|
|
 |
Read Let's Face It Archives Here
Dehydration — The Curse of Winter
It’s that time of year again – cold, windy, and dry! Your skin hates it — almost as much as it hates the sun. This is the time of year when we begin to complain about dryness, flaking, itching, and rough skin. Short of moving to Florida where humidity reigns, what can you do?
The answer… hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Pretty much anyone over 30 (and a large percentage of people in their 20’s) are dehydrated. Drinking water and eating vegetables help but your skin requires more.
Cold weather, heating systems, drying cleansers, aging, and stress rob your skin of moisture and that lovely glow you want. The good news is that with a little TLC, this concern can be remedied considerably. The question many ask is what to use? What works? How do you choose amongst all the millions of products available?
If you equate preventing dryness with heavy creams, I’m here to dispel that myth. Heavy moisturizers have their place, and you know if your skin is so persistently dry that you love using one. Their predominant purpose is to soften skin and hold moisture in. Of course, if there’s no moisture there to hold in, then they can only do half their job! Hydrating ingredients, on the other hand, are actually very light, easily absorbed, and non-comedogenic — they won’t clog pores or make your skin break out. And they give your moisturizer something to do!
If you have oily skin, listen up (I have oily skin, so I know)! Chances are huge that you are also dehydrated. While you won’t want to
go anywhere near a heavy moisturizer, a hydrator can help your skin on many levels. Keeping your skin well hydrated actually prevents overproduction of oil and can result in fewer breakouts.
If your skin is sensitive, a hydrator can reduce some of the irritancy response. Dehydrated skin is known to be more sensitive than skin that is moisture rich.
And as if that’s not enough, dry, dehydrated skin is more vulnerable to bacteria, allergens and chemicals — in other words, it becomes more sensitive. The old "use it or lose it" philosophy comes into play. The less you protect your skin and allow it to do its job well, the less it is able to repair itself and the more dry, irritated and sensitive your skin becomes.
So, what does a hydrator look like? Well, it can be part of your moisturizer, but I highly recommend keeping them separate and letting them each do the complete job they are meant to do. A hydrator looks like a serum — light, liquidy and easily absorbed. A moisturizer is more opaque and thicker — depending on whether your skin is naturally dry, oily or combination.
What are some hydrating ingredients to look for? Sodium PCA, hyaluronic acid, glycerine, and glycosaminoglycans, to name a few more common ones. If you want to get even more mileage out of your hydrator, use a moisturizer over it that contains AHA’s (alpha-hydroxy acids). AHA’s slough off dead skin cells so your skin can accept the hydration more readily, and it encourages your skin to generate its own natural moisturizers. The combination is terrific!
Don’t be fooled. If you are over 40 (actually, more like 30 or 35, but let’s not terrify everyone), there is no way that your skin is keeping itself hydrated enough without a little help. As we go into the coldest months of the year, give your skin a break with a little TLC in the form of good hydration.
To learn more about the hydrators I offer, visit my website store here.
To set up a skincare consultation with me, please e-mail me at ginger@totalimageconsultants.com. You'll be asked to fill out the skincare profile form skincare profile form before the consultation and to bring your current skin products with you. See more information on the services page of my website here.
Copyright 2004, Total Image Consultants - All rights reserved.
Skincare Fashion Secret 2004 is written and produced by Total Image Consultants. Please direct all questions and comments to
ginger@totalimageconsultants.com. If you would like to forward this newsletter, please do so in its entirety. Do not alter its content or form and please include copyright info. Thank you.
|
|
 |
