Summer Skin Survival with Ingrid Seaburn

Apart from being a rather glorious way to waste time, Instagram can also offer the beauty lover the chance to win little giveaways...or sometimes big ones depending on whom you follow!

Some months ago now,  I happened to be scrolling away in between loads of washing and picking toys up off the floor that no one else seams to see or even notice, and happened upon Ingrid Seaburn's recently posted picture of her very own targeted skincare line HYDRATE. The caption below asked the follower to name the star ingredient in her serum, and the first one to answer correctly would win a bottle! Pffft....easy peasy... as quick as my fingers could tap out Hyaluronic Acid they did, and guess what chickens? I won myself the prize!

I have been following Ingrid on Instagram for some time now, and always had Hydrate on my list of serums to try. Ingrid has been working her magic as a very highly regarded skincare therapist in LA for over 13 years, and has an impressive list of Hollywood clientele including Teri Hatcher ( Ingrid was her personal skincare therapist for 5 years whilst she was staring in Desperate Housewives ) and our very own beautiful Rachel Griffiths, just to name a select few. Ingrid's skills were in demand from high profile actors, celebrities and musicians alike.

I am delighted and thrilled to have Ingrid as my guest on The Beauty Vine today! Ingrid will be sharing some post party season Summer Survival skincare tips today, to help us get back the glow that the late nights, party food and the odd cocktail may have dulled.

To kick off the post, I will be sharing my thoughts on Hydrate, Ingrid's own hydrating serum. My bottle is sadly all but empty... its a good one.

Hydrate is an oil free, gel based serum that can be easily  incorporated into any part of your skincare routine. Hydrate boasts pure hyaluronic acid in a soothing base of Aloe Vera that is perfect for all skin types.

Naturally occurring in our bodies, hyaluronic acid levels unfortunately deplete as we age. Often described as the "moisture magnet" for the skin, it aides in the skins ability to maintain its moisture levels, which, in turn, also boosts the effects of your existing serums and moisturisers. Manufactured in Australia, Ingrid has created a product that can be used in many different ways, depending on your skins needs. 

Hydrate is an extremely lightweight hydrating serum ( no pun intended!) that I have been thoroughly enjoying. In fact, she travelled all the way to New York with me last October, and I feel was in part responsible for my skin not totally freaking out from the horrendously long flights, and travel in general.

I did have a little bag packed, all prepared in my carry on luggage for my "Long Haul" inflight skincare routine, which I will have to share with you about in another post. Can I just say, You Tube makes it all looks so glamorous and relaxing....I just laugh when I look back and remember my experience. It was something I was looking forward to doing so much, and was a complete anti-climax!! Anyway...I digress!

Hydrate has a thin, gel consistency that feels beautiful on the skin, absorbing quickly without leaving any tacky residue (unlike some other hyaluronic acid based serums on the market). I do give it about a minute to absorb completely. My skin feels and looks refreshed, plump and happy. 

In the summer months, I have often used this on it's own in the mornings, skipping the moisturiser,  and continuing on with my SPF, and then either mineral makeup or a lightweight CC cream. It makes a lovely base for your makeup. My oily/combo skin does appreciate lighter textures in the warmer months, particularly of a morning. Ingrid recommends that women with drier skin types may like follow Hydrate with a moisturiser, or add a pump of the serum in with your moisturiser. Too easy.

In the evenings, I have simply used it in the serum stage of my evening routine, after hydrating mist, and before my moisturiser or facial oil.

I have also enjoyed using Hydrate as a simple, effective layer of hydration on my skin on the nights when I use my chemical exfoliants. Depending on how my skin feels, I don't always like to leave my skin bare after using AHA's or BHA's...a nice lightweight serum really does the trick for me.

I have been using Hydrate with Natural Grapefruit essence, which to me is extremely subtle, and just gives the serum a hint of freshness. It is also available in fragrance free, and a formula just for the man in your life, Hydrate for Men.

As I mentioned earlier, my bottle is just about empty, and I will certainly be looking to purchase another! Head over to Ingrid's webiste here to learn a little more about her, and to purchase some lovely Hydrate for yourself.

I'll hand over to Ingrid now to share her wonderful Summer Skin rescue beauty tips, including not only some product recommendations, but some dietary suggestions as well. Thank you Ingrid!

1. Once the xmas and new year festivities are over, start to think about cleaning your diet up, eliminating sugar and salty foods where possible , sticking to basic salads , lots of protien and of course gallons of water . Although we have heard this advice many times before, the truth is that there is a direct link between sugar and the rate at which you age and the health of your skin . The breakdown of sugar in your body, called glycation, directly affects your bodies ability to produce fresh collagen. That overload of chocolate and ice cream you indulged in the last few weeks it is in fact actually ageing you!! My advice... an avocado a day and ginger water by the gallon. The ginger has amazing metabolic and cleansing properties for a sluggish system . 

2. Although we feel like summer skin after a day at the beach needs moisture, your skin in fact requires less moisturiser in the summer months due to the higher level of humidity in the air . Be sure to change up your moisturiser to a more lightweight formula to avoid clogging of pores with all that sweat and dirt that occurs on a hot day ( Something like Hydrate is perfect because of it lightweight hyaluronic acid gel base ). 

3. Avoid chemically based sunscreen and stick to the zinc base only. Zinc won't clog pores and will give you a physical barrier against the sun that no chemically based sunscreen no matter how hightech SPF will do . I am very strict on this rule as the sun is not your friend if you want truly beautiful skin, thats a fact !! My favourite is Invisible Zinc.

4. Vitamin C is making a comeback in the skincare routine arena and summer time is when its really needed . Vitamin C in your serum or delivered in crystal form mixed in with your serum nightly gives you powerful anti-oxidant protection from UV rays, and at the same time will stimulate collagen production !! As an added bonus, it brightens your skin , yay !! Enquire at your local skincare therapist  for something medical grade like Rationale or Ultraceuticals , don't waste your money on cheap supermarket brands. They will do little to deliver proper amounts of  Vitamin C to make a difference.

5. Pick an enzyme based exfoliant for summer glow like lactic acid or pumpkin or papaya enzyme to give your skin a beautiful summer glow without harsh scrubbing .... In my books , scrubs and granules are a no no as they are too agressive and cause more harm than good !  My favourite is Polish by American brand Osmosis.

Thank you so much Ingrid for sharing your experience and knowledge!

If you would like to share any of your tips for Summer Skin do leave them below! I'd love to hear from you if you have tried Hydrate before?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Blessings,

Lou xo ( and Ingrid! xo )