So, I generally suffer from pretty dry skin. Put me in a heated yoga room for two hours or on a treadmill at Barry's Bootcamp and I am parched. I am not only parched on the inside but on the outside too and it's almost as if I can feel it right away. My skin tends to take a toll from all of the exercising that I do and if you read my Sweaty to Swanky post (this is a quiz!) you should know that I like a good sweat sesh so naturally I need to replenish.
A good rule of thumb is to definitely hydrate from the inside out. Drink plenty of water but ensure that you are also ingesting sufficient electrolytes in order to retain fluids. Avoid sugary drinks and caffeine when trying to hydrate. When it comes to my skin, I do my best to hydrate immediately after a sweat session. I wash my face after a work out in order to clear it and avoid any break outs. A lot of boutique gyms have great face washes in the their bathrooms. If not, I like to carry some cleansing wipes like the facial cleansing towelettes that Burt's Bees makes because it is not only for removing make-up but for also cleaning your skin. I tend to rinse my face after using these when there is a bathroom/sink that I can access.
After cleansing my face, I like to use misting sprays that immediately hydrate the skin. I love to carry the Evian Mineral Water Spray with me at ALL times. It is great for when you travel, on the beach, after a work-out, to freshen up your make-up or when you are falling asleep at your desk at work. I normally grab the two pack at that very dangerous check out isle at Sephora. They know what they are doing with that travel section since their lines are usually painfully long. I always end up with something extra from that damn line. Since it comes in a two pack, I normally find one of these suckers in my purse even when I switch them up. I recently wanted to jazz up my routine so I decided to try This Works, I purchased it on Net-A-Porter and I really like that it has a refreshing scent. It contains Sea Minerals and Aloe Vera. It helps hydrate and calm any redness. It has more oomph but unless you have any issues with redness the Evian spray does the trick for a fraction of the price.
I have also been obsessed with oils for a while now. I know they are not for everyone but if you have dry skin like me, they may change your world. I love to use them post work-out, before bed and definitely before I get on a long flight. I really enjoy that radiant look that it gives me and I sometimes opt-out of adding on any make-up. Like my Evian spray, I tend to have a Josie Maran 100% Aragon Oil MINI in each of my purses (I buy things lose, lose them, re-buy them and find them all over again....it's a never ending cycle). This is infused with Vitamin E which is a great fatty acid. The best part of this bad boy is that you can use it on your hair or nails. I absolutely can not use it on my hair or I would look like I didn't wash it for 3 weeks but I love the nail touch especially when traveling. My finger tips get so dry they could be considered a weapon on the plane.
Lastly, I can not forget my hair. Poor thing, it gets the most abuse and I never give it a break. I consistently make it feel inadequate by frying, coloring and adding in foreign pieces. My hair must really have low self-esteem. I recently decided that it needed a little more love (since I was being so abusive) so I picked up some of the new Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil before I left for my Hot Yoga teacher training. Now that the sun is out with a vengeance, this is a great item to use before entering a hot yoga room, hitting the beach or when you know you will be in the sun for a while. I used it as a leave in when I was doing my hot yoga training in CR. I put it in before a hot class and sometimes after I showered.
I picked up the Oribe anti-humidite spray because sometimes I find that after I work out, I am still sweating. Even when I am showered, have make-up on and I am fully dressed its as if I am still working out. Sometimes my hair gets cray in those situations. I love this spray, I recently used it in Mexico and it kept things tight.
Post work out, I like to keep it light; either some tinted moisturizer by my ultimate favorite Laura Mercier or Amorepacific Control Cushion Creme which provides SPF 50, coverage and hydration. It literally can not get better. I learned about this from the flawless NinaBeautyWorld (from Thailand) when she was sharing all of her beauty secrets with me in Singapore a few months back. Korean beauty products are all the rage in South East Asia and now I know why. The minute I got home, I bought this. It also comes with two compacts so you get good value for your money. I really do love this product. I tend to use Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer when I want just a tad more coverage. I go with the Illuminating one because I like the extra glow (who doesn't?). It is SPF 20 so you can kind of chose which to wear based on sun exposure too. They both leave you with a gorgeous dewy look. You can fake it and say you have no make-up on and its simply the endorphins from your work-out. As a finishing touch, I always carry Anastasia's Clear Brow Gel because the one thing I can not stand is unruly brows. Get it together people!
When I feel like I need some EXTRA hydration, I resort to a face mask. You TOTALLY look like a serial killer when wearing one but it is SO worth it. My boyfriend once walked in on me wearing one and I think I gave him a minor heart attack. I now ensure he is no where close to home when I use them. These were my life savers in Costa Rica. I was in a hot room about three hours a day and my face was pissed to say the least. I would use them every other night and go out just like that (when I say "go out" it was to a sober dinner at my hotel before I passed out at 9 pm) and got massive compliments on my skin. I really like to use these before a big event like a wedding, after I get off a plane and just because I like to feel like I am pampering myself. Once again you can find these guys in the evil compulsive shopper isles of Sephora. They are all under $8. I REALLY loved the one by TONY MOLY and the best part is that you get 2 of them for $7.50 which is pretty sweet.
