5 Easy Ways To Keep Your Skin Hydrated And Glowing

Moisture is key to any makeup and skincare routine! 

Even combination, oily and normal skin types can suffer from face tightening dryness and dry patches.

Of course, drinking lots of water will work wonders for you skin, but there are products that can help keep your skin moisturized when H20 just isn’t cutting it.

 

5 easy ways to keep your skin hydrated and glowing

Aren’t ready to introduce a new product into your skincare routine? Shop your stash!

You may already have hydrating skincare samples from your last Macy’s, Sephora, or Ulta Beauty order.

You can also ask for skincare product samples (for example if you want to try Clinique Moisture Surge) at your local Sephora store.

Read: How to get FREE Gift Cards to use at Sephora & More: Get Free Makeup

 

Change Your Cleanser

Cleansers can dry out the skin, especially those with treatment ingredients like glycolic or salicylic acid.

Switch to a more gentle cleansing oil or balm (in the colder months especially) and you’ll notice a difference in the tightness and dryness of your skin after washing.

These cleansers wont strip your skin of its natural oils.  Some even give your face a bit of life and glow which is perfect for no makeup days.

Hydrating Cleansers:

• Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil ($48)
• Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm ($29.50)
• Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Cleanser & Waterproof Makeup Remover ($3.99 – $8.99)
• Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm ($22-$34)
• FRESH Soy Face Cleanser ($38)
• First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser ($20)
• Burts Bee’s Facial Cleansing Oil with Coconut & Argan Oils ($13.89)
• Clinique Facial Soap – Mild ($15 – $18.50)

Quick Tip: Try not to let your skin “air dry” after cleansing.  The excess water can suck the moisture out of your skin. Instead, lightly pat your face dry using a wash cloth. Just make sure you are changing out your wash cloth regularly (ideally daily).

 

Add a Facial Serum Or Oil To Your Skincare Routine

Facial Serums and Facial Oils may feel like an advanced skincare step, but it can be easier to incorporate into your routine than you think.

Moisturizer protects your skins outermost layer, almost like a barrier to cold weather environments.

Facial Serums (which are packed with vitamins) and Oils (which are usually a blend of essential oils) allow its ingredients penetrate below the surface of the skin, and result in hydrated, plumped, smooth looking skin overtime.

Adding a hydrating facial serum or facial oil to your routine (after cleansing and toning) can provide the first layer of hydration in your skin.

What’s the second layer of hydration? Moisturizer.

Hydrating Facial Serums and Oils:

• Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil ($40-$80)
• Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum ($80)
• Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II ($47-$98)
• OLAY Regenerist Regenerating Serum ($22.99)
• Farsali Unicorn Essence Antioxidant Primer Serum ($22-$54)
• Neutrogena Hydroboost Hydrating Serum ($19.99)

Quick Tip: Facial Serums and Facial Oils are not a replacement for Moisturizer.  In fact, you should use both to achieve hydrated and glowing skin all year long. Serums and Oils are designed to work with moisturizer, as the moisturizer essentially “seals in” the vitamin rich properties of the serum or oil.

 

Use A Deep Hydrating Moisturizer

It may seem like a marketing tool, but products that are advertised as “mega”, “ultra”, and “deep” moisturizing are some of the best for colder months or if you have dry skin.

Using a moisturizer that has a creamy lotion like consistency is ideal because they often provide all day moisture.

Gel moisturizers are popular in the summer due to its thin consistency and often oil free formula, but they aren’t always as hydrating.

If you notice after cleansing and moisturizing that your face feels tight or you can still see dryness, you probably need a more hydrating product.

Don’t worry, that moisturizer may work great for spring/summer so don’t pitch it just yet.

Deeply Hydrating Moisturizers:

• Belief True Cream Aqua Bomb ($22-$38)
• NO7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream ($14.99)
• La Mer Crème De La Mer ($85-$325)
• Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream ($29.50)
• Tatcha Water Cream ($68)
• Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator ($39-$52.50)
• Philosophy Renewed Hope In A Jar ($14-$39)
• Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Moisturizer ($40)

 

Treat Yourself With Facial Masks

There are so many different types of facial masks to choose from; affordable to expensive, sheet masks, mud masks, sleeping masks, peeling masks, bubble masks, the list could go on and on.

To keep your skin hydrated and glowing consider trying sheet masks and/or sleeping mask.

If you have dry skin, stay away from mud masks and peeling masks.  They tend to be used for pulling toxins out of the skin and can be very drying.

Masks with ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, flower seed oils, or plant extracts are the best for hydrated and glow skin! 

Treat your skin to a facial mask once a week (or a few times a month), your skin will appreciate the dedicated moisture treatment.

Hydrating Facial Masks:

• Dr. Jart Soothing Hydra Solution Mask ($6),
• Tony Moly Master Lab Hyaluronic Acid Mask Sheet ($4)
• Sephora Collection Green Tea Sleeping Mask ($4)
• Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mask ($12-$45)
• Garnier Skin Active Moisture Bomb Glow-Boosting Sheet Mask ($3.99)
• Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask ($22-$45)
• Laneige Water Sleeping Mask ($25)

Find Your Glow-To Toner

For my skincare lovers, consider purchasing or changing your toner to a more gentle hydrating version.

Toner is a must have skincare product!  It resurfaces the skin, leaving it smooth and soft.

Stronger toners can cause a tingling or itchy feeling to the skin.

Stick to a gentle toning water or toning pads if you don’t have heavily textured skin.

Gentle Facial Toners:

• First Aid Beauty’s Facial Radiance Pads ($15-$30)
• FRESH Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner ($25-$44)
• SKII Facial Treatment Essence ($99-$290)
• Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater ($7-$12)
• Thayers Witch Hazel Cucumber Toner ($8.79)
• Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir ($18-$49)

 

The Most Important Tip for Hydrated Skin

Not all moisturizers and cleansers are created equally.

What your skin needs in the spring/summer may be totally different in the fall/winter.

For example, combination skin needs a lightweight gel moisturizer in the summer, and a more hydrating creamy moisturizer in the fall/winter.

Maintaining healthy glowing skin sometimes means you need two moisturizers, and two cleansers but it doesn’t have to break the bank.

Consider what your skincare needs are each season and tweak your routine to accommodate it; your skin with thank you.