It’s that time of year. The indoor heat is running, humidity is low, the outside air is cold and dry. Without fail, each January my skin starts to feel so dehydrated and I find myself reaching for my favorite all natural hydrating face masks. Many of them do double duty by also exfoliating, which is key for making sure that hydration from the mask and your other skincare really gets in there. And there are so many great ones to choose from! Before we jump in though, let’s talk hydration versus moisturizing when it comes to skincare. I see the terms mixed up often, even sometimes from brands, but understanding the difference and what they each accomplish can help you find the best products for your skin type.
Hydrating vs Moisturizing
Hydra = water, so hydrating products are products that have some water in them (this can even be in the form of things like aloe vera) and are designed to pull water into your skin. They’re great for someone with dehydrated skin from dry indoor air, etc. Any skin type can get dehydrated, even oily skin, so it’s not necessarily just someone with a dry skin type.
Oils and balms are moisturizing but they don’t add water or hydrate your skin. They’re great for people with dry skin, but they also work well to seal in hydration. So if your skin is feeling dehydrated, use the hydrating products first and then seal it in with a nice moisturizer. The easiest way to think about the difference between the two is to imagine a dry sponge. When you add water it soaks it up all throughout and plumps up. If you were to put oil on a dry sponge, it may permeate the top layer a bit and make it feel softer but inside, the sponge is still all dried out. Josh Rosebrook has an excellent blog post on this topic here.
On a side note, if your skin is feeling dehydrated from environmental factors it’s still a good idea to up your water intake, which will always help your skin. A lot of people also swear by sleeping with a humidifier nearby or even bringing travel ones in the car with them on their commute. Especially when the air is just so dry!
Ok, off of my soapbox and on the fun stuff.
Favorite All Natural Hydrating Face Masks
These are all masks that I love for adding in hydration. I use most of these year-round, but really start craving them this time of year, since my skin tends to really get dry with the heat running.
Photo via emmaloo.co
Maya Chia The Refresh Mint Mask– Of course, you all know this is one of my favorite masks, but it really does give such a nice hydration boost. You can even sleep with it on! $68
Photo via emmaloo.co
Leahlani Mermaid Mask– Another mask I just can’t get enough of. This mask does so many things, including hydrating your skin. Plus, you can’t beat the price for a high quality mask. $38
Orgaid Vitamin C Revitalizing Organic Sheet Mask– These sheet masks not only majorly hydrate, but the packaging is recyclable and the sheet mask is biodegradable! $6 each or $22 for 4.
Ursa Major Bright & Easy 3-Minute Flash Mask– You can’t beat this one if you’re short on time! $44
Josh Rosebrook Advanced Hydration Mask– This is hydrating and super moisturizing. A bonus is that you can wipe it off with a dry washcloth to prevent Trans Epidermal Water Loss (basically, a fair amount of hydration can be lost that’s just been delivered to the skin through water rinsing). $38
Native Atlas Zahara Enzyme Mask– Honey draws in hydration and aloe vera and rose water deliver it! The enzymes also work their magic leaving skin super soft. $78
Photo via emmaloo.co
Greenhouse Glow Antioxidant Mask– This is a new love of mine, as it was just released this past fall. This one also doubles down with hydration and moisture. $48
Any of these will deliver some much-needed hydration and get you glowing! Have you tried any of these?
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