The best moisturiser should absorb readily, alleviate visible signs of dryness and dehydration - and ideally be a joy to use. But what that means in real terms for each of us can be different, and it can also vary a little (or not a lot) from season to season depending on a whole host of unique external factors, including environmental stress from travel and pollution, staying up too late, and not practicing a moderate approach to caffeine, salt, and sugar.
The clue to knowing when to dial up your hydration efforts, especially in the colder months, really comes down to one thing: what your skin is telling you it needs. Early detection can take some practice, but with a teensy bit of patience you'll soon begin to notice your skin's unique warning signs, (like an increased sense of tightness, for example), and be able to stop dehydration before it takes serious grip.
"There's no clear answer on when or even if you need to change your moisturiser with the seasons, because some people live in stable year-round climates and others experience steep drops in temperature," says Jacob Tomás del Rosario, Youth To The People's Director of Field Sales + Education. "My tip is to listen to your skin, and really try to think, feel, and identify what it needs from day to day."
Some of del Rosario's favourite hydration-related skin prompts include checking in with yourself about how much sleep you're getting, as well as your exposure to lots of different temperatures (i.e. blasting the heat before stepping out to go skiing, or returning home from a tropical vacation). Visible flaky patches, a general feeling of tightness, and a rippled texture are more explicit cries for added moisture (like, now!) in your regimen.
So, what's the quickest way to up the ante?
"Layer our Triple Peptide + Cactus Oasis Serum under your favourite YTTP moisturiser - and for an added boost, supercharge that moisturiser with a few additional drops of the Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Oil," instructs del Rosario. "The Triple Peptide + Cactus Oasis Serum is multidimensional, and instantly floods the skin with peptides and water-attracting hyaluronic acid, and by mixing the oil into your moisturiser, you're able to give your skin additional nourishment."
For those with combination skin, the ability to control the level of your moisturiser is undoubtedly appealing. "If, like me, you err on the oilier side, I recommend sticking with Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream as your daily moisturiser, keeping the Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream close to hand for transitional periods, like traveling and the holiday season - and adding oil to both on an as-needed basis," says del Rosario.
Prefer a heavier texture to your moisturiser, period? Del Rosario suggests adding oil both AM and PM to the Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream, and throwing a deliciously hydrating overnight product, like the Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask, into the mix a few nights a week.
Written by Elsa de Berker for Youth To The People
