A Skin Baptism

Regardless of religious affiliation, repent skin's wanton thirst!

Baptize your face with an easy hydration antidote.

Hey y'all!

Being a southern gal (Nashville, Tennessee), I know the skin beautifying benefits of humidity. The same moist air that in summer darn near wilted me into a blob of pudding, in retrospect, helped provide my initial calling-card complexion. I had plumped up wrinkles & pores and a winsome "Aw, shucks" flush.

Remember how moist & youthful your face looked the last time you hovered over a pot of boiling water? Or grabbed some dishes from a still-steamy dishwasher? A modest humidifier or vaporizer mimics this moisture-giving effect...continuously!

For dry, aging skin, there simply isn't a more immediate anti-ager (albeit temporary) than humidity. However, I did not realize the extent of this truism till my skin and I migrated to southern California a few years back. My face is STILL reeling from its transplant. And let me tell you- IT IS NOT HAPPY. It does not care about our perfect temperatures. It does not care about our limitless, zany Friday-night options. My epidermis resides in a continuous parched state, and reminds me daily of this affront with its own instant messaging: exaggerated lines & crow's feet, dispirited dullness, uncomfortable tightness, and general, morose crepeyness. After pondering a variety of moisture-restoring remedies, I decided a simple skin baptism was in order!

To appease said affronted complexion, I set up a low-techie 'Tennessee emulator'. A humble yet noble vaporizer.

Bet you've got one stuffed in a closet somewhere.

Git it out now, y' hear?

That's Southern for "Retrieve abandoned vaporizer from aforementioned musty closet."

Or, just buy a new one.

What's the difference between a vaporizer and a humidifier? Great question!

Vaporizers heat water till boiling before releasing mist. Brilliant, as a boiling brume lessens chance of spewing excess germs. The vaporizer drawback: It's hazardously hot at the steam exit-point, so beware of hands and/or wee ones getting too close to the vent.

Warm-mist humidifiers also heat water before dispensing to lessen the chance of a microbe invasion. And they have a cooling section near the releasing steam, so thankfully, burned appendages aren't possible.

Cool-mist humidifiers don't heat water before misting, so bacteria are free to host their own madcap rave. I honestly can't think of one viable reason to use a cool-mist humidifier. Pass on this option.

How to nab high moisture, skin plumping results...even if you currently reside in the South:

(Because now is when indoor heat's turned on for many southern SKINtechies, which also creates a desert-like atmosphere for skin).

Make sure vaporizer/ humidifier is clean, then fill with water. Check the type of water recommended for your device (tap or distilled). Set on a placemat or towel on a low to medium-high table in the room you're in most often, and turn ON. Whew! Exhausted yet? Then go to sleep. I do, since my bedroom is the spot I'm in the longest! Skin then receives 6–8 hours of constant, nourishing hydration which is astonishingly beautifying. You won't believe how prettily plump your face will look in the morning. Your entire body (even sinus passages) should feel more silky-smooth-comfortable. However, if you actually wake up clammy all over, you've turned the setting too high. Not good, since excessively sultry air equals rampant invites for mold and bacteria. Usually a medium setting is just right.

Frugalista Version:

If you'd rather not pony up for a store-bought humidifier, the following old-fashioned method is not to be mocked. Simply keep a humongous pot of water lightly simmering on the stove. The only drawback is you MUST remember to keep adding water, or you could end up with flames erupting. So be extremely mindful, and consider setting a loud timer while stove-top-steaming.

You may think SKINtechie has lost her high-tech mind recommending these seemingly lowly, home-spun remedies. BUT THEY WORK. Remember Grandma's sage advice, "Not everything new-fangled is better than old-fangled!"

NOTE FOR ACNE-PRONE OR OILY SKIN: Skip humidity-enhancing options unless you're truly dehydrated, in which case an occasional dose of light dew may be helpful.

So go forth, SKINtechie Friends, and host your very own skin-baptizing revival! Whether basking above a simmering stovetop brew or lounging near the latest vaporizer from Brookstone, enjoy humidity's unparalleled skin-rejuvenating effects. Can you hear it? I can. Your skin's hollering "Amen!"