Tips for Hydrating your skin: Simple Changes that will Elevate your Skin care Regimen

Hydrated skin, we hear it all the time but what does it mean? A huge misconception is that oily skin is more hydrated then dry skin. Regardless of where your skin type falls on the spectrum, hydration and moisture is something we all need to be conscious of. Many times I hear clients talk about how they love the tight feeling on their skin after cleansing. I normally cringe at these stories because 9/10 the cleanser used is too drying for your skin. Cleansers that leave your skin feeling tight after use are typically stripping your skin of it's natural oils or barrier function. The skins barrier function acts as a film just above the epidermis (skin) that protects your skin from outside factors like pathogens. This barrier not only protects you from outside harm, it helps prevent water from evaporating out of the skin. This is referred to as Transepidermal Water Loss or TEWL. More gentile hydrating cleansers not only cleanse the skin, they help protect the barrier function of the skin so you retain moisture and keep out dirt, debris and fights free radicals that lead to aging. Here are some tips I like to use to help protect my skin from TEWL and keep hydrated topically!

• Incorporate a gentile hydrating cleanser in your routine. My Favorites are Milk Makeup Cleanser and CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser.

• Use steam if your skin is not sensitive to it. Steam is great for product penetration and can ultimately help exfoliants, serums and masks work better. If you don't have a steamer use a warm towel.

• Leave your skin damp when applying serums and moisturizers. This is especially true for products with Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin they are humectants and draw water into the skin.

• Try patting or pushing serums and moisturizers into the skin vs. harsh rubbing.

• Do your night- time skin care routine 20 mins before you go to bed and allow the products to absorb before you jump into bed.

• Use satin pillowcases to retain the moisture you just applied to your skin. Cotton absorbs moisture and can cause dryness and irritation.