How to Hydrate Skin

Exfoliate your skin., Use a hydrating face mask., Moisturise., Concentrate on the driest areas., Use less make up!, Use very light, good quality mineral make up., Hydrate from the inside out.

8 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Exfoliate your skin.

    This will eliminate any lingering dead skin cells and reduce flakiness.

    Facial scrubs and exfoliating washes are good, but if your skin is already dry these can often contain chemicals that are designed for more oily skin and will make your dryness worse.

    Look for scrubs aimed at dry skin, or use an exfoliating glove, or even just a towel.
  2. Step 2: Use a hydrating face mask.

    This will give your skin a boost of deep-down hydration.

    Look for masks that are not oil-based, as they may clog your pores and give you spots or blackheads.

    Masks with 'non-comedogenic' (will not clog pores) on the label are ideal. , You should have two different moisturisers
    - a 'day' and a 'night'.

    Your 'day' moisturiser should be lighter and used to prep your skin for even make up coverage
    - if it is too heavy skin may look shiny and feel oily.

    Your 'night' moisturiser should be much heavier and penetrate deeper into the skin to obtain long-term hydration.

    When choosing your moisturiser make sure that it is not oil-based and is very gentle on skin with no perfume or colour
    - some have quite harsh or soapy ingredients that may irritate sensitive skin.

    Often the best moisturisers are the simplest and cheapest
    - try aqueous cream from your chemist. , If you have particular areas of dryness or irritation, use a small amount of oil-based ointment or cream purchased from your chemist, such as hydrocortisone cream.

    These products should be used sparingly as too much will clog pores and produce blemishes. , It may sound counter-productive in covering up unsightly dry patches, but make up is bad for your skin and will make any skin problems worse.

    DO NOT APPLY FOUNDATION TO DRY PATCHES.

    This will turn orange or flaky and make the patches look much more noticeable, as well as prolonging the length of time you have to put up with them or even making them worse.

    Better to have bare dry patches for a few days than conspicuous orange bits for weeks. , Liquid make up sticks more prominently to dry patches and looks much more uneven than mineral make up, but the mineral make up you use must be good quality, as cheap stuff contains harsh and drying chemicals that will make your skin worse.

    Invest in some good quality, light powder which will even your complexion.

    ALWAYS use moisturiser before applying make up. , Ensure you drink plenty of water each day
    - around two litres should do it
    - to clear spots and hydrate skin.

    Bad skin quality can also be caused by a poor diet and lack of vitamins, so make sure you eat plenty of fruit, protein (especially if you are vegetarian), and get enough exercise.

    I'm sure you've had this preached to you thousand of times before but trust me, it works!
  3. Step 3: Moisturise.

  4. Step 4: Concentrate on the driest areas.

  5. Step 5: Use less make up!

  6. Step 6: Use very light

  7. Step 7: good quality mineral make up.

  8. Step 8: Hydrate from the inside out.

Detailed Guide

This will eliminate any lingering dead skin cells and reduce flakiness.

Facial scrubs and exfoliating washes are good, but if your skin is already dry these can often contain chemicals that are designed for more oily skin and will make your dryness worse.

Look for scrubs aimed at dry skin, or use an exfoliating glove, or even just a towel.

This will give your skin a boost of deep-down hydration.

Look for masks that are not oil-based, as they may clog your pores and give you spots or blackheads.

Masks with 'non-comedogenic' (will not clog pores) on the label are ideal. , You should have two different moisturisers
- a 'day' and a 'night'.

Your 'day' moisturiser should be lighter and used to prep your skin for even make up coverage
- if it is too heavy skin may look shiny and feel oily.

Your 'night' moisturiser should be much heavier and penetrate deeper into the skin to obtain long-term hydration.

When choosing your moisturiser make sure that it is not oil-based and is very gentle on skin with no perfume or colour
- some have quite harsh or soapy ingredients that may irritate sensitive skin.

Often the best moisturisers are the simplest and cheapest
- try aqueous cream from your chemist. , If you have particular areas of dryness or irritation, use a small amount of oil-based ointment or cream purchased from your chemist, such as hydrocortisone cream.

These products should be used sparingly as too much will clog pores and produce blemishes. , It may sound counter-productive in covering up unsightly dry patches, but make up is bad for your skin and will make any skin problems worse.

DO NOT APPLY FOUNDATION TO DRY PATCHES.

This will turn orange or flaky and make the patches look much more noticeable, as well as prolonging the length of time you have to put up with them or even making them worse.

Better to have bare dry patches for a few days than conspicuous orange bits for weeks. , Liquid make up sticks more prominently to dry patches and looks much more uneven than mineral make up, but the mineral make up you use must be good quality, as cheap stuff contains harsh and drying chemicals that will make your skin worse.

Invest in some good quality, light powder which will even your complexion.

ALWAYS use moisturiser before applying make up. , Ensure you drink plenty of water each day
- around two litres should do it
- to clear spots and hydrate skin.

Bad skin quality can also be caused by a poor diet and lack of vitamins, so make sure you eat plenty of fruit, protein (especially if you are vegetarian), and get enough exercise.

I'm sure you've had this preached to you thousand of times before but trust me, it works!

About the Author

J

Jordan Ortiz

With a background in education and learning, Jordan Ortiz brings 3 years of hands-on experience to every article. Jordan believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.

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