Skin Hydration – A Key to Younger Looking Skin

Dear readers,

Since I am already in my mid 20s (let’s not be specific), I have been obsessed in staying young!  I can feel many changes since I was 18, and mind you, the earlier you start in taking care of your body, the better.  I’m talking not only about the food you eat, the lifestyle you live, but also that one protective layer of skin that covers your body.

For me, the number one factor in keeping your skin soft and supple is not to dry it!

On my first date ever, I was so conscious of my hands… What if he touches my hand? it felt so rough at that time!  I felt like an old witch and not Snow White!  Then and there, I know I had to keep on paying attention to my skin!  I buy lotions left and right, but the trickier part is the skin on my face!

It’s so sensitive that I can’t just put on anything.  My main problem is that I have a combination skin.  I am very oily on my T-zone especially when I think a lot.  When I work or when I studied for my board exams before.   But outside that, my skin felt so dry…

meeeh…

Women, as a rule will desire soft and smooth skin yet in between facials this is a little difficult to achieve. Keeping skin hydrated is very important as it gives you smooth and supple skin. After all, healthy-looking skin is made up of high percentage of water. Without adequate hydration, your skin will look stressed-out, showing unwanted signs such as excessive shine, fine lines and lack of radiance.

What makes facial skin rough?

The lack of water makes the skin rough and sets the stage for fine lines and wrinkles. But what most people don’t know is that oil and water are two different things when it comes to skin care. We use oil-based moisturizers that only add excess oil to the surface of our skin. What you really need for hydration is to increase the water content in your skin. Water easily evaporates and dries out the skin, leaving it sallow and lifeless. Soft dewy and supple skin is ideal, but how do we get it? First we need to understand why the skin gets rough and what we do on a daily basis to contribute with loss of hydration from our skin.

  1. In the morning, rushing out without sun block will contribute to all sorts of short and long- term skin problems. The sun is the primary cause of premature aging and exposure to the sun contributes to fine lines and dehydrated skin.
  2. Your daily dose of caffeine sucks moisture out of your skin.
  3. Aircon dehydrates your skin. Spending long periods of time in an air-conditioned room or environment dries out and stresses your delicate facial skin.
  4. Stress, overwork and sleep deprivation causes the skin to be unbalanced. The result is dry, dull and dehydrated skin.
  5. Drink lots of water. Juices and teas are not substitutes for water. Take water to replenish water loss from your skin and your system. Remember that water is the key to hydration.

The solution:

The solution can be summed up in one word, WATER! Oil and water are two essential elements to make your skin soft, smooth and supple. Yet, most women shy away from moisturizers because it makes their skin oily. True, most moisturizers contain oil that adds even more oil to your face, which you are trying to lessen in the first place. Again, the answer is water! Dehydrated skin is dry, sallow and lifeless because it lacks water. Water will add plum, glow and radiance to the skin’s overall appearance and make it softer, smoother and more supple. Ideal skin is hydrated skin.

Hydro Boost!

Neutrogena recently came out with a product that would solve this, and I had to test it myself!

I tested this on my left hand… leaving my right hand as is…  It’s usually for the face, but I don’t have fine wrinkles yet 😛 so my hand is perfect for this…

and this is the result

 

*I put the contrast on higher settings just so that you can see better…

I wish you could touch my hand too so that you can feel the difference 😛

Anyway, it feels great that my left hand feels more moisturized without feeling oily.

 

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Mousse Cleanser

Cleanses and balances the skin’s moisture level. The rich lather foams away impurities, while a

special hydrating agent restores skin’s natural moisture balance. For day and night use.

150ml / P445.50

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Clear Lotion (Toner)

Immediately tones and refines skin without causing tightness. It gives a shower of fresh hydration for a dewy complexion. Use after cleansing, for day and night. 150ml/P458.00

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel

Its purified Hyaluronic Acid and Olive Extract continuously release moisture to the skin’s surface while boosting skin cell’s ability to retain water. For day and night use after clear lotion or essence. 50 g/P 830.00

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Essence

Intensely moisturizing and deeply revitalizing, this rich essence has powerful hydration properties to keep skin plump, bouncy and supple. For day and night use, for intense hydration. After using the clear lotion, and before using the water gel, massage evenly to the face. 30 ml/ P999.00

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Mask

Boosts skin’s moisture level 14 times. It is made with smart-fit fabric with 14,000 micro-holes to deeply infuse 25% more hydrating essence. Use as needed, at least once a week for deep and immediate hydration results. May also be used in the evening after cleansing and toning. Apply the mask and leave on for 15 minutes. Remove the mask and massage the remaining essence into your facial and neck area. Do not rinse, sleep with the essence. No need to apply water gel after using the mask. 1 pc/P198.00

 

GIVE-AWAY!

Neutrogena Hydro Boost give away

Another good news guys!  Neutrogena is sponsoring this contest and I am giving away one Hydroboost kit for one lucky reader so that you too can try the power of hydro boost!

Simply answer the question:  How do you keep yourself young?

Be creative!

 

Guidelines:

1. Answer in the comment question below.

2. Make sure you leave your valid email address in the comment section below. (Your email won’t be visible to others)

3. Only open to Metro Manila residents.

4. Contest ends on Wednesday, June 15, 2011 (11:59pm)

5. Winner is announced on June 16

6. Don’t forget to add me on Facebook and Twitter!

http://facebook.com/flaircandy

http://twitter.com/flaircandy

good luck and happy day to everyone!

 

UPDATE:

We have a winner!

Congratulations Indi for winning your own set of Neutrogena Hydroboost kit. I will email you privately on how you’d get the prize.

Thanks to all who joined.. just a simple reminder to everyone to love and take care of yourselves yah? Stay pretty inside and out! Keep smiling and stay happy! 🙂 <3

 

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25 comments

  1. I keep myself young by smiling a lot, thinking of happy thoughts and walking everyday (going to school and back to my dorm) and skip using elevator or escalator 🙂

  2. i keep myself young by always taking time out from work to play! whether it’s running around the garden with my two dogs, going on the swings/playground with the preschoolers i teach, attending a yoga class, or even just on my own with my hula-hoops, iPad or other games I like to enjoy,i make sure to have a time out from the daily grind by playing and having fun. this keeps me young and brings out the inner child in me 🙂 and to keep myself looking young i make sure to drink lots and lots of water all throughout the day 🙂

  3. Hey hannah, I love reading your articles… ( not to mention how I envy you for becoming so popular )
    Anyhoe, how do I keep myself young?
    I have a regimen for my face. That is, wash , exfoliate and moisturize. I drink lots of water .. Stay out of the sun. ( If I had to be exposed, I make sure to put on sunblock ) I take vitamin E and Vit C together coz those are great anti-oxidants. and they work perfectly together.. Ü thats it! and I sleep right! Ü

  4. I keep myself young by staying away from vices (drinking alcoholic drinks and smoking), dancing and entertaining positive thoughts. 😀 Drinking at least eight glasses of water and maintaining eight hours of sleep helps too!

  5. I keep myself young with two things: First, I make sure to have fun in everything that I do. The happiness really makes a difference! And second, I keep myself inquisitive. A continuous search for knowledge keeps one young. 🙂

    Of course there’s also my daily cleansing and moisturizing routine, but of course I’m looking that Neutrogena package to improve it.. 😉

  6. I keep myself young by surrounding myself with the people i love. For me, that is what keeps me up in the morning with the smile on my face until i go to bed. Nothing beats smiling as the fountain of youth.

    Oh, on the side, I’ve been trying lots of sports like basketball, volleyball, running and soccer. Recently I’m also enjoying learning to pole dance / pole fitness in order to keep me in shape. 🙂 Plus lots of water to hydrate my body 🙂

  7. Somehow I knew that I would age gracefully and was never really a fan of beauty regimens. I have always thought that I have found my fountain of youth in the job I have had for more than a decade. I suppose staying young is just really a state of mind, but I also realized that you could never go wrong if you give a little push by cleansing, moisturizing and protecting your skin.

    Show some skin love…Keeping it clean, moisturized and protected from the harmful rays of the sun, plus a bunch of happy thoughts can do wonders for the skin–remember it’s the only thing we’ve got.

  8. I keep myself looking young by sleeping a lot whenever I can. I eat less junk and eat more healthy food, like red rice and seafood. I drink 2 glasses of water every meal to lessen food intake. I use regular germicidal soap that dries the skin gradually to make it almost invisibly peel, rather than use strong astringents that results into very visible, drastic peeling. Then I apply moisturizer with cooling essence. I avoid to much direct sunlight especially in the afternoon.

  9. I guess it helps that you really get 8 hours of sleep (lucky for me cause I am masandal tulog person!!). I know that the sun can age you a lot so I make sure that I always apply a sunblock. I also take vitamins A,C and E religiously. I also moisturize my skin day and night. I make sure that my haircut does not add age to my look, and that my brows are not super thick (because it makes me look older).

  10. I keep my self young by not stressing my self too much.. I now pick my battles whatever I cannot change, I just accept and simply move on… I always think happy thoughts.. I did’nt smoke and hardly drinks nowadays….I sleep early and eat more fruits and veggies.. I practice simple living, drinking tons of water and keeping myself fit thru running..

  11. I drink water on an empty stomach first thing in the morning for water therapy/cleansing, use argan oil on my face as anti-aging solution, use organic products and eat a lot of vegetables. I do this as compensation because my daily schedule is rarely stress-free and because of that I sometimes lack sleep.

  12. To easily remember how to stay young, I apply N.E.U.T.R.O.G.E.NA:
    N – Neutrogena Cleanser, Toner and Moisturizer. Always keep a trusted brand on my beauty routine and my skin will definitely get the pampering it deserves
    E – Eat healthy food and drink lots of fluid to keep my skin rehydrated
    U – Unclutter the unnecessary stuff in my life
    T – Take time in spending “me” time for reflection and to simply spend time for pampering myself
    R – Run. This is the cheapest way of getting my daily dose of exercise to keep my body toned
    O – Offer everything to God whether good or bad. Just leave everything to His will
    G – Get better. Whenever I face challenges in life, I remember that instead of getting Bitter..I should get Better.
    E – Experiment. Try new experiences and adventure in life.
    N – No to vices like excessive alcohol drinking and smoking. Based on scientific facts, these can cause skin dehydration
    A – Always keep a positive outlook In life

    That’s how I keep myself young.. =)

  13. im 22 years old, but they say i look much younger than my age,preferrably 3-4 years younger. i think my secret to stay younger is to feel happy always, like stay away of stressful place and go to what makes me really happy. in that case, i always feel better inside and happier. Knowing that we always encounter problems, we cant avoid about it but to make sense of feeling younger, i always look to its brighter side, so that means it makes me much less stressful, dont be so look problematic that can make your nerves burst out . Always smile and cheer, thats the key to younger looking. Love water and eat more natural foods…

  14. Optimism. Positive and happy thoughts make us young. Smile and laughter is the key to keep away from wrinkles. 🙂

  15. I keep myself young by drinking plenty of water, laughing like a child with my 8-month-old son Johan and always, always keeping a positive outlook in life.

  16. I keep myself young by having a happy disposition, being conscious about my thoughts most of the day (by trying real hard to have positive ones), smiling as often as i can (sometimes, even at strangers), laughing out loud at least once a week and keeping in mind that age is just a number!…turning 38 real soon! :))

  17. Contest is over! Thank you everyone for joining! 🙂 I am so happy that a lot of you guys do take care of yourselves 🙂 It is very important to take care of yourself first and love yourself, before you can give love to others *NAKS* cliche yes.. but true… so to all of you guys, you deserve all the love .. you owe it to yourself 🙂

    Will announce the winner shortly! wee!

  18. I keep myself young by taking care of my mind, body, and soul. I read a lot to keep my mind sharp and more knowledgeable. I follow my beauty regimen to a T, always eat the right food, and drink lots of water. I also don’t smoke and seldom drink. Plus, I have a positive outlook in life and thus tend to worry less. Those reasons make me look young even though I’m already in my mid 30’s.

  19. Being a software engineer I live in the fast-paced world of Manila and have a busy lifestyle. I am easily preyed by a lot stress-inducing elements like pollution, traffic and piled-up workload. I manage to stay young and always feeling refreshed and vibrant by getting enough rest (and naps!) to keep me energized. I make sure that I still have time to unwind and spend time my family and friends. Lastly, nothing really beats the best anti-aging medicine I take everyday, a good hearty laugh.

  20. I keep myself young by taking on a positive outlook in life. It’s true what our grandmothers used to say, that beauty and youth can be best seen from within. I sincerely and wholeheartedly believe in that, simply because of the dynamic and dramatically life-changing secret that has been around for centuries: what you think is what you become.

    My friends and the people I meet often ask me how I manage to look a lot younger than my age. I am nearing the mid-20s (Please don’t ask me my age!haha!) but I look a few years back. All I can say is that if you shrug your shoulders at each problem thrown your way, most likely you’ll find the best solution much faster and easier than if you spend hours and days worrying about it. And that’s how I keep myself from speeding up the aging process of my body. I just think that every problem I encounter is an opportunity to grow and make myself even better.

    Stress is only as bad as you perceive it to be. Problems are only as severe as how you see them. I look on the bright side every time, and trust me, there is a brighter side to even the gravest of situations. You just have to relax, pray, and look at the problems as if they are not your own, and when you get used to it, life is just one big party.

    Sorry if I bothered you. I just have a lot of free time right now. 🙂 Have a nice day everyone!

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