Dry skin can affect anyone, and it can be temporary or long-term. However, there are some factors that increase the likelihood of you having dry skin:
Age: As you age, your skin produces less oil, which is one of the reasons why wrinkles appear with age. If you are 40 or older, you are more likely to have dry skin.
Climatic conditions: If you live in a dry climate, such as a cold climate or a dry hot climate, you are more likely to have dry skin. This may also include areas where air conditioning or heating is often required.
Work: Your occupation can also affect dry skin. If you have a job that requires you to wash your hands frequently or regularly immerse yourself in or expose yourself to water, this can increase your likelihood of dry skin.
HOW TO “CURE” DRY SKIN?
Tip 1: Moisturize with a moisturizer/serum
There are a few things to consider when moisturizing your skin. The first is whether your product is thick enough. Thick moisturizers often have a higher oil content, which makes them just a little more protective and beneficial for dry skin.
Secondly, does your product contain ingredients that will help dry skin? Ingredients like ceramides, fatty acids, and humectants (like hyaluronic acid and glycerin) are great at providing the extra boost your skin may need to protect and retain moisture and hydration.
And third, are you providing your skin with enough protection? One of the best ways to protect your skin and prevent moisture loss is a technique called “ slugging .”
“Slugging” is a Korean skincare trend that involves applying petroleum jelly or petroleum jelly to the skin to improve the skin’s moisture content. This traps water under an occlusive layer or barrier-forming ingredient (such as petroleum jelly or petroleum jelly). This barrier helps prevent transepidermal water loss, or TEWL. TEWL occurs when the skin loses water to the air. “Slugging” is actually most effective if you follow your regular skincare routine before using it, as it keeps the moisturizers and oils close to the skin. “Slugging” is best done at night so it doesn’t interfere with your makeup or sunscreen. However, if you have extremely dry skin, you may find it helpful to apply it briefly during the day.
Tip 2: Avoid chemically harsh products
If you have dry skin, avoid products like soaps, shampoos, detergents, and even scrubs. Choose soap-free products. Soap-free products won't strip your skin of its natural oils. Plus, they're often formulated to provide extra moisture to your skin.
Tip 3: Cover your skin
In cold or dry climates, it is helpful to cover your skin to protect it from dry air. This can include gloves, scarves, and protecting your skin with thick moisturizers or petroleum jelly.
Tip 4: Use humidifiers
Using a humidifier can help alleviate the effects of dry air by reducing the loss of water from your skin into the air.
Tip 5: Reduce washing time, especially in hot water
Reduce the amount of natural oils your skin is stripping: limit your showering or bathing to 5-10 minutes a day and lower the water temperature. If you're not ready to give up hot showers just yet, you can apply oil or a layer of petroleum jelly to your skin before showering to protect it from the harsh effects of water.
Tip 6: Avoid skin damage
Avoid using scrubs, brushes, and even washcloths while showering or bathing. The friction they cause can break down the skin's protective barrier and reduce its ability to protect itself. The same goes for drying your skin after a shower: pat it dry rather than rub it.
Tip 7: Use fragrance-free detergents and avoid fabric softeners
Detergents and fabric softeners can irritate some skin types, especially when the skin is dry. When someone walks into my laundry room, they are always surprised because there is no smell of detergent – I only use detergents without added fragrances, which must be biodegradable, and I haven’t used fabric softener in 20 years.
Tip 8: Avoid fabrics that irritate the skin
Materials that are too rough or woolly to the touch can irritate your skin. So try to wear soft fabrics with fine weaves. This also applies to your bedding, so choose soft, finely woven fabrics and even consider a silk pillowcase.
When choosing moisturizing cosmetic products, what should they contain?
If you have dry skin, it’s important to look for moisturizers that protect, hydrate, and replenish your skin. They should contain humectants – ingredients in cosmetics that increase the skin’s water content, mimic the role of skin lipids, and restore the skin’s normal lipid barrier function. Moisturizers include humectants, occlusives, and emollients. Your product (or products) should contain all three groups of moisturizing ingredients.
Humectants are compounds that bind water. They are great for dehydrated skin and help increase the moisture content of the skin.
Some of the most common, most popular, humectants are:
– hyaluronic acid
– urea
– alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA)
– amino acids
– peptides
– sugar alcohols (glycerin, sorbitol, xylitol, etc.)
– aloe vera
– honey.
Occlusive moisturizers form a protective hydrophobic layer (a layer that repels water) on the skin’s surface, reducing or preventing water loss through evaporation. Therefore, these compounds prevent transepidermal water loss. These ingredients feel thick and heavy upon application because they do not absorb into the skin. Occlusive ingredients are best used on top of other skincare products to lock in the moisture and oils they provide.
Examples of occlusive ingredients are:
– paraffin oil
– mineral oils
– lanolin
– waxes
– silicones
The third type of compound that is good to have in your products is emollients. An emollient is an oily substance that fills the spaces between dead skin cells, creating a smooth surface for the skin. An emollient forms a film that makes the skin look smooth and supple.
Examples of emollients are:
– butter
– oils
– esters
– lipids
– fatty acids
– ceramides.
I suggest that it's best to look for a moisturizer that contains a combination of all three types of ingredients. If you have particularly dry skin, it may be best to layer these three types of ingredients, such as a moisturizing serum, then a cream, and then an occlusive serum.
CONCLUSION
Ugh, too complicated? Yes, the knowledge of the chemistry of cosmetic products and the development of cosmetology has advanced. We learned a lot from grandmother's old recipes, but today we have upgraded them. There are so many beautiful young faces on the streets today, and let's admit that the face of a 50-year-old woman today is definitely different from the appearance of a 50-year-old woman from 20 years ago. So let's just applaud science for always standing by our side. And helping with our everyday whims and fancies.