As we are gearing up for the holidays, I am already braced for the inevitably driest time of year. It’s so bad in Utah that you have to put lotion on your hands multiple times a day just to keep them from cracking. Hands are one thing, but I’m even more conscious of my facial skincare routine so I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned recently (that we pretty much all do) around the holidays that is 100% drying out your skin, and some of my favorite products to help hydrate and hold in that moisture!

Traveling.

The busiest travel season of the year is just about to kick off and it also happens to coincide with the driest time of year, so I think it’s safe to say we’re all on high skincare alert. In-flight skincare routines are all the rage, but I actually read a story recently that it might be drying out your skin even more. When you apply sheet masks in-flight, it can bring the remaining moisture in your skin to the surface and then the dry plane air will basically absorb it all. I know there are so many different theories out there, but to play it safe, apply your skincare routine before you get on the plane so your products have a chance to absorb and start working for you instead of against you. My travel skincare must-haves are a good hyaluronic acid serum (been using Mineral 89 by Vichy for months and love!), a good eye serum (just started using Mineral 89 Eyes) and cream, and a moisturizer. Hyaluronic acid is capable of holding over 1000x its weight in water, so it really helps keep your moisture locked it! I also always pack a good face mask to give my skin an extra boost to combat some of the side effects of travel.

Washing your face with hot water.

Am I the last person to learn this one?! I always thought that the hotter the water, the better but it’s actually doing more harm than good. When you wash with hot water, you strip your skin of the natural oils and as a result your face feels dry/parched. Nobody wants to use cold water, especially in the winter, but instead, use lukewarm water whenever you wash your face. Then apply your moisturizing products immediately after –  there will still be some moisture on your skin, and your products will help seal it in. Vichy’s Mineral 89 plumps, hydrates and fortifies your skin, so definitely one to add to your skincare regimen as an everyday staple.

Cranking the heat.

There’s nothing cozier than turning up the heat in the fall and winter. (Does anyone else love the smell of the heater when it kicks on for the first time of the season?) It dries out the air, but an easy fix is adding a humidifier. If you haven’t, it makes a huge difference! A tip for any of you building a home right now – you can actually have them build a humidifier system into the house! It’s not as expensive as I would have thought, so it was a no-brainer considering how much we had our humidifiers going.

I know we can’t live day-to-day avoiding 100% of the things that might be drying out your skin, but one thing you can control is what you are putting on your skin to add that moisture back in! It’s such an easy step to add to your routine, but even easier to skip so I wanted to share some of the moisturizing products in my current line-up. You’ve seen me post about my Vichy Mineral 89 before – it has 89% Vichy Mineralizing Water and also has hyaluronic acid so it leaves your skin plump and hydrated. They also just launched their Mineral 89 Eyes Hyaluronic Acid Eye Gel, which has the Mineralizing water, hyaluronic acid, and… drum roll… pure caffeine. I love eye serums with a little caffeine to help tighten and brighten your under-eye area!

(All of Vichy’s products are super clean too! No parabens, silicone, etc.) Right now you can get 20% off at VichyUsa.com so you can try out the Mineral 89 Eyes (just apply code: CHRISTINE19 at check out 🙂

You can also see more of my favorite Vichy products in this post and my guide to great skin here.

XX, Christine

*In collaboration with Vichy.