry Skin: A 12-Week Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study. Nutrients. 2021;13(7):2220. Published 2021 Jun 28. doi:10.3390/nu13072220

 

²Bizot V, Cestone E, Michelotti A, Nobile V. Improving Skin Hydration and Age-related Symptoms by Oral Administration of Wheat Glucosylceramides and Digalactosyl Diglycerides: A Human Clinical Study. Cosmetics. 2017; 4(4):37. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics4040037https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics4040037https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics4040037

 

³Kern C, Dudonné S, Garcia C. Dietary supplementation with a wheat polar lipid complex improves skin conditions in women with dry skin and mild-to-moderate skin aging. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2024;23(4):1320-1330. doi:10.1111/jocd.16130https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics4040037

 

⁴Baumann, J., Wandrey, F., Nowak, K., & Grothe, T. (2024). Nutritional supplementation of an apple callus extract to target epidermal aging. Journal of Food, Nutrition and Diet Science, 2(1), 18–28. https://doi.org/10.55976/fnds.22024123718-28

 

⁵Baumann J, Bönzli E, Wandrey F, Grothe T. Moldavian dragonhead extract: a natural collagen-booster to target skin aging. OBM Geriatrics. 2025;9(2):doi:10.21926/obm.geriatr.2502305

SkinSpan™

£58.00