mbg Beauty & Wellness Editor
mbg Beauty & Wellness Editor
Jamie Schneider is the Beauty & Wellness Editor at mindbodygreen, covering beauty and wellness. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.
Image by Ohlamour Studio / Stocksy
January 13, 2023
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Jello skin. Honey skin. Dewy dumpling skin. What do each of these buzzy beauty looks have in common? Aside from sounding yummy, their main goal is to appear like a fresh baby cherub: youthful and glowy, with glistening, plush skin about to burst with moisture.
Plump skin is often the ticket for any youthful look since skin naturally starts to sag and become drier with age. While skin aging is a natural process that happens to us all at some point, you can take methods to re-plump your complexion if you please (sans injectables, if you don’t want to make the appointment). Below, find a few expert-backed, natural ways to infuse your skin with juicy hydration:
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“Humectants are basically ‘water magnets,'” board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban, M.D., founder of SKINFIVE, says about the ingredient category. “They work to help pull moisture from the air into the upper layer of your skin to keep the skin cells hydrated, plump with a firmness and bounce.”
If you’re looking for an instant (albeit temporary) plumping effect, pat a humectant serum on damp skin before sealing everything in with moisturizer. Your skin will look bouncier almost immediately. “Think of the skin as an actual sponge,” adds Shamban. “When it is dry, it is thin, brittle, not pliable, rough in texture, dull, and sallow in color. Run it underwater, and it is instantly plump, dense, and smooth. Even the color is brighter.” The humectants are what help usher that water into the “pores” of the sponge and hold it there, making the appearance juicy and full of moisture.
Of all the humectants out there, glycerin and hyaluronic acid tend to be the most beloved. Find our favorite HA serums here.
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Facial steamers can also give your skin some bounce—assuming you do it correctly. “Facial steaming may provide a hydrating effect with water vapor, which may keep your skin moisturized, plumper, and supple,” board-certified dermatologist Ife J. Rodney, M.D., founder of Eternal Dermatology, says regarding facial steaming. As the heat naturally opens up your pores, those water vapor molecules can shimmy their way through the dermis and plump your skin with hydration.
Just make sure you don’t overdo it, as steaming can also cause dehydration if you do it too often. “Just like over-exfoliating, over-steaming may trigger a process called transepidermal water loss,” says board-certified dermatologist Kim Nichols, M.D., founder of NicholsMD of Greenwich. “This is when water passes from the dermis through the epidermis and evaporates from the skin’s surface.” It results in a parched, often wrinkled appearance—the exact opposite of what you’re trying to achieve. You can find out how often to steam your face here.
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The takeaway.
To plump your skin in the short term, lean on humectant serums and a quick facial steam. Supplying your skin with enough water will help the dermis literally rise to the occasion (just make sure you don’t over-steam, as that can certainly backfire). Then for a longer-term approach, tend to your collagen production; here’s our full guide to restore collagen in the face, if you need a refresher.
RELATED: Trust Us These Work: The 9 Best Collagen Supplements Available Now