Best Ingredients For Skin Hydration.

 It is important to keep our skin hydrated year round.  There are certain seasons when it is much harder to keep the skin hydrated so it is important to make sure our skin care products have certain ingredients.  It is well known that skin dries out in the winter so much easier due to temperatures, wind, and lack of humidity, so when you shop for skin care products, take time to check the ingredients list. 

Let's start with one of the more well known ones - hyaluronic acid.  This is one of the best ingredients to use due to its extensive hydrating abilities.  It is one that naturally occurs in the skin and is able to hold up to 1000 times its weight in moisture.  It also helps draw moisture to the skins surface so your skin looks plumper and moister.

Another great ingredient is Argon oil. This oil is extracted from the nuts of the Argon tree.  It is packed with vitamins and minerals that help counter winter dryness.  Although it is high is fatty acids and vitamin E, it is a light oil that is easily absorbed into your skin without feeling sticky.  In addition, its molecules are small enough to easily penetrate the skin.

Then there is squalene which is derived from plants such as olives and rice bran.  Although it is actually an oil, it is light enough that it will not clog your pores.  In addition, the ingredient that hydrates your skin is also a strong antioxidant that both nourishes and softens dry skin. Furthermore, it helps fight inflammation and is a good anti-aging ingredient.  

Ceramides is another naturally occurring ingredient found in the skin. These help improve the skin barrier and are great at helping to lock in moisture.  In addition, look for Shea Butter which contains fatty acids and vitamins that really help moisturize the skin. Shea Butter helps provide a barrier to protect the skin from the elements of winter. 

Check out glycerin because glycerin helps reduce the flakiness associated  with dry skin while balancing the pH levels at the same time.  If glycerin is used regularly, it reduces the amount of water lost from the skin so the skin stays nourished while helping protect the skin from UV rays.  Now if your skin needs a bit of extra care, look for products with Pataua oil.  This oil is great at moisturizing and nurturing while helping to firm the skin.  In addition Pataua oil is noted for having vitamin E, vitamin A, and amino acid proteins.  

Finally, look for Panthenol - a vitamin B-5 provitamin.  In other words, the body is able to transform this ingredient into B5.  Panthenol is noted for softening the skin, while helping skin cells draw moisture in and seal it in.  So when you shop for your skin care, read the ingredients  and make sure one or more of these ingredients are on the list.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.  Happy New Year and may your 2023 be awesome.

Keeping Skin Hydrated In Winter

 

Living in northern Alaska, I am well aware that winter weather tends to dry out the skin, both face and body.  I keep running out of my body lotion so I'm always picking up more. For most of us, when our skin dries out in the winter, we automatically head for the store to get body lotion but there are other things we can do in conjunction with the lotion to keep our skin hydrated.

Our skin dries out during the winter when we are outside because the cold wind hits our skin or the sun's rays reflect off the snow and inside from the warm dry air of the heating system.  When our skin dries out, it becomes flaky and itchy and if we don't do anything about it, the skin can crack and bleed. So instead of waiting for it to happen, do what you can to prevent it.

Think about keeping the temperature of your house cooler during winter because the higher the temperature in the house, the dryer the air becomes.  It is recommended the house be kept between 68 and 75 so the air isn't as dry.

One of the first things to do is to keep any moisture you have in the skin.  Our body produces a certain level of natural oils that can be preserved by avoiding long, hot baths, or showers, and cut back on the frequency of showers.  When you do take a bath or shower, use warm, not hot water and pat yourself dry when you are done. The rule of thumb is that if you have red skin when you finish your shower, the water is too hot, so lower the temperature. 

Furthermore, use a body wash since it is less drying in the winter than bar soap. The body wash should be fragrance free, dye free, or for sensitive skin and then read the ingredients looking for things like hyaluronic, ceramides, shea butter, oils, or oats. Finish your routine by moisturizing your damp skin for maximum benefit.

Instead of relying only on the hot air from your heater, use a humidifier to add moisture to the air because your body will absorb it and make it healthier.  The humidifier could be a table top model or something bigger depending on whether you want moisture throughout the house or only in your area but you want to keep the humidity levels between 30 and 50 percent. If you aren't sure of the humidity levels, you can purchase a humidity monitor for not much from Amazon.  Don't be afraid to run it all night to keep the moisture levels up.

Remember the rule about drinking so much water during the day?  That still applies in the winter because you need to hydrate your body from the inside too. Furthermore, be sure to wear sunscreen when you go outside because of the UV rays from the sun.  Since the rays are bouncing off the snow, you are being hit from more angles than if you are on bare land.

When you buy lotion in the winter, make sure it is an oil based one since it is more effective at hydrating skin.  You might even consider using a deep moisturizing treatment at night for your hands and feet.  Put the treatment on and cover with gloves or socks to help keep the moisture in for better results.  

In addition, check your facial cleaner to make sure it contains hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid serum. If your cleanser has glycolic or salicylic acid in it, look at temporarily changing to a more moisturizing cleanser so you don't dry your skin out. Furthermore, check out all skin care products for AHA's or retinal because they can cause skin irritations.  

Remember, with just a bit of work, you'll have wonderful skin all winter long. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.