Restore Moisture to Dry Skin: 5 Advanced Beauty Methods

I don’t know a single person whose skin does not get drier in the Winter. For some of us this creates the uncomfortable feeling of having skin that is both oily and dry, and for others, the dryness is so intense it can create flaking or a sandpaper texture on the skin.

Remedying dry skin often requires a little ingenuity. Here are some esthetician-created ideas to try that don’t simply rely on applying a thicker cream more often.

1 – Stop masking – even hydrating masks.

Any masks that require water to rinse off are drying, since the water strips the skin barrier pretty aggressively, negating any benefits the mask may have conferred. Hydrating masks that are wipe-off or that are leave-on treatments for overnight are ok.

2 – Apply a thick layer of facial oil to the face before taking a shower.

This protects the skin from the harshness of the heat and water, and also helps to clean the skin, soften pore plugs and restore crucial lipids. Over the course of the shower, the oil will rinse off, but not before helpfully protecting the delicate skin on the face. When you get out of the shower, don’t rinse the face! Just towel dry for perfectly clean, supple skin. Don’t want to waste fancy facial oil? Hemp seed, pumpkin seed, jojoba or grape seed oils are all inexpensive and will totally do the trick.

3 – Use the k-beauty 7 skin method, but alternate between an essence and a moisturizer or oil instead of using an essence for all skins.

If you’re not familiar with the 7 skin method, here’s how it works:

After cleansing, you apply a hydrating mist or toner, and then pat/massage it in. Then you do it again. And again. And keep going – do it anywhere from 3-7 times, so you infuse the skin with hydration 3-7 times. The idea is that at the end of the 7 skins, the skin will be super plump and dewy.

In the winter, I like to do this alternating between an essence (like Hydrating Mineral Gelée) and an oil (Aurum is the perfect winter oil). I apply Aurum, massage. Then HMG, massage. Wait a few seconds. Then Aurum, then HMG, wait, then Aurum, then HMG. I usually do 6 layers (3 HMG, 3 Aurum), but you can start with 4 and see how that feels.

You can try this with Hydrating Mineral Gelée and Soothing Moisture Fluid as well. Just make sure you start with clean skin because any additional products or dirt can really gum up the process and result in skin that feels sticky instead of hydrated. I recommend doing THIS once a week instead of a hydrating mask. Think of this as deep conditioning for your skin.

4 – Make sure you have the right ingredients in your moisturizer.

4a – Look for moisturizers that contain ceramides and sterols in addition to fatty acids like oils. Ingredients like niacinamide and glucosamine help the skin barrier strengthen itself through a variety of mechanisms. For example, niacinamide increases biosynthesis of ceramides and other lipid matrix lipids to help strengthen the skin barrier. Potentci, our Dermal Lifting Hydrating Milk, contains all of these ingredients and more. (If you find that Potentci is too lightweight, don’t skip it – it still will benefit your skin moisture levels greatly – just add another layer on top, like our Soothing Moisture Fluid or Aurum Elixir.)

4b – Avoid using solely oil-free moisturizers or solely moisturizers that are 100% anhydrous, like oils or balms – you need a combo of both water moisture AND oil moisture applied to the skin at the same time for the best hydration.

4c – If you live in a very dry climate, also be aware that humectants in your moisturizers may be pulling water out of your skin if there’s not enough water in the air, so use ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin sparingly.

4d – Don’t discount using silicones, even though they aren’t “green.” Silicones actually create a great breathable barrier that helps prevent trans-epidermal water loss, plus they have good texture and appearance enhancing characteristics, helping to blur and fill fine lines. If you’re definitely anti-silicone, there are some good natural alternatives – our Daily Antioxidant Primer uses a proprietary complex of muru muru butter and bamboo to mimic both the textural and hydrating benefits of silicone PLUS adds in lauric acid (great for managing acneic skin) and antioxidants to boot!

5 – Play with layering.

This is similar to the 7 skin method, but not quite the same. Try layering outside the box, since your skin is unique. Have you always been misting your skin before applying facial oil? Try misting after. Or do you usually apply facial oil after moisturizer? Try applying it before. A simple switch like this in your usual routine might help more than you think with your quest for hydrated, dewy skin – you will be surprised at what a difference the order of application makes.