Summer was much drier than normal in Greater Prescott, with our monsoon fizzling into a non-soon.
If that was hard on your skin, just think what winter is doing to it with its annual onetwo punch from the aridity of cold air outside and even drier warm air from every furnace-fired room you walk into.
This happens every year, outside of the bone-dry summer, and most spas and skin-care specialists have their most dependable tool at the ready: the hydrating facial.
Like most facials, hydrating facials start out by exfoliating your face to expose the younger skin underneath, extracting any clogged pores or blackheads, massaging your facial muscles and applying masks and serums. In this case it’s the last step that makes the difference, remoisturizing your face with strong products including humectants, which attract water molecules and speed up the skin hydration process.
As a result, your skin fills out, reducing wrinkles and other imperfections, and is more supple and almost bouncy to the touch. The extended protection offered by many products will lock the moisture in and give you time to recover from the dehydrating environment that surrounds you.
Other benefits you’ll typically see from a hydration facial include:
Less oily skin — Oil is what hydrates your skin in the first place, but too much of it makes your skin look shiny and causes breakouts. Hydrating serums lock in enough oil to keep your skin hydrated, but protects against the excessive levels that create acne and other issues.
Elimination of redness and irritation — Once a hydrating facial eliminates the flakiness and scratchiness you’ve been contending with, your new layer of skin emerges full of water and nutrients that create an even tone with no need to soothe that itch that’s driving you crazy.
Better absorption — A healthy, moisturized face will be better able to absorb other skin-care products deep into your pores, making treatments of all kinds more effective.