Dealing with dry skin can be a frustrating hassle, both physically & emotionally. We totally get it! ?
Choosing the right skincare/makeup products & application techniques can mask it without making it worse, & it’s important to identify the root cause for effective treatment. We know how it feels to try product after product without relief, but don’t worry! ?
Our expert-curated list of ingredients & nourishing, skin-restoring best selling beauty products can keep your skin healthy & happy, no matter what skin type you have.
How to tell if you have a dry skin type
If you have any of the following symptoms, you likely have either naturally dry skin or a dry skin condition.
- A feeling of tightness across the face
- Rough-looking and feeling skin
- Itchiness
- Either slightly or severely flaking skin which can look ashy on darker skin tones
- Scaling or peeling skin
- “Cracked” looking skin on the body
- Fine lines or cracks
- Deep cracks that may sometimes bleed (please see a doctor if this is the case)
Dry skin causes
Dry skin may occur for many reasons, from environmental to physical.
- If you are exposed to heat regularly, be it central heating, a fireplace, or hot weather.
- Cold and low humidity in your home or outside environment.
- Bathing or showering too often and scrubbing your skin too hard. This is an especially likely cause due to hard water in your area.
- Soaps and body products full of chemicals or containing alcohol.
- Skin conditions like atopic dermatitis (eczema) or psoriasis.
- Some patients develop dry or thick skin after undergoing treatments, especially ones for cancer.
- Aging is a culprit as well. The skin loses natural oils and collagen as it ages.
Skincare and Beauty Products for Dry Skin
If your dry skin results from a medical condition, we advise you to contact a medical professional for their input on which products would best suit your skin and skin condition.
If your skin is dry due to environmental factors or is just naturally dry, several ingredients will help soothe, moisturize, and hydrate your dry skin, and those are:
- Hyaluronic acid (can hold a far larger quantity of water than any other skincare ingredient).
- Soy
- Rosewater and rose oil
- Black tea
- Meadowfoam seed oil
- Angelica leaf extract
- Niacinamide
- Ceramides
- Cucumber extract
- Aloe vera
- Borage seed oil
These ingredients all perform one or more of several functions. They provide soothing, hydration, resurfacing, moisturizing, protection, and softening, all of which dry skin sufferers need in abundance.
After using products containing these ingredients, you will feel relief and see a visible difference in how your skin looks and feels.
Products to try
- An antioxidant moisturizer. If you think your dry skin is a result of the aging process, then this is a perfect choice. The antioxidants in the cream will boost your skin’s radiance and strengthen the skin barrier, keeping those pesky free radicals at bay. It will also smooth out fine lines around the eyes and mouth.
- A calming recovery mask. Masks act as intensive moisturizers when used overnight; they take that time of rest to lock moisture into your skin and help soothe any redness or itchiness you experience when moving around during the day. A mask containing squalene and vitamin C will be particularly beneficial and help brighten your skin and even out its tone, leaving it looking and feeling smooth.
- A hydrating facial cleanser. Stay well clear of any cleaners containing alcohol or any harsh synthetic ingredients, and opt for milky and soft cleansers containing ingredients like soy, cucumber, and aloe vera. A cleanser like this will wash away the day’s dirt and excess oil without stripping your skin of the protective barrier it needs.
- A soothing, hydrating, smoothing skin serum. A serum is the first thing you put on your skin after cleansing, so it’s the product that will penetrate further into the skin and can get under the top layers to do the hard work of moisturizing and hydrating. Niacinamide and Hyaluronic acid will help bring back that smoothness and bounce that you miss.
The Bottom Line
Dry skin can be frustrating and even painful, but it is something that you can handle if you know how. This list of ingredients to look out for and the products that often contain them will get you one step closer to happy, healthy skin.
