Hydration lock down….

I imagine most of you reading this are sat at home, in lounge wear, dragging out that hair wash for another couple of days because, lets face it, nobody bar your immediate family is going to see you for the foreseeable future, and debating how early is too early to crack out the gin or take an afternoon nap (depending on whether you are self isolating with or without children in tow!)

Being a blended family we fall into both of the above camps and are currently mid a child free weekend where we have both embraced that extra time to indulge in a little self preservation in various forms. Chocolate has featured heavily, as has exercise, Netflix, baths and Baileys – it’s all about balance!

However it occurred to me this morning that while we are not going to be seeing friends or family in person for some time, the person we are going to be seeing most of is ourselves, staring back in the mirror each morning, and we need to nurture and look after that face now more than ever.

‘…the person we are going to be seeing most of is ourselves’

How we perceive ourselves first thing in the morning can set up our mindset for the rest of the day and there are little tweaks we can do in the form of skincare to inject a bit of glow and bounce back into our skin to combat the days inside (and the increased snack consumption which appears to have skyrocketed in our house!)

The key here is hydration. Our skin isn’t used to being indoors so much, even if you work in an office 5 days a week there will be lunch breaks and walks either end of the day, even just to a car park, which are giving your skin an injection of fresh air and moisture, that being in a warm home won’t do. Even if you have typically thought of your skin type as oily/combination it will be craving extra hydration right now, and rather than adding to any oiliness, any moisture you add via skincare will help balance your skin back to a healthy glow.

‘…any moisture you add via skincare will help balance your skin back to a healthy glow.’

The speediest way to add in some extra hydration, at a time when you may be juggling home school plus a million other hats, are through serums containing hyaluronic acid, layered under your moisturiser in the morning, they will cling on to any other hydrators you layer on top and lock down that plumpness in the skin throughout the day. Some favourites of mine are Vichy’s Aqualia Thermal Rehydrating Serum, the equivalent of throwing a aglass of water at your face and Volition’s Snow Mushroom Water Serum – the lightest texture which sinks in instantly but perks skin up immensely. I couldn’t not mention the ultimate budget hydrating serum which performs just as well as some of its more expensive counter parts, and has frequently been sold out thanks to the Sali Hughes effect, Superdrugs Simply Pure Hydrating Serum, the best £2.99 for a whopping 50 ml you will ever spend on your skin!

Instant hydration in the form of a toning mist spritzed throughout the day is another way of boosting moisture levels, choose one with essential oils in and your mind gets a bit of a lift too. Favourites here include Ubiety’s Cooling Facial Mist, Neal’s Yard’s Frankincense Hydrating Facial Mist and the cult classic Beauty Elixir from Caudalie . Keep in the fridge for a refreshing mid day and mid afternoon treat to perk up senses and skin.

‘….choose one with essential oils in and your mind gets a bit of a lift too’

And for ultimate locked in moisture, use a hydrating moisturiser at night and lock it down with a face oil to seal in the active ingredients. The market is saturated with facial oils at all price points but for this purpose of sealing in hydrators, a decent Rosehip or Argan oil will do just as good a job as a fancier, more expensive version. Brands such as The Ordinary and The Inky List all do reasonably priced versions at a time when spare cash for skincare may be limited. I personally love Superfacialist’s Rose Hydrate Miracle Makeover Facial Oil, a brand that can do no wrong in my eyes for their high quality but affordable range that delivers on results. Press a few drops of this hydrating oil into skin last thing at night and you’ll see the glowing difference in the morning.

It goes without saying that drinking more water will benefit skin massively too – maybe keep a jug in the fridge and when you reach for the facial spritz pour a glass at the same time. Gin or your preferred spirit optional……