hydration boosting products
Moving from California to Colorado was a shock for my skin and I’m here to share all the tips and tricks I’ve learned living in a dryer climate for the past 7 years. Every year, when the weather starts to cool down, It still surprises me how much my skin needs and extra boost of hydration. Here are my top tips!
1) HYDRATE
First and foremost, hydration is key for plump and hydrated skin. If you’re like me, drinking plain water all day can be a challenge so one of my go-to products, for some yummy flavor and extra hydration, is this “botox” tea by Pique. This tea features electrolytes and minerals for deep hydration, ceramides to improve skin elasticity and hyaluronic acid for glow boosting benefits. If you haven’t heard of Pique, I’m so excited to introduce you! They are one of the cleanest brands of tea out there. Did you know tea often contains heavy metals and tea bags release micro plastics in your cozy hot water? Pique has the best solutions by using tea crystals and extensive testing standards. Use the code BCKATE for a discount!
2) INCORPORATE OIL CLEANSING
I didn’t know much about oil cleansing until about 2 years ago when Beautycounter launched an oil cleanser and it’s been a total game changer for my skin! I’ve now incorporated oil cleansing into my daily routine and occasionally double cleanse with an oil cleanser at night (oil cleanser first, then exfoliating or foaming cleanser after). I have two favorite oil cleansers and a cleansing balm that you must know about! So what are the benefits of oil cleansing? It can be much more hydrating than other types of cleansers while still effectively cleansing your skin. Oil cleansing reduces inflammation and can benefit those who struggle with redness and sensitivity. People who have more oily skin often think they should stay away from oils but actually…it can be quite the opposite. Oil cleansing helps to balance the PH and natural oils of your skin. Other cleansers can strip the skin causing oil overproduction which can be confusing when your trying to reduce oiliness. Lastly, oil cleansers can nourish and protect your skin’s natural lipid layer while feeding your skin with lovely nutrients. All of this equals a happy and healthy complexion!
Going from left to right, these are my favorite hydration boosting cleansers. First up is the Beautycounter Cleansing Balm. This multi-tasking cleansing balm, perfect for day and night use, hydrates while it cleanses, removing makeup and impurities with nourishing ingredients that won’t strip away your skin’s natural moisture. (Bonus: it can also be used as a mask for a hydrating overnight facial.)
Next up is one of my favorite oil cleansers by Primally Pure. They have a couple different options, but I use the dry skin oil cleanser. This product is made with a blend of age-defying oils known to detoxify the skin and dissolve impurities without over-drying so that you're left with a complexion that feels soft, clean and nourished. I do have an affiliate discount with Primally Pure so use the code KATE at checkout for a discount.
Lastly is the Beautycounter Countertime Lipid Defense Oil Cleanser. This luxurious, lightweight cleansing oil gently yet effectively removes makeup and impurities without stripping essential lipids from the skin. Rich in vitamin E, fatty acids, and Beautycounter’s plant-derived Retinatural™ Complex, the formula reinforces the skin’s fragile moisture barrier for a soothed, nourished complexion. This bottle is HUGE and lasts a long time (I think it takes me about 6 months to go through a bottle).
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3) EXFOLIATE
This may sound counterintuitive, but removing dead skin cells and promoting cell turnover is essential for hydrated and healthy skin. Our skin can’t effectively “drink” any moisturizing ingredients if it’s underneath layers of dead skin. The Beautycounter Reflect Effect AHA Smoothing Facial Mask is currently my favorite exfoliating product. This mask is designed to transform dull, tired skin in just 10 minutes. The bouncy gel formula is supercharged with a unique blend of chemical and physical exfoliants, like AHA glycolic acid and bamboo particles. Plus, hydration-boosting saccharide isomerate soothes skin for an ultra-soft complexion.
Some other exfoliating products that I love include a range of cleansers and treatment products. My second favorite treatment product is Beautycounter’s Overnight Resurfacing Peel. The peel is actually an overnight serum that works while you sleep! This product transformed my skin especially during pregnancy and post partum. If you need more physical exfoliation for flakey skin, I absolutely love the ORGAID organic face polish. This polish is meant to be used after cleansing (1-2x/week) to buff away dead skin. Don’t forget about exfoliating your body! My favorite scrub is the Beautycounter Sugarbuff Body Polish and it helps me get the absolute best shave possible.
4) TREAT
I always have a treatment product in my skincare routine and when I say “treatment” I mean a face serum, oil, or mask. Using a treatment product encourages deeper penetration into your skin and pores to get better results. Maybe you’ve got to this point and are feeling a little overwhelmed? Don’t worry! you don’t need all of these products. It completely depends on your skin and your current routine. That’s what I’m here for so reach out and lets chat!
Here are some of my favorite hydration boosting treatment products.
I absolutely love these treatments products. I rotate my treatment products based on the season, climate and any other particular needs my skin has like during pregnancy or post partum (Thankfully with Beautycounter, a rotation for me is no more than two products or I’ll swap a cleanser or moisturizer after I run out of it).
Starting on the far left is the Beautycounter All Bright Brightening Facial Oil. I ALWAYS add a facial oil during the winter because my skin drinks it right up. I either mix it with my moisturizer or apply a couple drops after my moisturizer. This oil is a deeply nourishing brightness booster designed to awaken and replenish, this carefully selected blend of oils helps to hydrate skin and improve the appearance of radiance. Made with omega-rich marula oil for intense hydration and antioxidant vitamin C for a brighter, even skin tone, the quick-absorbing formula is lightweight and silky-smooth with a citrus scent.
Next is my favorite sheet mask from ORGAID. These sheet masks are incredibly hydrating and I keep one on for at least 15 minutes and rub the extra product in the pouch all over my body.
Lastly is the Beautycounter Countermatch Intense Moisture Serum featuring two forms of hyaluronic acid, plus vitamins C and E. This intensely moisturizing serum is made without mineral oil or synthetic fragrance, delivers a boost of lasting hydration and antioxidant protection. With continued use, skin will feel firmer and look brighter with a more even tone.
Click on the above images to learn more!
5) MOISTURIZE
This ones probably seems obvious but we often forget to moisturize as often as our skin needs. Every fall/winter I switch to the Beautycoutner Tetrapeptide Supreme Cream for my night cream. It’s supremely rich and deeply hydrating, supports elasticity and visibly firms while minimizing the look of fine lines and wrinkles. With continued use, wake up to more radiant, youthful-looking skin. For my day cream I use the Beautycounter Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion year round! I can’t rave about this lotion enough. We certainly can’t forget to moisturize our bodies. One of my absolute favorite body creams is the Eucalyptus + Lavendar Body Butter by Primally Pure. It smells heavenly and features tallow from grass-fed cows, which is deeply nourishing.
Thankfully there is no shortage of options for cleaner body lotions. Brands like Aveeno, Eucerin, Attitude, Dr. Bronner’s, and other store available brands have cleaner options, just make sure to check on the EWG app “Healthy Living” to see if it has a low score (2 or below is what I recommend). I’m currently going through my stock of the Beautycounter Countermatch Adaptive Body Moisturizer that is sadly being discontinued but still available in the last chance section of the website. In regards to hand cream, I can make it super simple! Every year I get one or two of the Beautycounter Hand Cream Trio holiday sets that lasts me quite awhile.
I know this is a lot of information and I hope you took away an inspiration to care for you skin this fall/winter season. It brings me so much joy to help you find the right products, so please reach out to me for any assistance and recommendations for your next purchase. I know of SO MANY clean brands and only shared my favorites in this post. I spent years trying products in all price ranges and was continually disappointed in the quality and the pay off of the products I purchased. I was throwing money away trying to find the right products and I’m here to alleviate that headache for you. As always, thank you for letting me guide you on your clean swap journey.
