Boost Your Skin’s Natural Moisture Factor

We might not be looking forward to sizzling summer holidays but we still need to prepare our skin for warmer days and the chance that the weather will be kind to us this year. And if you’re looking for peachy plump skin, one thing you’ll want to know more about, is your skin’s natural moisture factor called NMF for short.

In the beauty world, we always need to stay one step ahead, to think about the next season and prepare our hair, skin and bodies accordingly.

In fact, as we now move towards the summer months, many of us will be thinking how we can give our skin a boost, helping  to prepare it for the weeks of lockdown ahead.

As the days start to get longer it’s the perfect time to start thinking about your skin’s moisture levels.

Here are some of my tips and tricks to share with your clients to help them achieve a radiant, healthy glow, even when you are stuck inside.

Boost Your Natural Moisturising Factor

By boosting the skin’s natural moisturising factor (NMF), it will help you to have plump, youthful skin all year round.

Our NMF helps to maintain skin hydration, and also works to allow enzymes to break down dead skin to reveal healthy, fresh skin below. Because of this, it’s a crucial part in keeping our skin looking healthy and fresh.

The NMF is a collection of water-soluble compounds that are only found in the outer layer of the skin. For years, we thought that this outer layer was biologically dead, but it actually has a dynamic structure, where enzymes are active but require water to perform their functions.

The NMF is high in amino acids and inorganic minerals such as chlorides phosphates, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. These combine to be incredibly efficient at attracting water from the atmosphere, helping to give our skin a boost as a result. In other words, it’s our face’s very own army to fight against drying or ageing factors!

To give our NMF a helping hand, introduce Collagen Shots into your daily routine, it is a high potency hydrolysed marine collagen supplement each day. Collagen supplements – especially ones with 10,000mg of collagen per serving – can help to improve the appearance and function of skin by supporting and increasing the body’s natural collagen production. This is especially important as we age as our levels of NMF decreases as we get older.

H3O Hydration is another weapon in your armoury, it contains electrolytes, such as magnesium, copper and calcium, to help our skin to make the most of water and nutrients, as well as letting us flush out any waste and toxins. To complete the trio add H3O Night Repair to continue working through the night, hydrating and introducing powerful antioxidants.

The 3 products come together in a combine set The Radiant Skin Collection

Eat Up

Healthy fats are crucial when it comes to nourishing skin and leaving it soft, bright and fresh. Try to suggest your clients eat a portion of healthy fats every day – this could be avocado, almonds (which are also rich in skin-loving vitamin E), walnuts, chia or flax seed, or oily fish such as salmon or mackerel. An omega-3 supplement can also work wonders at giving some TLC to dry, dull skin. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, Aliol is the perfect supplement for you; an omega-3 supplement that is free from fish oil and formed from marine algae.

Eating foods high in water content can also give skin a much-needed moisture boost. These foods include watermelon, celery, carrots, cucumbers, apples and oranges. I’d also suggest upping vitamin C and zinc intake, which both work to support the body’s production of elastin and collagen.

Protect

Even when the sun isn’t blazing, we still need to protect our skin from the elements. A good quality SPF, which protects from both UVA and UVB rays, is an essential staple for anyone – use an SPF of at least 30 on your face (I never leave the house without SPF 50), even throughout Autumn and winter. Without a quality SPF, our NMF can be damaged.

Drink

Drinking plenty of water is crucial when it comes to our skin’s moisture levels, and we should help our clients to drink at least two litres each day. If this is difficult for them, then you could suggest they try infused waters by adding slices of lemon, lime, berries or even sprigs of fresh mint to liven things up.

Change Your Cleanser

Different seasons often call for different cleansers and formulations, especially if your client is using a more drying cleanser, such as one with glycolic or salicylic acid. A slightly richer, more hydrating cleanser is great as we approach autumn and winter and can feed thirsty skin. A hydrating serum and moisturiser and/or night cream can also help to lock-in any much-needed moisture. For an extra boost, you could also suggest an overnight mask to help leave skin baby soft come morning.

In particular, steer your clients towards formulas or products containing Hyaluronic Acid, AKA the fountain of youth, which can work to restore our NMF.

Use cool or lukewarm water when washing your face. While it may seem tempting to turn the shower or tap onto hot, this can strip moisture or oils from the skin. It’s also crucial to remember to apply moisturiser or a serum after cleansing. This is because our NMF is soluble in water, meaning that when we apply water to our face, it actually dries it out rather than moisturising it.

Exfoliate

If your skin is feeling tight and dull, try a gentle exfoliator or gentle face peel. A good-quality exfoliator can help to slough off dead skin cells, leaving skin soft and faces looking radiant and glowing.