It’s so funny how our feelings change over time. When I was a kid, I just wanted to grow up so my skin would shed its baby fat. Now that I’m older, everyone’s all about making your skin plump. Like what? When I first heard the phrase “plumping the skin,” I thought it was just something rich noble ladies did in a spa. Lucky for all of us, it doesn’t take an insane amount of wealth to learn how to make your skin look plump!
What is plumping? What’s the big deal about making your skin look plump? As we begin to age, our skin starts to lose its elasticity. Our skin may sag, develop lines and wrinkles, and start to dull. When we say we want to ‘plump the skin,’ we’re referring to reestablishing the skin bounciness from our youthful days.
When I say short-term plumping, I referring to small things we can do every day to maintain our plump skin. Your main focus? Hydration. Think of your skin as a sponge. When it’s full of water, it maintains its form better. When it’s out of water, it sags and wrinkles a little. There are many ways to approaching skin hydration.
First, you need to determine whether your skin is dry or dehydrated. If your skin is naturally on the drier side, that means your skin does not produce a lot of sebum. Your skin is essentially missing oil, so you are looking to replace that with oil-based ingredients.
Oil-based cleansers, facial oil, creams, or anything rich in lipids would do wonders to plump your skin. Even eating healthy fats can have a positive impact on your skin. But lay low on fragrances and acids as they may irritate and dry out your skin.
Ceramide is a word you should be on the lookout for in your skincare products. Ceramides are naturally abundant within our skin barrier. They work to lock moisture in your skin and keep external toxins out. Ceramide creams enhance your skin’s natural system and work to repair damage to your skin barrier. A popular ceramide cream you may have heard of is CeraVe’s famous moisturizing cream.
At Mirra, we’re not a fan of diagnosing skin type because sometimes our skin changes as quickly as our moods.
But here are some signs that your skin is on the drier side:
On the other hand, if your skin is dehydrated, that’s a whole different story. Dehydrated skin is often caused by environmental factors such as low humidity or too much sun exposure. Your skin is thirsting for water! Make no mistake, even oily skin can be dehydrated. In fact, your skin dehydration can be worsening your oiliness by forcing your oil glands to overcompensate for the lack of moisture.
When it comes to making dehydrated skin look plump, you want to rely on hydrating water-based ingredients. Namely, humectants. What are humectants? Humectants are ingredients that draw water into the top layer of the skin, helping to retain moisture. Glycerin and hyaluronic acid are two popular humectants (and for good reason too).
Let me tell you why glycerin is so great besides being hydrating duh:
So here’s the big deal with the latest super-star ingredient hyaluronic acid:
Another way you can make dehydrated skin look plump is by exfoliating properly. By removing dead skin cells, you are allowing your moisturizer and serums to penetrate the skin more effectively. You can also supplement your hydrating skincare ritual by drinking tons of water and eating water-rich foods.
Note: Just because your skin is dry and not dehydrated or vice versa does not exclude you from using certain ingredients. You will often find that moisturizing formulas will include both ceramides and humectants. Furthermore, who said people with oilier skin can’t use oil-based cleansers. Double cleansing, hello? But you don’t have to take our word for it. Test different products on your skin to see what works best for you.
Note part two: I know I have too many notes, sue me. If you really want to know how to make your skin look plump, make sure you are layering your products correctly. Humectants like water, and water evaporates. So if your humectant ingredients are in serum form or are not combined with occlusive ingredients, you need to put them under your moisturizer or oils. Basically, think thin consistencies to thick consistencies when layering your skincare products and you’ll never go wrong.
If you’re into plumping your skin for the long haul, look for anti-aging ingredients. Anything to boost collagen production. I’m talking retinol. Why is retinol somehow mentioned in almost every article I’ve written? Because it’s so goddamn useful when it speeds up cell turnover and snatches that collagen and elastin.
Bakuchiol is a plant-based alternate to retinol with similar benefits. It’s said to be easier to tolerate and have fewer side effects than retinol. It has less research to back it up, but you don’t have to worry about sun sensitivity and whether or not it clashes with your other ingredients.
Now glycolic acid here is so underrated. It’s an exfoliant (an AHA) that really penetrates deep into the skin to trigger that collagen production. Glycolic acid is great for all skin types. Another wonderful option is peptides, which are active chains of amino acids. Applied topically, they trick your skin into thinking it needs to produce more collagen.
This is how you make your skin look plump⏤ it’s really a no-brainer. Give your skin a little boost by adding more hydrating products to your skincare ritual. To maintain your luscious plump skin in the years to come, look into collagen-boosting ingredients.
Written by Jessica Lu
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