Are you having difficulty managing dry, flaky skin that persists throughout the day? Is it frequently associated with itching? Developing a good daily skincare routine could be the solution to your problem. Wondering which products to choose for the right routine for dry skin? Click here
Every skin type, texture, and concern has its own set of requirements. It’s just as vital to know the technique and order of application as it is to find a suitable product for your skin type.
Want to learn about the ideal daily skincare routine for preventing skin dryness? Read on.
Let’s first understand what dry skin is
Even though dry skin affects both men and women equally, older adults are more prone to it. The lower amount of natural skin oils and lubricants in dry skin is a common skin condition caused by a lack of moisture in the epidermis, the skin’s most superficial layer.
Dry skin is more prevalent in the arms, hands, and, especially, the lower legs. Humidity and temperature, for instance, have a significant impact on how much water is absorbed by the skin.
Usually, the epidermis (top most layer of skin) comprises fat (lipid) and protein. Skin dryness is prevented by the lipid part of the epidermis and specialized epidermal proteins (such as filaggrin). When proteins and lipids lack, skin moisture evaporates more quickly. As skin dries out, it becomes more sensitive, prone to rashes, and prone to skin disintegration. Xerosis is the medical name for dry skin.
In treating dry skin, simple prevention and therapy strategies are pretty efficient. Avoiding harsh soaps and chemical cleansers are basic dry skin prevention methods. Treatment necessitates a more frequent and consistent application of essential emollients and moisturizers.
Dry skin: Causes
Heat: Heat is the primary cause of dryness as it takes away moisture.
Environment: Living in a chilly, windy climate or in a low-humidity environment.
Excessively washing or bathing: Long, hot showers or baths, as well as excessive scrubbing, can cause the skin to become dry. Bathing more than once a day might also strip your skin of its natural oils.
Soaps and detergents: Soaps and detergents that are too harsh are not meant for the skin. Since they are intended to remove oil, many popular soaps, detergents, and shampoos drain moisture from your skin.
Other skin problems. Dry skin is more common in people with skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis (eczema) or psoriasis.
Medical treatments. Following cancer treatment, dialysis, or using certain drugs, some people have dry, thick skin.
Ageing: The skin thins with age and produces fewer of the oils required for the skin to retain water.
Genetics can also affect your risk for dry skin
Major signs and symptoms
Dry skin might be transitory or seasonal — you could only get it in the winter, for example — or it can require long-term treatment. Your age, overall health, skin colour, living condition, and sun exposure may all influence the signs and symptoms of dry skin. They are as follows:
- skin tightness
- Rough look and feel
- Itchy
- Slight to severe skin flaking skin
- Scaling or peeling
- Fine lines and cracks
- Deep cracks in the skin that is prone to bleeding
At SkinInspired, we are committed to curating products based especially on the needs of your skin. Search products by skin type and build your dream routine!
Daytime skincare routine for dry skin
Step 1: CLEANSE
Begin by washing your face with a gentle hydrating cleanser. This helps remove grime, oil, and sweat from your skin without dehydrating it more.
Choose a cleanser that leaves your skin feeling clean and nourished, not tight and inconvenient. To hydrate the skin while gently eliminating grime, oil, and other pollutants from the surface, look for a face wash that has hydrating components like vitamin E, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid.
Step 2: TONER
Dry skin has a harder time absorbing topical treatments than moist skin. As a result, toning guarantees that your favorite moisturizer can provide deep nourishment to your skin.
Toners help hydrate your skin and prepare it for beauty products. As a result, you must never omit this step. Always use an alcohol-free formula.
Step 3: SERUM
A face serum is a product with a lot of active ingredients in it. While we encourage starting to use serums consistently in your thirties, if you believe your skin requires it, you can start in your twenties. Using hydrating serums to refresh your skin is a great idea. The most common element identified in these serums is hyaluronic acid.
Step 4: MOISTURIZE
Moisturiser is a lifesaver for dry skin, and it’s the heroic ingredient that keeps the benefits of your toner and serum locked in. Richer hydrating moisturizers or lotions are better for dry skin than lighter gels that are ideal for oily skin. Ceramide-rich moisturizers are particularly beneficial. Ceramides are your skin’s natural moisturizing system, and they help to maintain a healthy lipid barrier, but as you get older, they start to decline.
This is a crucial step, especially if you have dry skin. A rich moisturizer moisturizes the skin, leaving it feeling soft and silky.
Step 5: SUNSCREEN
Wrap your day with a sunscreen that not only protects against UVA and UVB radiation but also contains restorative ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ceramides. Sunscreen is, without a doubt, the most effective anti-aging product available.
A well-formulated one will hydrate and soften your skin while providing adequate sun protection; anything over the broad spectrum SPF 30 will suffice. Any sunscreen with SPF 50 PA+++, which may block up to 97 percent of dangerous UVB rays, is a great option. However, reapply it every several hours, if necessary.
Want our budget-friendly recommendation? Click here
Nighttime skincare routine for dry skin
Your nighttime skincare routine is vital since this is when your skin repairs itself the most. As a result, using the correct products on your skin before going to bed will help your skin heal faster and stay healthy.
Step 1: Makeup removal
To begin, always cleanse your skin well. Micellar Cleansing Water can be used to remove makeup, grime, oil, and other pollutants. This micellar water cleanses and hydrates your skin at the same time, making it ideal for dry skin. To assist in thoroughly cleaning your pores and revitalizing your skin, follow up with a foamy face wash.
Step 2: Cleanse
Begin your nighttime skincare routine with a cleanser that effectively eliminates dirt and other impurities without drying out your skin. Sticking to a tight skincare routine at night, following an extended, busy day, may seem impossible.
The best face wash for dry skin is a non-foaming, non-lathering composition with soothing ingredients that gets the job done without irritating the skin’s outer layer. An extra plus is the fragrance-free composition, which contains hydrating Glycerin and Niacinamide.
Step 3: Tone
To balance your skin after cleansing it, apply a well-formulated toner. Using a toner at night will provide your dry skin with more hydration.
Avoid toners that include alcohol and instead choose toners that contain moisturizing components like Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, and other compounds that moisturize your skin rather than stripping it and drying it up.
Toners also contain other important ingredients including niacinamide (which helps prevent hyperpigmentation) and Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) (for uniform skin tone).
Step 4: Serum
It’s all about layering the proper products for dry skin. That’s why, to keep your skin looking healthy and moisturized all day, you need to include a serum in your skincare routine.
It’s time to join the face serum bandwagon if you haven’t already. We recommend using a serum rich in Vitamin E, A, and C that can help prevent collagen breakdown and leave your skin supple and soft.
Step 5: Night cream
Give your skin an extended deep therapy with a moisturizing lotion rich in nutrients which will aid in the fight against discoloration and aging, as well as make your skin look fresh in the morning.
When looking for the best face cream for dry skin at night, look for formulas that contain Almond Oil, Jojoba Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, and other ingredients that resemble your skin’s natural lipids and effectively rebuild the skin’s moisture barrier. Choose a product that increases collagen production and moisturizes the skin to nourish your delicate under-eye area.
Step 6: Under-eye cream
Eye cream ought to be a component of every girl’s skincare routine since this provides focused therapy for the thin skin around their eyes, but it’s especially important for those who have dry skin.
Dark circles and puffiness can be effectively treated with an eye treatment that precisely targets the delicate skin around your eyes. Use an anti-ageing eye lotion to reduce dark circles and lines around the eyes.
Incorporating a nighttime eye cream into your face care routine will ensure that you are no longer reliant on concealer. Make sure you get an eye cream that is meant to be used at night. It’s important to remember that daytime lotions prevent damage while nighttime creams reverse it.
Step 7: Overnight face mask
Use a hydrating overnight face mask as the final step in your evening skincare routine, then wash it off first thing in the morning for a brighter complexion. Apply this to your skin before going to bed, and you’ll wake up with hydrated skin. It’s that simple!
Top Ingredients To Look For In Dry Skincare
1. Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a prominent element in skincare that occurs naturally in the body. It is commonly referred to as HA since it hydrates the skin and makes it appear plump with fewer wrinkles. It is a humectant, which means it takes moisture from the environment and transports it to the cells. As a result, it must be used in conjunction with a nourishing moisturizer or an emollient such as a face oil to form a barrier on the skin.
2. Glycerin
Glycerin is a colorless, odorless humectant that works well in skincare products, particularly ones that claim to moisturize. It keeps the cells hydrated by securing fluids within them. It’s also useful for healing wounds and reducing inflammation.
3. Shea butter
Shea butter is well known in the beauty industry for being especially nourishing and rich. Shea butter can calm skin and reduce frizz even in its natural form. It’s an emollient that absorbs quickly and helps the skin retain moisture, keeping it smooth and supple.
4. Vitamin E
Vitamin E can be found in a variety of foods, including almond oil, sunflower seeds, and avocados. As a result, eating them is another excellent strategy to reap additional benefits. Vitamin E is also found in skincare products because of its ability to protect the skin from the drying effects of free radicals while also increasing moisture levels.
Dry Skincare routine must Not Include:
Make sure you’re not using these products or components in your routine to guarantee you’re appropriately caring for your dry skin.
1. Foaming Cleansers
Although foaming cleansers appear to be a fun and effective method to scrub your face, they dry up your skin. The chemical responsible for those foamy bubbles is sodium lauryl sulfate (or SLS). SLS, however, can disrupt the lipid barrier, causing irritation and dryness. Stick to cream or gel cleansers if you have dry skin.
2. Astringent
Toners and astringents are often mistaken for one another. Astringents are used after cleansing to eliminate excess sebum from the skin. While toners are beneficial to all skin types, astringents are best reserved for those with oily skin.
3. Alcohol
Alcohol isn’t always a bad thing in skincare. Fatty alcohols like Cetearyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol, work as emulsifiers to keep your skin moisturized. However, avoid items containing denatured alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, or benzyl alcohol. These are intended to help skincare products penetrate your skin more efficiently, but they often dry out your skin and make it more prone to breakouts.
4. Added fragrance
Fragrances are added to skincare products to cover the unpleasant natural musk of the substances. Unfortunately, scents, whether synthetic, natural, or derived from essential oils, can irritate your skin, exacerbating dryness symptoms. If you have dry, sensitive skin, always look for fragrance-free cosmetics.
Summary
Dry skin is a common health complaint. It occurs when the skin lacks the moisture or oils it requires to stay healthy. Dry skin can be red, scaly, itchy, and sometimes painful.
Dry skin can be caused by environmental factors such as cold weather or dry air. It could also be caused by medical disorders such as eczema, dehydration, or diabetes.
Most cases of dry skin can be resolved by following simple efforts, such as using a moisturizer. Nevertheless, some people may require prescription-strength medication.
In case your dry skin does not improve with home remedies or is interfering with everyday life, consult a doctor immediately. Need more dry skin care tips from known dermatologists? Click here