It is all well and good spending a large amount of money on expensive products, and going through the rigours of a regular hair-removal routine, but all of this hard work will come to naught if you don’t take care of your skin. When your skin loses its moisture, it becomes dry and flaky, developing that tell-tale scaly pattern. It can also crack and become painful. There are simple steps you can follow to ensure that your skin stays hydrated.

Drink Lots of Water

It should be fairly self-explanatory that the more water there is in your body, the more hydrated your body – and your skin – will be. This, of course, starts with how much you actually drink, but there are other factors to take in to consideration. Sip water throughout the day, and don’t count water taken through colas, tea and coffee!

Shorten your Showers

Though water is a hydrating agent, using it at the wrong temperature can actually dry out your skin. Hot water in the shower and the resulting steam can break down the oily layer that protects your skin, making it less effective at retaining moisture. The longer and hotter the shower, the more of this layer will be removed, allowing your skin to become dry and itchy. Shorten the duration of your shower, and use lukewarm water instead.

Stay Humid

Dry environments can cause the moisture in your skin to evaporate much more quickly, so it’s best to try and maintain a standard level of humidity in the air. This can easily be done with a humidifier, and if you live in an especially dry environment, it can be helpful to have one on whilst you sleep.

Exfoliate Regularly

Exfoliation can potentially help keep your skin moisturised, as it gets rid of all the dead skin cells and other dirt and grime that can build up on the surface. This enables your skin to keep the skin clean and healthy enough to lock in the moisture where it needs to be.

Moisturise!

There are no shortages of products available for keeping skin moisturised, but as everyone’s skin is different it’s important to find the right one for you. You know your skin better than anyone, so take a look at what’s out there and experiment to find the product that helps keep your skin happy and healthy.

Different hair removal methods can have an effect on your skin’s moisture, but it can be difficult to work out which one is the best for you.

Shaving can sometimes be detrimental to skin moisture, as the sharp blades have the potential to scrape off the upper layers of oil that form a natural barrier on your skin. To make shaving easier and quicker, and to remove as little of that barrier as possible, make sure that you use a good shaving cream or gel, and shave in the direction of the hair growth. 

Depilatory Creams should be tested on a small patch of skin before use, as everybody’s skin will react differently to them. These creams can actually moisturise your skin, and some such as Veet for Sensitive Skin contain ingredients known for their moisturising properties, all whilst removing the hair!

Waxing is often the best solution for people with very dry skin. This is because the wax can be tailored to ensure it doesn’t have any negative effects, and the wax exfoliates your skin as it removes the old dead skin cells.

So be aware of your skin’s hydration levels, and make sure you do all you can to look after it. Beautifully smooth skin takes more than just hair removal!