5 Tips For Happy Skin – The Dry Skin Challenge

I’m sharing Curél® in my life as part of a sponsored series for Socialstars™ #curelskincare #enddryskin

Welcome back for Part 2 of my Dry Skin Challenge Series.

Can you believe we are almost to Memorial Day weekend? We all know that Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, right? Right! But with endless sunshine comes endless opportunities for your skin to be in harm’s way. Today I want to talk a little bit about all the ways you can keep your skin happy this summer – plus an update on my Dry Skin Challenge with Curél® HYDRA THERAPY WET SKIN MOISTURIZER!

Let’s get right to it…5 Tips For Happy Skin!

1. I know it seems totally redundant, but drinking water is so important for the health of your skin. How many times have you heard it? I know, I know…me too. I get it. I’m slowly getting better at this, by filling up my Hydroflask and taking it with me wherever I go. I already know how many ounces it holds, so it’s easier for me to track how many I drink based upon how often I fill it up. It’s an easy way to make sure I’m keeping my skin hydrated.

2. For me, wearing sunscreen year-round in Hawaii is a no brainer, but for those of you who may be in colder or harsher climates half the year – listen up! Just because the temperate is cold, doesn’t mean you aren’t still being exposed to UV rays. The sun can penetrate skin regardless of the temperature, so it’s important that you use (at the very least) a moisturizer with basic SPF. You can never be too prepared when it comes to the sun.

3. Avoiding hot water on skin goes against everything I ever thought about getting clean in the shower. I love to take really scorching showers and usually when I turn it up even to the hottest level, it’s still not hot enough. Maybe I’m weird, but here’s the truth – I’m not doing my skin any favors. Hot water is capable of stripping your skin of the natural oils it needs, making it dry and sometimes flaky. EEK! While you’re in the shower, lay off the daily exfoliant as well. Over exfoliating skin can leave it irritated, dry and ultimately – damaged.

4. Okay I need to follow my own advice here, because #4 is arguably my very worst trait – not showering immediately following a workout. If I’m at the gym, I justify it by saying “oh I’m just going to pop over to the grocery store really quick” or if I’m out running in my neighborhood, I’ll swing into the coffee shop. Before I know it, it’s been hours and I still haven’t showered. SO GROSS! IT NEEDS TO STOP! Not showering immediately following a workout is not only smelly, the sweat soaked clothing on your body wreaks havoc on your skin. Bacteria, germs and yeast on sweaty clothes pressed so close to your body can lead to breakouts and rashes. If you absolutely cannot shower, at least change your clothes! This is my top goal for next month!

5. Moisturize! You can’t maintain supple skin if you don’t have any to begin with right?! Moisturizing is so, so important. Which leads me to a little check-in on my Dry Skin Challenge…

Let me be frank…It’s easy to start a new skincare routine. But, sticking to it long enough to see results? Not so much. I’ll admit – I like to see instant results when it comes to most things in life, but I know that quality takes time. I started my journey with Curél® HYDRA THERAPY WET SKIN MOISTURIZER last month after my nail technician told me I had alligator skin – AGH!

After her comment, I was more motivated than ever to jump right into a new routine with Curél…and to stick with it! So I’m officially seven weeks into using Curél® HYDRA THERAPY WET SKIN MOISTURIZER and at first – it was weird. I was used to putting lotion on after a shower the normal way most people do- dry off, apply lotion, wait for it to dry, then get dressed. This has changed the way I think about hydration, so at first it took some getting used to…like putting lotion on while you are still wet! But nearly two full months later, it has just become a natural part of my routine. The second thing that stood out to me as time went on was that I needed less and less of the product to feel like my skin was being thoroughly covered. If you remember in my first post, I felt like I couldn’t pump out enough of it, so I hope this is an indication that my skin is getting healthier each and every time I use it.

In a true test of progression, I forced myself back to the nail salon to see if the tech had any reptilian commentary for me. To my pleasant surprise, she had no alligator comments, but did say “your cuticles are so soft!” I’m going to chalk that up as a win!

Be sure to check back next month for my before and after thoughts on my Dry Skin Challenge and if I would recommend it! With summer so close on the horizon, what are your best skin tips?