Can A Humidifier Help Your Skin? One Small Change, Great Results

A few months ago I bought a humidifier to put in my bedroom to see if it would help me with my dry skin and I’m really excited to tell you about it. In the most basic terms, humidifiers add humidity (water content) to the air which can help in many ways. I have found a RIDICULOUSLY affordable humidifier and I’m sharing my tips for use below.

NB: If you live in a damp or humid area, this is not for you (instead you should look into getting a dehumidifier!)

I’ve been using my humidifier for months, but they can really come into their own in the winter when our skin is already feeling chapped, dry, and then also having to battle central heating. Increasing the moisture in the air can not only help your skin and lips, but can also help with that horrible tickly dry-throat-and-sinuses feeling you get in the colder months. Dry air can impact your skin to the point where it can begin to damage your skin barrier: this is bad news for everyone but especially those of us with sensitive skin as your skin is your largest organ and has the essential job of protecting you from bacteria, dirt, and pollution. So if your skin is damaged, or not working optimally, you open yourself up to lots of problems.

I bought a little machine to test the humidity in my flat and the normal level beforehand was about 45% (the ideal is around 50-55%) and in the morning after running my humidifier the level varies between 50-60%.

THIS is the humidifier that I have – it’s a small humidifier that also doubles as a diffuser. And it’s £14.99! What a bargain. It won’t have much impact in a large room, but my bedroom is fairly small (hi, typical London flat sizes!) and I have it next to me on my bedside table to get all the benefits. However for that price I might get one for my office desk as well…

It fits 150ml of water in the tank and it has a button to change from intermittent diffusion (which lasts about 10 hours) or continuous misting (which lasts about 5) and there’s another button to select the colour if you want to use it as a night light. I don’t bother with this as I like the room dark but for those of you who like a soft glow, there are some pretty colours – as shown above!

It does say in the description that it makes no noise which I have to disagree with, but it’s definitely not enough noise to keep you awake. In fact, I find it quite relaxing and now miss it if I don’t have it on. It’s a gentle bubbling noise with a soft hiss as the steam is emitted.

I definitely think that my skin has benefited from the humidifier – it feels less tight and I wake up with my skin feeling comfortable and calm. I also noticed after going away this weekend (and leaving the humidifier at home!) that I would wake up with very dry throat and eyes, so anecdotally I really believe it’s helping. My initial idea was that I’d try a small humidifier to see if it did anything and then maybe invest in a bigger, more technical one further down the road. If you’re in the same position of wanting to try it, then the one I got is under £15 which I think is a bargain.

I’ve been using some lovely essential oils from Neal’s Yard remedies [gifted]. They have so many different oils to choose from, depending on the mood you are trying to create or the scent you like to surround yourself with. My personal favourites are Mandarin (citrusy without being clinical) or Women’s Balance (a blend of relaxing patchouli, uplifting geranium, nurturing rose and rejuvenating frankincense). I add two drops to the water in the diffuser before bed and it gives such a lovely calming smell which really helps me to relax.

One last thing that’s important to remember is that regular cleaning is a must, otherwise you will develop a build up of bacteria and potentially mould which you do not want pumping out into the air!

Do you use a humidifier? If not, do you think your skin would benefit from one?

Lex

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