Having a deep knowledge of your dry skin type allows you to adapt your skin care routines and product choices to your exact needs. In this guide, we will review the causes and symptoms of dry skin, as well as the exact routine you’ll need to restore comfort and luminosity in your skin.
What is Dry Skin?
How to Identify Dry Skin?
- If your skin feels uncomfortable and tight.
- If your complexion is dull and lacks radiance.
- If your skin lacks softness, it feels and looks rough and tight.
- If you’re having unpleasant symptoms like redness, tingling or tightness on fragile face areas, such as around the mouth.
- If your skin is flaky and some fine wrinkles are starting to show.
There’s a high probability that you have dry skin.
What are The Causes of Skin Dryness?
The toxins and free radicals to which we are permanently exposed (pollution, sunrays and cigarette smoke), as well as sudden changes in temperature weaken the epidermis and cause damage to the skin.
Some everyday habits can also trigger off skin dryness, for example, the use of overly aggressive exfoliators or aggressive treatments (chemical peels, microdermabrasion). The use of hot and long showers can also cause skin to dry out and irritate.
Besides, an unhealthy diet deficient in vitamin A, trace elements and essential fatty acids, can also damage the skin and its barrier function. In addition to your daily care routine, nutrition and hydration play an essential role in the beauty and good health of your skin.
Finally, natural aging is a major factor that can promote skin dryness. Over the years, the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid fibers diminishes, as a result, the skin loses its firmness and suppleness and dries out.
What to do About Dry Skin?
Now you might ask, what is the best skin care routine for dry skin?
Skin Care Routine for Dry Skin
Cleanse Dry Skin
Gentle Exfoliation
To regain softness and comfort, you should choose scrubs that are adapted to the nature of your dry skin, in addition to deep cleansing, they need to be moisturizing and nourishing in order to improve the texture of the skin in general.
Oils and Serums
The skincare oil or serum is the perfect repairing step for dry skin. In order to remain hydrated and healthy as long as possible, dry skin needs a serum enriched with essential fatty acids and moisturizing active ingredients to quickly bring comfort and luminosity.
Creams and Moisturizers
In need of lipids, dry skin will have to rely on adapted rich and creamy moisturizers or even balms, formulated with moisturizing, nourishing active ingredients. Coconut, avocado, Shea butter, argan, or olive oil are all ingredients to look for in the formulas when choosing your moisturizer as a final and essential step in your routine, to regain comfort, suppleness, and softness.
Best Tips to Prevent Dry Skin
Make sure to use some adapted and targeted treatments to offer yourself the most complete routine possible, such as a nourishing face mask to be applied once or twice a week, a moisturizing eye contour cream to fight the fine lines and improve elasticity, an ultra-soft lotion suitable for dry skin, etc.
Be sure to have a balanced diet and to drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day to reduce skin dryness. By increasing your water consumption and following a balanced diet, you will immediately see changes in the softness and complexion of your skin.
It is highly recommended to apply a day cream including an SPF on a daily basis, especially during sun exposure, as the hydrolipidic film (which also has a small UV barrier function) is almost absent in dry skin.
Invest in a humidifier, as too dry air with insufficient humidity (must be between 40 and 60%) harms the skin, the use of a humidifier can help to relieve and prevent dry skin.
What You Should Avoid if You Have Dry Skin
Stop using foaming cleansers and soaps saturated with irritating surfactants that will dry out and aggravate discomfort.
Stop using strong and irritating face scrubs, use formulas with moisturizing and nourishing ingredients instead.
Stop overheating your home, indeed, an overheated atmosphere enhances skin dryness and irritation.
- And finally, avoid hot showers to prevent dryness, and use lukewarm water instead!
Hi, it’s Judy!