Did you know hydrating your skin one of the most important ways to bring out your best complexion? And it requires a lot more than slathering on your moisturiser morning and night and hoping for the best.
Read on for six ways to effectively hydrate your skin – inside AND out…
What does it mean to 'hydrate' your skin? It’s all about ensuring your skin (no matter your skin type) is ‘watered’ and has the ability to hold on to that water for as long as possible.
1. Keep It Clean And Say 'No' To Sulphates
Sulphates are literally everywhere. They work by foaming up and attracting both water and oil to help whisk away dirt and grime, leaving your skin, hair, dishes and so on squeaky clean.
Why no sulphates? Two sulphates often found in skincare are sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate (SLES). These can cause dryness and dehydration because, frankly, they’re a bit too good at cleaning! They’re also believed to give rise to irritation – particularly if your skin errs on the sensitive side. Bad. News.
Good news! All HIGHBORNs are completely sulphate-free and paraben-free, too! Much gentler on your skin and won't strip away the moisture and oils you need.
2. Use Water Correctly...
Yes, there's very much is a correct way. Here are two important rules about water...
Rule #1: Only ever use lukewarm, room temperature water to cleanse your skin – especially your face. Hot water sucks oils away from your skin and can cause damage to the epidermis, preventing your skin from being able to retain moisture. The very definition of dehydrated skin.
Rule #2: When you’re done rinsing, don’t towel-dry. Instead, pat your skin gently with a clean towel, but leave it slightly damp and lock in surface-level moisture by applying serum then moisturiser straight away. A really simple trick, but it’s extremely effective.
3. Understand 'The Big 3'...
The best moisturisers work by adding water to your skin and keeping it there. This means they should include three types of moisturising ingredients: humectants, emollients and occlusives.
Humectants: Water-loving agents that draw in moisture from their surroundings. Think hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and glycerin.
Emollients: Like shea butter and jojoba oil which smooth and soften.
Occlusives: Usually oils and butters. They work by sealing water into your skin by creating a barrier over the skin’s surface.
Top Tip: Look out for moisturisers that contain all three of these for ultimate hydration. Hello Imperial Moisturiser and Night Elixir!
4. Up Your Humidity
Humidity might be your enemy where frizzy hair is concerned, but skin adores all that extra moisture in the air...
A moisture-rich environment not only helps keep your skin hydrated, but it also boosts cell turnover, meaning dead skin cells are less likely to sit around on the surface causing dullness and dryness.
Top Tip: Try a humidifier for your bedroom. This will help increase humidity in the air while you sleep so that a) less moisture will be lost from your skin overnight and b) more moisture will be available for humectants to grab hold of. Grab a bottle of Organic Hydration Gel too for really thirsty skin!
Remember This: Any product that contains humectants (see point 3) will love it even more, drawing in all that water from the air rather than trying to suck it up from deeper levels within your skin.
5. Watch Your Active Ingredients
Active ingredients like glycolic acid and potent retinoids are brilliant for increasing cell turnover and improving the vibrancy of your skin. However, use them too often and they can break down your skin’s protective barrier which reduces your skin’s ability to hold on to moisture.
Take Note: Never apply too many active treatments, lotions and potions at once. In fact, stick to one that’s been carefully curated with ingredients that work together and are kind to your skin’s barrier function.
Highly Recommended: Pre-Eminent Beauty Serum which is blended with a natural fruit acid, a gentle form of retinol called retinyl palmitate and plenty of other hydrating and skin-loving ingredients.
6. Why Drinking More Water Is A Myth...
When you think about hydration we bet your mind immediately goes straight to the daily effort of drinking eight glasses of water. But, does drinking a gallon of water every day truly hydrate your skin from within?
Well, yes… and no.
FACT: You can actually obtain a large quota of your daily intake from other water-rich foods and drinks in your diet like milk, fresh juices, caffeine-free teas, fruit, veg and yoghurt.
Top Tip: Combine all these with several glasses of H20, a good dose of essential fatty acids from nuts, seeds, oily fish and avocado, and the hydration of your skin will definitely thank you for it.
Aside from making your complexion look brighter and clearer, hydrated skin helps put paid to irritation, sensitivities and dryness. Hence why hydrating your skin one of the most important ways to care about the health of your complexion.
Scroll down for your hydrating HIGHBORNs... all sulphate and paraben free!
Tracey x
Hydrating HIGHBORNS You Need To Have
Organic Hydration Gel
Imperial Moisturiser
Pre-Eminent Beauty Serum
Night Elixir
