Does Your Hydrating Serum Stand Up to the Cold?

We’ve got good news and bad news for your skin. The good news: summer is only 6 months away. The bad news: summer is a whole 6 months away! In the meantime, we’re going to have to address this intense winter weather – especially when it comes to caring for our skin. Why do weather changes impact our skin so much?

Much like a house plant (that we can barely keep alive), our skin likes consistency in environment. As we get deeper into each season, our skin adjusts to compensate for humidity levels and other environmental elements. This includes time spent in the sun, temperature, and even allergens! Rapid weather changes – especially that of summer to fall – seriously influences our skin’s ability to maintain hydration.

Long story short, there’s simply no way for your skin to survive and thrive this winter without a little extra love in the hydration department! Fortunately, we’ve discovered the secret to dreamy winter skin: adjusting our routine with the help of hydrating serum.

A hydrating serum is much like a thermal: it seems like “extra”, but when added under your outer layers, makes a huge difference. Take a peek below at our picks for the top hydrating serums – free of silicones, PEGs, and synthetic fragrances.

This one is all in the name – restorative and replenishing. The Restorative Sea Culture Replenishing Serum makes it to the top of our favorite hydrating serum list because of the completely vegan formula, and the luxurious blend of super hydrating ingredients.

Key Ingredients:

• Chia Seed Gel
  Rich in omega-3’s and antioxidants, this stuff is like magic, especially when it comes to hydration. Our chia seed water is powerful for dosing our skin with the right amount of hydration – these tiny little seeds can store up to 30 times their weight in fluid.

• Algae Extract
  Detoxifying, softening and mineral-rich, algae is another superstar for keeping skin hydrated. It also helps to mitigate signs of aging by promoting smoother, plumper skin texture.

• Sea Kelp Extract
  Sea kelp assists with skin cell regeneration thanks to natural traces of iodine: a calming and anti-inflammatory treatment for dry, flaky skin and blemishes.

One of the brightest stars on the skin nutrient spectrum, vitamin C adds shine to the skin by blasting away dullness and lessening the appearance of UV damage, dark spots, and acne scars. This vitamin also promotes collagen synthesis, for a more firm and bouncy complexion.

Key Ingredients:

• Organic Aloe Gel
  This is an important ingredient, especially as it relates to hydrating serums and winter skin care. Soothing, balancing, hydrating and healing, your skin will drink this in with delight and you’ll notice softer skin texture and less severe or frequent breakouts.

• Green Apple Extract
  Keep the (skin) doctor away with what we think is an underrated fruit. Green apples support skin elasticity, which means more bounce with every ounce. Moisture abound and a little extra vitamin C, the green apple in our Vitamin C Serum is donating a lot of love.

• Grape Extract
  Vino – but make it skin care! Greeks didn’t just drink wine for the flavor, grapes have been a dynamic part of health and celebrated for the antioxidants it brings. We include this fruit in our formula for all the anti-aging power and mega sun protection.

Another aloe-based serum, this one glides on with a cool and refreshing texture and sinks in fast enough to quench thirsty skin. Suitable for all skin types, this hydrating serum is excellent for brightening. It’s loaded with a blend of exotic ingredients to add an extra special touch of luxury to every morning and night.

• Rosehip Seed Oil
  Sweet, fragrant rosehip oil seriously multitasks in this formula by helping ward off inflammation and redness, increasing our skin’s ability to absorb liquids (hooray for even more hydration) and bringing anti-aging to the table with a boost to skin cell regeneration.

• Sake
  Texture and tone are the key targets for sake (aka fermented rice water). Sake tones and softens uneven skin, tightens skin for a lifted complexion, and rejuvenates dull winter skin.

• White Willow Bark Extract
  Anyone else suffer seasonal triggers to skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema? Our dear white willow is fights back against skin inflammation. This beautiful bark also helps to tighten and minimize pores while lightly exfoliating dull skin for an amazingly rejuvenated result.

So, you’ve got the what but you might be asking why – why is a hydrating serum so powerful for saving our suffering winter skin? Everything to know about face serum can be summed up as this: they’re the most direct way to provide skin with topical nutrition.

Serums are the first real hit of moisture that our skin gets after cleansing and toning. Injected with a range of vitamins – usually A, C and E – our skin is essentially eating a luxurious and nutritious meal on an empty stomach, while powering up for healthy skin function.

A hydrating serum specifically primes the skin and encourages optimal absorption of your moisturizer, helping to create an occlusive barrier for lasting hydration. Compared to moisturizer (which is still important), serum brings a unique blend of hydration, nutrition, and deep-pore penetration that a moisturizer simply can’t replicate.