THUYEN NGUYEN

In my line of work, the winter months not only bring awards season’s red carpet demands, but also the unfailing harshness of traveling between the temperature extremes of both coasts. Whether I'm running between my spa locations in the bitter cold or speeding between private homes in the dry LA heat, I'm battling against dehydration, among other things.

My best professional tip and my own personal practice that I share with my clients is simply to up the game of hydration to double-time. And that means healthy hydration both inside and out:

I add extra omega 3 fatty acids into my daily diet, whether through a high-quality vitamin gel brand or through foods like walnuts, flaxseeds, wild caught salmon, sardines, black cod, anchovies, albacore tuna, mussels and, my favorite, oysters.

For topical hydration and instant skin resurrection, I add healthy organic oils to my daily cleansing and moisturizing regime. Any quality oil that speaks to you is fine other than petroleum-based oils like mineral or baby, since they coat the skin rather than treat it, which can lead to clogged pores. I find organic extra virgin coconut oil and jojoba from health food stores does the job and is most cost-effective.

Before I apply my trusty daily cream-based cleanser, I first pour a thimble in the palm or on a cotton pad and work the oil as I would my cleanser. Then rinse with lukewarm water. Follow this pre-treatment with your usual cleansing. This is a fantastic pre-cleanse practice for women to remove most of their makeup year round and an excellent addition for everyone to prevent stripping away the natural sebum that your skin needs, especially during these harsher climate months.

And for those who are constantly battling very dry or mature skin, I would add a few drops more of that healthy topical oil to my daily moisturizer to give the skin that extra hydrating barrier.

Lastly, don't forget to include your lips. You'll find you won't need to chap it up if you up your healthy oil game from both inside and out.