Before you begin creating a battle plan for your dry skin, it is essential to have a fundamental understanding of what dry skin is all about. Ironically, dry skin does not seem to be about a lack of moisture. There are studies comparing the water content of dry skin to normal or oily skin and there doesn't appear to be a statistically significant difference.
Adding more moisture to the skin is not necessarily a good thing—if anything, too much moisture, like soaking in a bathtub, is bad for skin (Source: Journal of Investigative Dermatology, February 2003, pages 275-284) because it disrupts the skin's intracellular matrix by breaking down the substances that keep skin cells functioning normally and in good shape.
What is thought to be taking place when dry skin occurs is that the intracellular matrix (the substances between skin cells that keep them intact, smooth, and healthy) has become depleted or damaged, creating water loss.
In order to prevent dry skin, the primary goal is to reduce the damage to, as well as preserve and enhance, the intracellular matrix. To reduce damage to the skin’s matrix, never use drying skin-care products such as soaps, harsh cleansers, or products with irritating ingredients. These problematic products can disrupt the outer layer of the skin, destroying the intracellular matrix and eventually cause skin to flake and feel rough.
Constant exposure to arid environments, cold weather, as well as air blasting from dry heaters or air conditioners are all problematic because they destroy the skin's matrix. Adding a humidifier to your home can make a world of difference! Believe it or not, sun damage plays a major role in why skin becomes dry any time of the year. Unprotected sun exposure creates a damaged outer layer of skin where skin cells adhere poorly to each other and the result is that the surface of new skin being formed is continually unhealthy and impaired. Sun damage also disrupts and destroys the skin’s intracellular matrix. Every day of the year, if there is daylight, the skin is subject to sun damage. Keep in mind that the sun’s damaging rays come through office and car windows. Sun protection is vital to the health of skin.
Improving cell turnover is another important consideration in getting rid of dry skin and improving the appearance of skin. Dry skin does not shed as it should and those built-up layers of dead skin cells can feel rough and look flaky. A well-formulated, pH-correct exfoliant such as an alpha hydroxy acid (glycolic or lactic acid) or beta hydroxy acid (salicylic acid) can handle this problem beautifully.
Genetically, aged skin is also a cause of dryness, because as the body's levels of estrogen drop the skin becomes thinner and the fat deposits under the skin (part of the skin's protective barrier) also become thinner or depleted altogether. Regrettably, there is little that can be done about this other than using various types of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and plant-based hormone replacement (phytoestrogens) that can be consumed when eating or drinking soy-based foods. By the way, while drinking eight glasses of water a day is great for your body, it doesn't work to improve or reduce dry skin. If that’s all it took to get rid of dry skin is drink more water, then no one would have dry skin and moisturizers would stop being sold. The causes of and treatments for dry skin are far more complicated than just drinking water.
Here are some great options for winning the battle:
Wear sunscreen: Daylight, even dim, obscure daylight, causes skin damage, which means it slowly becomes less and less able to hold moisture or feel smooth.
Use state-of-the-art moisturizers: Moisturizers should be filled to the brim with antioxidants, water-binding agents, and anti-inflammatory ingredients. If you have persistent or exceptionally dry skin the, moisturizers you use should also contain various forms of lipids such as lecithin, cholesterol, glycerol, glycerides, and plant oils. Anything less leaves your skin incapable of warding off the environmental causes of dry skin.
Apply and reapply moisturizer: If you have dry skin, you really can’t use too much. So whenever your skin starts feeling dry, put more on. It is also important to be diligent about reapplying moisturizer every time you wash your hands. Don’t forget to keep a moisturizer in your purse, at your desk, and in every bathroom in your home.
Avoid soap or drying cleansers—use only gentle, nondrying cleansers: This cannot be stressed enough. Never use a cleanser that leaves a dry feeling on your skin and that includes from the neck down. Do not overscrub skin, you can’t scour away dryness. Paula's Choice
All-Over Hair & Body Shampoo and
Silky Start Sugar Scrub are great options for cleansing and gently exfoliating skin manually.)
Avoid soaking in the bath tub, Jacuzzi, or taking long showers: As wonderful as a leisurely bath or shower feels, too much water is bad for skin because it breaks down the skin’s protective covering (the skin’s intracellular matrix) destroying the substances that keep skin cells intact. Keep showers or baths as short as possible.
Get a humidifier: Low humidity is the cause of most weather-related dry skin, whether it is winter or a desert environment. Humidifiers are relatively inexpensive, last a long time, and work for the whole family. If you have a large home, you may need two or three humidifiers to gain benefit.
Avoid bath oils in the bath: It does not make much sense to pour bath oils into the bath water because most of the oil goes down the drain, plus they make the bathtub slippery and dangerous. Bath oils also encourage you to soak in the tub for longer periods of time and that isn’t good for skin. There is also research showing that oil can trap cleansing ingredients on skin, causing irritation and dryness. Oils are best applied when you get out of the bath or shower after you are well rinsed off and gently towel dried.
Exfoliate: Skin cell turnover (exfoliating) is a function of healthy skin, but due to sun damage, skin more often than not needs help with this process. A well-formulated AHA or BHA can help skin cells turn over in a more natural, youthful manner by removing the build-up of old skin cells and replacing them with newer, smoother ones.
(Paula's Choice
8% Alpha Hydroxy Acid Solution, 1% Beta Hydroxy Acid
Lotion or
Gel, 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid
Liquid Solution or
Lotion,
Weightless Body Treatment With 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid, or
Skin Revealing Body Lotion with 10% Alpha Hydroxy Acid are great options as are Lac Hydrin, Alpha Hydrox products, and Neutrogena Skin Smoothing Body Lotion available at the drugstore).
Use plant oil or mineral oil over your moisturizer: At night, over stubborn dry areas, after you’ve applied your moisturizer, massage a few drops of oil onto your skin. Pure olive oil is a great option because it is rich in antioxidants, and pure mineral oil creates an instant seal over skin to keep in moisture. For a lighter, less greasy option Paula’s Choice
Silk Mist Dry Oil Spray With Antioxidants feels wonderful on skin.
Don’t forget your lips: Lips are the least capable of staying smooth and soft when the air becomes dry. They lack the lipids and cell structure the rest of the face has and, as a result, are far more vulnerable to the effects of dry air. During the day apply and reapply an emollient lipstick or gloss. At night be sure to the same. Do not go to sleep without protecting your lips. An emollient lip balm worn thoughout the night can prevent dry lips all year round. Be sure it doesn’t contain any irritating ingredients; peppermint and menthol can cause irritation and that won’t help dry lips. Paula’s Choice
Lip & Body Treatment Balm is perfect for nighttime use or paired with lipstick, while
Moisturizing Lipscreen SPF 15 offers portable, broad-spectrum sun protection for lips.
Never use products that contain drying or irritating ingredients: But you already knew that one, right?
If after all this you find that your skin is still dry, consider wearing plastic gloves over your hands or feet or wrapping the driest parts of your arms, legs, or feet with plastic wrap after you apply AHA or BHA, moisturizer, and oil. You will be shocked at the difference this can have even if you only do it once or twice a week. (Obviously, the plastic wrap trick is only for the elbows, hands, feet, or legs and never the face.)
