Focus & Fixes – Dryness
From dehydration, we’re moving on to dryness.
Causes of dry skin
Dryness is a skin type, caused by a lack of sebum production. It is often exacerbated by external factors such as heating, alcohol comsumption and unsuitable products.
This lack of natural oils causes tightness, itchiness, flakiness or even peeling. Dry skin feels rough and often appear dull.
Daily Routine Focus
For dryness relief, the right cleanser will make a bigger difference than the richest cream.
- Non-drying cleanser
- Avoid high temperatures
- Non-abrasive
- AHAs
- Humectants and emollients
- Timing
Mildness is a must. Extremely dry individuals will respond better to a non-foaming cleanser.
Heat encourages water loss from skin, so avoid hot water or showers. Room to lukewarm temperature is optimal for cleansing.
Exfoliation is important in breaking the dryness cycle. It removes the hardened and dry skin surface, allows your moisturiser to work more effectively.
As dry skin can be very delicate, it is important that the exfoliator is non-abrasive to prevent inflicting micro-cuts on skin.
AHAs, especially lactic acid, also behaves as a humectant, increasing water content of your skin.
Your moisturiser should contain both humectants and barrier-repairing emollients e.g. squalane and lanolin. Together, they combat dryness by increasing water content and reducing water loss.
Our skin is most receptive when slightly damp. To get the most out of your moisturiser, apply it within 3 minutes after cleansing to lock in maximum moisture.
Other tips
To get rid of stubborn patches of flaky skin, lightly wet a cotton pad and gently buff around the area using small circular motions. For a home treatment, pack on your moisturiser as a mask on clean skin for 20-30 minutes, then wipe excess off.
The battle against dryness is best won with consistency. Using the right products diligently will place you on top of it!
