Normally the first post of any new Unit I'll post the Unit Topics and give you an idea of what the Unit will cover. But before we get to the Hows and Whys of Hydration let's talk about about ASSESSMENT.|
ASSESSMENT is a concept I will return to over and over again. Basically I'm talking about looking at your skin. If you want great skin you need to get to know your face. You need to know how it behaves, how to tell when it's happy and when it's not. You need to know what causes issues and reactions. Soon you'll start to see warning signs that can tip you off before things get out of control and then you can respond more quickly and with proven solutions. I wish I had a bible of how to assess your skin, but I don't. It's really just about looking. I can give you clues and categories that can help you know what to look for but it really comes down to taking the time to look.
DEHYDRATION AND DRYNESS.
Your skin is dull, tight, itchy. It just doesn't feel right. What the heck is going on? The season is changing, it's that time of the month, you drank an extra glass of wine last night... Is that it? Or is it something you're doing? Good questions. To answer you'll need to know if your skin is dry or oily, dehydrated, both or neither.
💬💬💬Before you continue with the Assessment take a guess: Do you think your skin is dry/dehydrated, both or neither?
You may already know that DRY skin describes skin that is lacking oil and DEHYDRATED skin is lacking moisture. For your first ASSESSMENT I want you to look at your skin and figure out if it's dry/oily, dehydrated, both or neither. I'll add some 💬💬💬 and you can start to think about where you fit in.
🐫🐫DRYNESS 🐫🐫 If your skin is dry it's lacking the oil to remain supple and conditioned. If it's oily there's a good chance it's because it's not getting enough oil to keep itself protected. Dry skin can be both tough (from extra layers of cells building up) and easily damaged (because its likely to crack). If your skin is oily, well, it's oily. Probably. It may actually be dry. More on that later. Oil level is determined by your genetics. So if you're dry then that's your skin-type. This is important: If you're dry you can treat it but maybe not *cure* it.
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR SKIN IS DRY:
Examine your skin when you get out of the bath or shower - If your skin is had a grey tone, cracks easily, or is angry when you get out of the shower or bath (ie, it's at it's worst right afterwards) or, right after cleansing, these might be signs of dryness. Actual dryness (to the touch) and flaking are also signs. So is oiliness.
💬💬💬 What's your assessment of your skin's oil levels?
🐳🐳 DEHYDRATION 🐳🐳 Hydrated skin is plump, even-toned and easily absorbs product. Dehydrated skin is prone to fine lines and redness (especially if it comes and goes). If your skin is happiest when you first get out of the shower but that feeling quickly goes away it means your skin wants hydration but is losing the moisture. You need to lock it in.
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR SKIN IS DEHYDRATED:
Examine your skin right after a bath or shower (or cleansing). If this is when your skin is happiest but that feeling quickly goes away it's a sign of dehydration. It means your skin craves the hydration it gets from bathing but is losing the moisture afterwards. Hydration needs to be locked in.
💬💬💬What's your assessment of your skin's moisture levels?
⚖️⚖️BALANCE⚖️⚖️ Lock in your hydration with oils or emulsions (some creams, but not all of them) and you'll find yourself moving into a state of balance. The oils prevent the water from evaporating out of the skin. Hydration can come from shower or tap water (if the water isn't too hard where you're at), hydrating spritzes, Rosewater or other hydrators. Glycerine and hyaluronic acid help to hold water within the face but can in fact contribute to water loss if you live in very dry conditions.
DRINKING LOTS OF WATER
It's great to drink loads of water, buy your skin won't really be visibly impacted from water that you drink. Your body will prioritise that water for organs and vital functions. I'm not saying don't drink water, just don't expect it to be enough.