Winter is brutal for, like, a million reason. On the top of that list? Dry, chapped skin season. No one, and I mean no one, wakes up and is like “Oh my gosh, I feel great! My skin is so blotchy and flaky today—gorgeous!”
You have more options than to simple suffer through the pain or hibernate all winter. The answer? Hydrating! But bringing the moisture back to your skin that the weather has so rudely taken from you isn’t as simple as chugging a bunch of water and hoping for the best. (Although, drinking more water should definitely be part of your routine. This article will help you calculate how much water you should be drinking as an individual.)
Here are other ways to hydrate your skin so that you can have the glowing complexion of your summertime dreams all year round.
1—You are what you eat. Certain foods are high in water content, taste great, and are a great way to up our water intake without even realizing it! So what are the some foods with over 90% water content? Let your snack time be multipurpose by noshing on cucumbers, iceberg lettuce, celery, strawberries, and baby carrots! 
2—Mask the pain. For those of us that can never remember to grab a water bottle on the way out to class, and aren’t too crazy about the dining hall’s fruit selection, all hail beauty products that help us fake it ‘til we make it! To start, our favorite Sunday night activity—face masks.
DIY mask recipes with ingredients like coconut oil, avocado, honey, oatmeal, vitamin E, yogurt, macadamia nut oil, and lemon are absolutely fool-proof. Check out this Style Guru’s article to make masks that are sure to bring your winter skin back to life.
3—Make your moisturizer work! When you rinse your face mask off and your skin is at its healthy, glowing prime, it’s time to make sure you retain that moisture all day! All of my favorite moisturizers are either super high in water content, or give my skin a moisturized feeling without leaving an oily residue behind. My personal top three are definitely coconut oil, Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Water Gel, and First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream.
4—Fake it until you make it. When all else fails and you just can’t commit to hydrating skincare habits, whip out a beautiful natural-finish foundation! Twitter polls revealed that Style Gurus’ favorite was Maybelline’s Fit Me foundation (in the “Dewy & Smooth” finish), but a few other options they loved are Makeup Forever’s Ultra HD Invisible Cover foundation, Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer, and Nars’ All Day Luminous foundation.
Photo via Beauty Episode
Even with minimal effort, any of these tips are sure to reveal your best, most hydrated skin. Give your skin the defense it needs to survive this season’s harshly dry weather!
