What does hydrated skin actually feel like? We all want lovely plump, line-free, smooth skin but can you identify the feeling of being truly hydrated? Knowing the answer to this will help you develop hydration within your daily routine.
We've already looked at assessing your own levels of dryness and dehydration so you know that skin in balance has the right amount of water and the right amount of oil. In order to get the right hydration into your daily routine it will help to know what your skin is like when it's fully hydrated.
Signs of fully hydrated skin include:
Products absorb well (but not too well - if you've done 15 skins and your skin is still thirsty then there might be something you're missing).
Makeup goes on smoothly.
There is little to no redness or irritation.
Your skin feels comfortable, soft and smooth.
Skin feel plump and bounces back when poked.
Fine lines are minimised.
The easiest way to test how it feels to achieve a state of hydration is using a sheet mask. If you have any tendency towards dehydration you'll be amazed how much of that gloopy serum your skin can suck up!
Sheet Mask Challenge
Goal: To feel true hydration and treat yourself. Specifics: get a hydrating sheetmask (or get 2 and do your neck at the same time!), or you can make one if you prefer (you can find a recipe that uses products you already have). If you have the kind of skin that's all plump and glowy straight out of the shower or bath try to bathe first and plan to do your mask right away. If your skin tends to be a bit tight or sore out of the bath just do a gentle cleanse first. You'll want to find a comfortable place to sit and chill out. Get comfortable, get that mask on your face and start patting. Pat, Pat, Pat. You basically want to keep gently tapping your face until that sucker is dry! Once the sheet is starting to feel dry go ahead and squeeze every last drop off of goop out of the packet! If you feel you've gone as far as you can go you can save the leftover serum for your routine. But ideally you should be able to get all of the serum into your face even if it takes a while and a lot of tapping! Straightaway you'll want to have a nice rich night cream to seal it in. If you have an oil you like you can do a layer of that as well or mix a few drops into your cream. You may find you need a second layer of cream after a few minutes. LOCK IT IN! Take a photo. Post it here.