I didn’t start taking my skincare seriously until I was like 26/27. Maybe even a little later than that. But now that I’m in my 30s, I cannot believe how much attention my skin is needing in the winter. I’ve always had some dry patches here and there, but over the last month my skin has been PAINFULLY dry. I was actually so nervous about it because it was so new to me – so I booked a dermatologist appointment. She was very much like “your skin is just super dry”. I wish there was some magic thing to help, but I’m still going through this journey. I decided to share what I’ve been doing and how I’m seeing some results to keeping my skin hydrated. Tips On Keeping Your Skin Hydrated In The Winter I really had to think about things other than just a “great skincare routine” when it came to keeping my skin hydrated. I think I was really caught up in this because my skin was dull. It was SO itchy and started reacting to almost every product I put on. Oh AND I started noticing more fine lines. After doing some research, here’s what I’ve been doing to keep my skin hydrated. Drink More Water Hydration and water go hand in hand. And that seems to be the thing I forget the most. Our skin NEEDS water to give it strength, elasticity, and that healthy appearance we all strive for. Drinking water doesn’t necessarily hydrate your skin BUT obviously it’s important. It helps the body’s overall processes to support general health. Duh. We all learned this in school at some point, right? To be honest, I don’t drink a lot of water. And I know that’s horrible. I’ve tried everything – I LOVE water, but I just find myself too lazy to drink it. But now that I’m getting older, I definitely notice it – whether it’s duller skin or a massive headache. So yeah, I need to be better about this – I did pick this water bottle with a filter so that I can ALWAYS access water, even if it’s tap. Get A Humidifier Obviously in the winter, you can’t really escape the cold. And it’s generally just so dry in the winter. I started researching, and found that humidifiers can help. I didn’t even think of this when it came to my skin. I just assumed my apartment wasn’t dry? Anyway, I bought these two little humidifiers on Amazon – one for my desk when I’m WFH and one for my nightstand . Skip The Scalding Hot Shower I’m the girl that takes a 150 degree shower. It just feels so damn good. And then I get out and my skin is splotchy and itchy. And obviously dry as hell. So I’m learning to skip the absolute burning part of my nighttime routine, and keeping my showers to a lukewarm temperature. I also have been starting to apply a body serum/moisturizer ( I love this one from Iota Body ) immediately after showering. Look At Your Diet I didn’t want to have to go this far into my research, but just throwing moisturizer on wasn’t cutting it. Foods like nuts, seeds, avocados, and oily fish can have a great effect on the overall hydration of your skin. *Adds omega supplement to cart* Foods with vitamins A, C, and D help maintain a healthy skin barrier to lock in moisture. Obviously processed & sugary things DO. NOT. HELP. Know Your Products Did you know there’s a difference between moisturizing and hydrating?! Because I didn’t. Moisturizing is when you’re using products to seal in moisture of your skin cells. Think hyaluronic acid, ceramides, shea butter, and petroleum jelly. These ingredients help repair your skin’s barrier and prevent water loss. But when it comes to keeping your skin hydrated, you need to go beneath your skin’s barrier. Hydration is what “plumps” your skin cells up. A few weeks ago, I woke up and my skin was SO tight, itchy, and blotchy. It almost felt like I had a sunburn on my face. I knew this wasn’t a good sign, so I immediately went to do my skincare routine. And my skin IMMEDIATELY started reacting to every product. There was no smooth or healthy glow. When I googled if dry skin causes increased redness, I found out it does. So by keeping your skin hydrated, you’ll make any inflammation go down (unless you have something else going on, of course!!). After I made a dermatologist appointment, I learned that there are definitely products I’ve been using that are causing dehydration in my skin. As much moisturizer as I’ve used, overusing ingredients like AHAs and retinols/retinoids are always going to cause that dehydration. I’ve completely stopped using them over the last few weeks, but now I’m starting to learn how to find that perfect balance because I do really love the wonders that some acids and retinols do for my skin. Hyaluronic acid is the big ingredient that we all know about. A good hyaluronic acid has amazing hydrating capabilities (I think I saw a stat that it can hold up to ONE THOUSAND TIMES its own weight in water????). While my derm recommended this, she also mentioned glycerin (described it as a “natural” moisturizer), ceramides and niacinamide. So now I’m on the hunt for products with these ingredients to help keep my skin hydrated. And the last product I’ve been using is Squalane – I mix a couple of drops in with my moisturizer and learned that it helps LOCK moisture into your skin rather than letting it evaporate on top of the skin. Here’s what I’ve been using to keep my skin hydrated post-dermatologist appointment: Gentle cleanse with this from Youth To The People Tower28 SOS Mist CeraVe Alcohol-Free Toner Snail Mucin Essence (while toner/mist are still damp) Barrier Support Serum La Roche Posay Double Repair Moisturizer Add 2-3 drops of face oil or Squalane Love hearing any recommendations you might have on how to keep your skin hydrated in the winter – leave a comment below!

I’m always surprised when people tell me I have good skin. Who knew that by taking a few simple steps your skin could be great. I’ll preface this by saying two things: I really only got into skincare this year, and I can’t take credit for it. Linda forced me to start getting into a routine. I’ve never really had terrible skin. I’d get a few pimples here and there, but nothing major. Trust me, I know I’m lucky. Like I mentioned above, I started really caring about my skin this year after Linda pretty much yelled at me for not already having one. Now, I’m pretty interested in skincare: whether it’s trying out new products or just looking forward to doing my routine. I know not everyone is super into skincare, but it’s definitely important and just something we have to do. I wanted to share my skincare routine today, and talk a little more in depth about the products I use on a daily basis. Just as a note, I have pretty normal skin; sometimes I’ll go through phases of an oily chin or super dry forehead and cheeks. Nighttime Skincare Routine I start my routine by washing my face using Fresh Soy Face Cleanser . I like this cleanser because it’s super lightweight, doesn’t have a strong scent, and really gentle on my skin. 2-3 times a week I will exfoliate with Fresh Umbrian Clay Purifying Mask . If I’m being honest, this is a super intense product. I’m always really careful when I’m exfoliating because I don’t want to irritate my skin. I definitely notice a difference between my skin after exfoliating — way smoother! After I cleanse and exfoliate, I use my Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner. My sister actually introduced me to this product, and once I started using consistently, I fell in love! It’s not thick or greasy, and it’s super hydrating…something that’s super important to me. Okay now my face is all prepped and ready for phase two of my skincare routine. LOL Next, I use my Fresh Black Tea Kombucha Facial Essence . This is a new-er to me product, once again because Linda told me I needed one ( see her post on it here ). I’m still not 100% sold on it, but apparently the benefits of an essence are amazing. It’s a little thicker than water, and while it feels oily to me on my hands, it doesn’t feel oily on my skin. It’s super hydrating so far! Okay, now we’re onto a product that finally isn’t Fresh (I do really just love their products). I alternate between IOPE Live Lift and Tula’s Illuminating Face serum . Both of them have a nice texture, and go on really nicely after using my essence. I recently heard Vitamin C is really good for the skin, so I also picked up Olehenriksen’s Truth Serum . Just for good measure, ya know? Oh. You thought I was done? Nope. Not yet. Next up: IOPE Super Vital Eye Cream. In the past, I’ve used eye gels, but I’m LOVING IOPE’s eye cream. It’s pretty thick for an eye gel, but I love that you don’t have to use a ton. And finalllllllly (well, product wise), I use my Glow Recipe Watermelon Sleep Mask or the Laneige Water Mask . I personally love the amount of hydration my skin gets overnight with either of these masks. So in order to make them last longer, I just switch them on and off. Honorable mention: Sheet masks are fun! I typically use a sheet mask (a hydration one, LOVE these ) 1-2 times a week for 20 minutes. I do my masks after cleansing and toning. I also have used the Sephora sheet masks ( remember this post on Instagram? ), and enjoy them! I’m looking into different kinds of masks, so if you have any recommendations, I’d love to know. Jade roller to help increase circulation and reduce puffiness. This facial wand helps open and close your pores to help absorb products more.and reduce puffiness! AND THERE YOU HAVE IT. Super simple, right? Do you have an extensive skincare routine, or are you more of a wash and go kinda person? photo by allie provost

For this month’s Beauty Edit, I wanted to talk more about something I’ve been researching (and worrying about) lately: BLUE LIGHT. A little over a year ago, I was introduced to a term called “blue light” (I believe it was Krista’s blog where I first read about it). I had been getting really awful migraines, and once I started wearing blue light lenses, it was all fixed. I was shocked at how my eyesight and motor skills were being impacted by all of the screen time. I even wrote a post about it here . I’m so reliant on my blue light lenses that I have pairs at my office, my home office, and at Matt’s! I highly recommend for anyone that is constantly on their phones and computers! About a week ago, I was looking through Instagram Stories and stumbled upon Helena’s post about HEV (the fancy term for blue light) light, and I instantly started freaking out. Why you might ask? Because blue light not only affects your eyes, but also your SKIN . I’ve been making a conscious effort to take really good care of my skin this year, so when I read this, I started to panic and read more about it. I obviously know just how much time we spend on our phones (thanks to the new Screen Time feature -_-), but I didn’t realize that spending four eight-hour workdays in front of a computer exposes you to the same amount of energy as 20 minutes in the mid-day sun . SAY WHAT?! So how does blue light affect your skin exactly? Ages your skin faster Pigmentation Disrupts sleep Dark circles under eyes UM. THANK U, NEXT. Am I right? So…how can we help reverse damage that blue light does to our skin? Get. Off. The. Devices. Okay, that’s never going to happen. But it’ll be the easiest way to help protect your eyes AND your skin. Use night mode on both your phone and laptop Ever been in bed, ready to go to sleep, but then you pick up your phone? And suddenly you’re awake for 3 more hours AND don’t get a good night’s sleep? Yup. Thanks phone. For a while, I only had my night mode going on my iPhone at 10PM. Now, I pretty much have it on at all times. I also recently discovered that my laptop has a night mode…so I keep that on 24/7 as well! Most devices have this feature now (which goes to show you that there’s obviously a REASON for it), but if it doesn’t, Amazon has some screen filters. And yes, I still wear my blue light lenses too! Defense beauty products When I saw Helena’s post (up above), I realized I really needed to do more research on things for my skin. There are a few products I’m looking at right now, but it’s looking like Murad products are going to be the winner. Their City Skin products have active ingredients that block blue light from affecting your skin. Topical antioxidants are an absolute must when it comes to protecting our skin from blue light — that’s why a good nighttime topical cream needs to make its way into your bathroom! When it comes to the daytime, you must apply an SPF with antioxidant-rich ingredients as well. This will help put up the barrier when environmental pollutants find your skin. So there you have it — WOOF. Maybe I’m blowing it out of proportion, but I ain’t taking any chances! Did you have any idea about blue light affecting your skin?! Or even blue light at all?

There’s nothing I value more in this life than sleep. I typically get home between 7:30p and 9:30p, depending on my post-work SoulCycle schedule. That doesn’t give me too much time to do a lot of things because I like to get to bed between 10 and 11. And that’s a pretty firm rule for me. There are a few things I like to do every night before I hit the sack. My bedtime routine is v. sacred to me, and I feel that I get the best sleep ever when I complete all of these steps…so I wanted to share them with you to help you get YOUR best sleep! Shower & Skincare Routine I, personally, shower at night. During my shower, I’ll wash my face with my favorite cleanser and if it’s an exfoliating day, I’ll do that as well. Immediately after showering, I’ll use my Jergen’s Wet Skin Moisturizer. Once I’m towel dried, I’ll continue my skincare routine ( which you can read more about here ). It’s the perfect beginning to winding down for the night. Cup of Tea Although I’m a morning coffee drinker, I’m a tea drinker at heart. Every night, my dad and I will have a cup of tea (old school, Red Rose, is our favorite) at night. It’s another favorite part of my bedtime routine! Light a Candle Candles are just the best. During the fall and winter, I love to light anything vanilla-y or a stress relief candle. Read Anything Whether it’s a magazine article or a book, JUST READ SOMETHING. At the beginning of the year, I was doing SO WELL with reading, but I’ve totally slacked off lately. But I’m slowly getting back into reading before bed! Reading helps my eyes get tired (in a good way), and helps my mind wind down after looking at a screen all day. Spritzes of Lavender My final step before bed is spraying lavender scent on my pillows. There’s something so calming about lavender and I immediately feel less stressed once I smell it…and lay my head on my pillow. The perfect way to start my best night’s sleep! photo by allie provost