What it is: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Masque, $35
What it does:
Increases the skin’s ability to absorb and retain water for long-lasting hydration and ultimately, smoother, softer skin—and all the magic happens while you’re peacefully snoozing away.
Why it works:
If your regular moisturizing method just isn’t cutting it, try rotating this into your routine. Used once a week, this super-hydrating overnight face masque works by directly targeting mechanisms in the skin that regulate water levels and retention. Ophiopogon japonicus extract, which is appropriately called “fountain plant,” helps sythesize tight junctions (gatekeepers in the cells that control water flow). This prevents water from ultimately flowing out of cells—basically, the fountain is turned off.Keeping water levels balanced is especially tough in dry environments (hello, winter!) since water naturally wants to flow to where it is needed (aka from your moister skin, into the dry air). It’s called osmosis. Imperata cylindrica, a species of grass included in the formula, combats this biological urge and preserves moisture by bolstering the skin barrier. To top it all off, known hydrators such as urea and glycerin help diffuse water throughout your skin, leading to better-maintained hydration levels.
Why you care:
It’s been a long, cold winter—and it’s still not over yet. All of the cold, dry air sucks the moisture from your skin, leaving it dry, flaky, and maybe even itchy and irritated. To make matters worse, loss of moisture can age skin and actually make lines and wrinkles more prominent (yikes!). Helping your skin retain water will keep it healthy and glowing for longer. Take that, Polar Vortex.
READ MORE: Why Your Moisturizer Quit Working
