How Obsessing Over Moisture Might Be A Winning Anti-Aging Strategy.

I just shared an article detailing the results of a study conducted to determine the technique that created the highest moisture retention over the course of 8 hours.  It turns out that the most effective method of long-term moisturization involved the repeated application of product every couple of hours.

This makes total sense. But to some, it may sound unreasonable or inconvenient.  But what if I told you that at least one celebrity over 50 swears by this method to help keep her looking amazing.
The celebrity I speak of is Elizabeth Hurley, who recently celebrated her 53rd birthday.  Elizabeth is aging very gracefully.  After a quick glance at recent pictures of her online, I see no signs of excessive plastic surgery or fillers.  It turns out that one of her youth-enhancing rituals has to do with her obsession with keeping her skin hydrated.

Moisturizer seems to be her go-to beauty product. In fact, she recently shared in a magazine article that she applies moisturizer to her face 6 times a day and her neck up 10 times!  This seems pretty excessive but let's remember that a small study which does suggest that reapplying moisturizer on a regular basis does directly improve moisture retention on the surface of the skin.

At 53, Elizabeth has mature skin. One thing we know for sure about mature skin is that it's very dry. A normal byproduct of aging is that our internal moisture levels decline. Frequent moisturizing may be exactly what her skin needs.  Another possible side effect of applying moisturizer that often is the benefit of enhanced blood flow caused while reapplying moisturizer.  We all give ourselves a mini-facial massage 1-2x a day as we layer on product morning and night.  Perhaps there's an added effect from massaging product on six times a day. 

I've actually experimented with frequent moisturizing once before. It was right around the time that I picked up a digital skin moisture reader (yeah, those things actually exist).   I was obsessed at trying to keep my moisture readings in the correct range so I kept applying moisturizer to my face throughout the day.   Let me tell y'all that my skin never looked so healthy and plump.  The glow was so natural looking and effortless.  No highlighter needed.

Even if you don't moisturize your face six times a day, there's probably some benefit to hydrating the skin more often (especially as we approach winter).  We sometimes fall into the trap of moisturizing as a reaction to dryness versus as a strategy to the moisture that is already present.  That's what Elizabeth and those women who applied product ever 2 hours were doing.  As the great philosopher, Diddy would say, they were "moisturizing their situation and preserving their sexy."

Perhaps you should consider placing a small bottle of your favorite moisturizer in your desk drawer at work for reapplication throughout the day.

If applying moisturizer 6-10 times a day seems a bit much for you, perhaps you can consider an alternative.  Actually, I'm a bit surprised that they didn't consider adding a facial oil to the routine as a potential moisture extender.  We all know that oil does an amazing job at sealing in moisture.  I'm really curious as to how oil over moisturizer compares to constant reapplication. Or, how skin moisture is affected by moisture levels in the air.  Does having a humidifier in the room make a difference? I may do my own experiment using the moisture analyzer I purchased a while back and find out for sure.

  It's important to think of hydration as a continuous process, not just a one-time event.  Just as we drink water throughout the day, we should also consider rehydrating topically as well.   It's probably not a good idea to allow the skin to remain in a perpetually dehydrated state. Especially if you're over the age of 30 and want to slow down the appearance of aging.  The higher the moisture levels in your skin, the younger, plumper your skin will be.