Back in the day, I was an oily skinned girlie who barely sipped 3 drops of water a day and steered clear of anything labelled “hydrating”.

So, after years and years of whining about my foundation sliding off my face due to the sheer amount of oil my skin wanted to produce, whilst dreaming of that flawless matte look that was everywhere at the time, something flipped. It was my skin suddenly turning into the Sahara desert (weep), and my sudden urge to ditch the pressed powder and get that glass skin look that was all over my TikTok feed (IYKYK).

I’ll admit. TikTok, specifically BeautyTok, has me in a chokehold. So, obviously, when I started seeing more and more women getting that gorgeous, dewy, and luminous look, by using cream based products, glowy foundations and hydrating skincare – I was hooked.

As one hydration-obsessed girlie to another – here are the products, I’ve been loving sick.

Skin cycling.

As someone constantly aiming for a luminous look – I’m always looking for ways to boost hydration in my skin. So, when I came across skin cycling on my feed, I decided to give it a shot, and it’s truly been doing wonders for my skin.

If you’re wondering what skin cycling is, it’s a skincare routine that involves using different active ingredients on different days, with several days that leave out activities entirely and instead focus on hydration, moisturisation and rebalancing. The goal here is to help you adapt to different types of products to maximise results, leaving your skin healthy and glowy.

Recently, I’ve been using the Neutrogena Hydro Boost range, that boasts a gentle water gel cleanser, hyaluronic acid serum, water gel moisturiser (the one you can refill! We love!) and biodegradable hydrating sheet mask. These products have given my skin the big drink of water it so desperately needed, turning my dehydrated skin into a radiant, smooth and glowy base.

The true hero in each of these products is hyaluronic acid, which is an ingredient that locks in moisture in the skin and helps to replenish moisture continuously throughout the day. Which is why I can’t recommend these products enough for anyone looking for that extra bit of hydration that leaves your skin with a lasting glow.

I’m obsessed with this hydrating formula (and my skin is too).

Emotional support water bottles.

I simply can’t walk out the door without my trusty bright purple emotional support water bottle. What if I get extremely parched while I’m out and about? I just can’t risk it.

The #emotionalsupportwaterbottle hashtag has blown up on TikTok with over 60 million views. Gone are the days of having any old thing to lug your water around.

Now, emotional support water bottles have become a fun and creative way to stay hydrated, with people choosing water bottles with unique designs and colours that they love. Brands such as Frank Green have turned their sleek stainless steel water bottles into a cultural token for Gen Z’s movement towards hydration.

We also can’t ignore the enduring appeal of the personalised Love Island water bottles. It really highlights how much this show has impacted global pop culture, and just how much air time these white flip-straw water bottles get. Owning one of these is probably the closest any of us will get to life in the villa.

The glass skin trend.

This trend isn’t all about dewy, smooth and flawless glass skin (and yes, I know it might seem that way with all the poreless skin you’ll see on your feed) but, it’s really about having skin that’s healthy and glows from within… and that starts with staying hydrated. The world was introduced to the Korean beauty term half a decade ago, but it was only recently this went viral on BeautyTok. ️

I’m still a bit of a beauty amateur, but the You Beauty podcast has been incredibly helpful in guiding me towards the right makeup products, beauty gadgets, skincare ingredients and treatments. I learned that with the proper morning and night skincare routine (don’t forget to layer on liquids and apply sunscreen), achieving glass skin is possible. However, you can also fake it ’til you make it with a luminous primer and foundation.

Skin flooding.

Nailing your skincare routine can be difficult. With so many products on the market, along with complicated scientific ingredients names all which serve a different purpose for your skin –  it can feel challenging to figure out what your skin needs.

What helped me was reading Your Best Skin: The Science of Skincare, by Hannah English. This book is basically a skincare manual that breaks down the science of your skin in a friendly, trustworthy and accessible way. The best part is, this book dives into finding a beauty ritual that is tailored to your skin needs – for me, my skin is dehydrated so opting for a routine such as skin flooding has deeply nourished my skin.

This skincare trick involves applying several hydrating products on damp skin, one after another. This locks in moisture and stops it from escaping, making your skin softer, smoother, and glowy.

The era of blotting paper and heavy matte foundation seems to have passed (thank you TikTok!), and personally, I’m really happy that we’ve made the shift towards staying hydrated and embracing radiant, healthy skin.