Essential Care for Dry Skin

Dry skin? Understanding what your skin needs is the first step to keeping it healthy and beautiful. Remember, products intended for other skin types can wreak havoc on dry skin, and vice versa! It’s important to tailor your skin care to your particular skin type.

This is the first blog post of ours on caring for the three skin types: oily, dry, and combo. Stay tuned for the other skin types soon!

Now, let’s learn the best ways to care for dry skin.

Symptoms of Dry Skin

The cause of dry, sensitive skin is an impaired barrier function. Essentially, skin has lost its ability to retain water, so surface lipids can no longer form a homogenous barrier. This allows external aggressors and irritants to penetrate deeper into skin.

Symptoms of dry skin include:

Flaking
Stinging
Redness
Itching
Sensation of tightness
Accentuated expression lines

What Damages The Barrier?

So, what brings about the damaged barrier that leads to to dry skin? Causes can be various, but common sources of damage include sun damage, over-exfoliation and peels, over-cleansing, extreme cold and heat, and using products that are overly harsh.

Healing the Barrier

Using products designed to restore your skin’s barrier function will bring back that suppleness and glow.

Specifically, use products that contain lipids, which empower your moisturizer to penetrate your skin more deeply.

Emollient moisturizers like Epionce® Intensive Nourishing Cream are great for infusing dry skin with much-needed health and radiance.

And before you moisturize, try layering with a lucious serum. Adding 1-2 drops of a serum such as Skin Ceuticals® before your moisturizer allows it to sink into skin more powerfully.

Dry Skin Don’ts

If you have dry skin, avoid foaming cleansers and ingredients with enhanced penetration, like exfoliants. Also, avoid clarisonic brushes or any abrasive facial tool, since they can damage dry skin and cause abrasions.

Invest in These Acids

Lactic: Dry skin types often struggle to combat signs of aging and need a lot of extra moisture to balance skin texture and feel. Lactic acid is a gentler alternative to glycolic acid for these benefits, so it’s a great option for nourishing dry, sensitive skin.
Oleic: This acid is an excellent moisturizer that doesn’t leave you with too much shine. Dry skin can be acne-prone due to an excess of “sticky” dead skin cells clogging up pores.
Hyaluronic: This powerful humectant (moisture-grabbing ingredient) has the ability to draw moisture from the air to keep your skin hydrated all day long, even long after you apply it.
Ascorbic: This superstar acid variant of vitamin C is a must for dry, flaky skin. A powerful antioxidant, ascorbic acid is especially good for dry skin because it fights signs of aging and repairs damage: two big struggles for dry skin.
Glycolic: Over time, glycolic acid drastically improves dullness and dryness by encouraging the production of collagen and elastin in your face.

Extra Tips

For dry skin, consider a gentle cleanser with added moisturizers. Your skin should feel soft and smooth after cleansing. If the cleanser makes your skin feel tight, dry, or irritated, try a different cleanser! Avoid products with salicylic acid.
Dry skin can be caused by pollution, itchy clothing, cold weather, excessive sun exposure, deodorant soaps, fragranced lotions, certain medications, types of makeup, long hot showers, and medical conditions like eczema, psoriasis, diabetes, and hypothyroidism.

For more help caring for your dry skin, make an appointment with a Skin Smart aesthetician at 215-348-7335!