Hydrating and moisturizing skin care products MUST be in everyone’s skin care routine. Yes, I deliberately emphasized the word “must” here.
If you use skin care with adequate hydrating and moisturizing ingredients, you can say that your skin care routine is 50-60% complete.
Why hydrating and moisturizing skin is so important?
I strongly believe that any skin care has to contain hydrating and moisturizing ingredients regardless of age.
If your skin is dehydrated, it will look older, dull, wrinkly and tired. Dehydrated skin has enlarged pores which never look attractive. I often see girls in their 20s with dehydrated skin.
So, skin hydration and moisture should be your #1 priority when caring for skin at any age, but especially maturing skin. Because, as we get older, lots of good staff diminishes and it is harder for our body to deliver moisture to skin.
Many people use “hydrating” and “moisturizing” terms interchangeable, however, there is a big difference between the two.
Hydrating vs Moisturizing
Hydrating – infusing your cells with water. You achieve hydrating effect by using skin care products that contain tiny water particles that are able to penetrate deep into your skin.
Moisturizing – trapping and locking in the moisture to build your skin’s natural protective barrier. There are many, many types of moisturizing products: occlusive, ceramides, humectants and so on.
I won’t go deeply into each type of moisturizing ingredients (it is not the purpose of this post).
Basically, moisturizing products do the following:
a) Create a breathable barrier on the surface of the skin. This way they prevent water particles from evaporating from the skin (hyaluronic acid is a very good example of such moisturizing ingredient).
AND
b) Sooth and soften outer layer of the skin (ceramides and occlusive provide that).
Do You Have To Use Skin Care Products with Both Ingredients?
Yes, you do. Especially for mature and aging skin.
You cannot just give one ingredient to your skin without given another; it is just not enough.
Putting moisturizing products on your skin will make your skin feel soft, however, it will lack that glowing, bouncy feeling. Hydrated skin looks plumped and healthy.
Not protecting outer layer of the otherwise hydrated skin will cause water to escape; skin that lacks moisture turns out dry, flaky and dull.
I incorporate hydrating and moisturizing skin care products at each level of my skin care routine: cleansing, toner, essence/serum/ampoule, moisturizer (and/or day-night cream), eye care and sunscreen.
My new love, true skin care gem that I currently use is the Korean company Medi-Peel.
Skin Care Routine – With Products
Cleansing
You always have to start your skin care routine with cleansing.
I suggest using just warm water in the morning – just to remove residue from night skin care products and excessive oil.
In the evening I suggest using double cleansing method to remove dirt, dust and other environmental pollution from your skin.
Coxir Ultra Hyaluronic Cleansing Oil
Fresh and moisturizing cleansing oil removes dirt, dust and other skin impurities.
It contains hyaluronic acid, camellia oil, rose hip oil, canola oil and aloe vera extract. It also contains various plan extracts such as tea tree, camellia, acerola, euterpe Oleracea, blueberry, grape, sweet cherry extracts etc.
It is free of parabens, silicones, and has not been tested on animals.
COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
This is my favorite cleanser. It is very mild and does not strip away outer protective skin barrier.
Toner
Medi-Peel, Aqua Essence Peptide 9 Toner
- It is good for all skin types, ideal for dehydrated skin.
- It contains 9 types of Peptide, 4 types of Hyaluronic Acid leaving skin plump and luminous. Patent Time Code Collagen helps combat pre-mature aging signs for uniform skin texture.
It is basically 2 in 1 product: you can use it as both a toner and an essence. However, if you are at the beginning of your skin care journey and feel that you have dry/dehydrated skin, I suggest you follow this toner/essence with the product below.
Hydrating and Moisturizing Essence
This essence also has an enormous amount of anti-aging ingredients. This essence has a very unusual consistency: once you apply it, it starts producing bubbles on the surface of your skin. Let bubbles develop for about 20-30 seconds and then pat the essence into your skin with fingers.
Medi-Peel Peptide 9 Volume Essence 100ml | Anti Wrinkles Collagen Formula
Contains 9 different peptides that help with elasticity and soothing of the skin and Hyaluronic Acid replenishes moisture.
Emulsion
Emulsion is a very light form of moisturizer. I love using emulsions during summer time.
However, I do use emulsions during winter as another layer that provides hydration and moisture in that dry “furnace” season.
Medi-Peel Peptide 9 Essence Emulsion
This concentrated, readily absorbing emulsion deeply hydrates skin without giving you that yucky sticky feeling.
As you can see it is from the same Aqua Essence Peptide 9 line. It contains 9 peptides that are crucial in slowing down skin aging.
Hydrating Cream
Very light cream that won’t make your skin feel sticky and overloaded. I really like it for summer or when I feel that my skin is hydrated enough. I use it for maintenance.
A moisturizing cream delivers intense hydration to the skin and keeps the skin refreshing. Features 56 Hyaluronic Acid watery capsules that moisturizes the skin and helps enhance skin elasticity. Consists of Astaxanthin that enriches in Antioxidants and helps brighten up the skin tone.
Eye Patches
If eye patches are not a part of your daily skin care routine, then you should definitely consider it.
I cannot imagine my routine without them. Sometimes I buy transparent eye patches, put them on and drive to work like that lol (it takes me about 30 minutes to get to work, which is more than enough time for patches).
MEDI PEEL Hyaluron Aqua Peptide9 Ampoule Eye Patch
Intensively moisturizing hydra-gel eye mask provides optimum hydrating, nutrients and revitalizing for delicate and sensitive eye area.
Sheet Masks
Sheet masks should be in your skin care routine on a regular basis. I use them 4-5 times a week. When I get lazy and stop using them, I do see a huge difference in my skin in about 3 weeks. And it takes long time (about 2 months) of consistent intensive skin care to return my skin’s hydration to a satisfactory level.
To learn more about sheet masks, please, read this post HERE.
One of my favorite hydrating sheets masks is Dr. Jart+ Vital Hydra Solution Sheet Mask
This is a cellulose sheet mask that deeply hydrates and replenishes skin’s moisture levels.
Hydrafacial is better than Medipeel ? or both are beneficial for all skin types.
They are both beneficial. I usually use one, then another
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