By The Complete Guide to Hydrating Your Skin | The Science of Beauty Podcast | Allure
Chang also suggests reevaluating how you shower. She says it’s ideal to limit showers to five to 10 minutes (we know, we know) and to use lukewarm water. (Seriously, we’re really sorry.) Prolonged hot showers can dry out your skin, says Chang, as can soaps and detergents that strip away natural oils.
On the flip side, despite what you’ve read in every celebrity interview ever, drinking water won’t necessarily give you glowing, hydrated skin. “Even though the skin is our largest organ…it is the least vital when it comes to receiving nutrients and water from what we eat and drink,” says Lee. And that’s why, she says, it’s “so critical that you provide skin hydration from the outside.”
Our Hosts’ Favorite Ways to Hydrate
Michelle’s Current Favorites
Boosting hydration is one of the primary goals of both her morning and evening skin-care routines, says Michelle. She’s a fan of AHC Aqualuronic Emulsion, a lightweight, milky moisturizer that helps primes the skin for subsequent steps, as well as Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Hyaluronic Marine Hydration Booster, which is loaded with tried-and-true hyaluronic acid. She also dabbles in the world of snail mucin (which some small studies have shown is similarly hydrating) by way of Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule.
Michelle also loves trying the hydrating sheet masks included in her monthly FaceTory box. “I have a bunch of those in my drawer that I’ll bring out on a Saturday or Sunday,” says Michelle. “On [weekend] mornings, I love to get a really juicy sheet mask going.”
Jenny’s Current Favorites
Jenny, too, has a thing for hyaluronic acid. She likes hers in the form of SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator, which contains five different types. La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum is another favorite. At night, she likes to top her hyaluronic acid serum of choice with a richer formula, like Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Cream or Olay Regenerist Whip Facial Moisturizer.
And when you listen to our episode, you’ll learn Jenny feels very passionately about humidifiers (but her husband, not so much). Her favorite is by Canopy: “My issue with humidifiers is always cleaning them out,” she says. “And this one has a separate compartment that you just fill up with water; it stays super clean.”
The Bottom Line
Between running a humidifier, remembering to turn down the temperature of your shower, and, of course, utilizing a carefully selected combination of products, keeping your skin hydrated can feel like a full-time job. But since hydrated skin is healthy, glowing skin, your dedication certainly won’t go unrewarded.
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