Do you experience dry, scaly skin that often becomes tight, flaky and itchy? Do you feel like no matter how much moisturizer you slather on your face, you never seem to get relief? Although it is a common experience, this does not make dry skin on the face any less uncomfortable or annoying. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to tackle the problem, and we’ve come up with a skin care routine for dry skin that will help slough off those flakes and replenish moisture so you can restore your glowing skin and feel confident again.
5 symptoms of dry skin | How to get rid of dry skin | 5 step routine
5 symptoms of dry skin you may notice
Check out the following symptoms to determine if you have dry skin:
- The skin on your face and body feels very tight after showering, swimming or cleaning
- Generally, your skin has a rough texture
- The skin around your lips or on your face peels
- Fine lines or deep cracks develop
- You experience dryness that is painful, itchy or scaly
Still not sure if you have dry skin? Watch this In The Mix video as Eminence Organics Lead Skin Care Trainer Natalie Pergar presents three easy steps to your categorization skin type.
How to get rid of dry skin
Dry skin can be aggravated by external factors such as seasonal changes, environmental stress and even hormones. Read our complete guide to dry skin to determine if you’re dealing with it or if something else is at play – like dehydration or an adverse reaction to a food or beauty product. If dryness is indeed the culprit, here are some easy ways to keep dry skin soft and supple:
1. Hydrate
The first line of defense for dry skin is usually a moisturizer. Oil-based ointments, creams and lotions that are rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs) can compensate for the lack of oils and lipids in dry skin. They lubricate the skin’s surface as well as strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier to replenish and seal in essential moisture. “When choosing a moisturizer for dry skin, aim for a heavier formula and look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid…” she explains Dr. Hooman Khorasani, Dermatologist and Cosmetic Surgeon. “Other ingredients to look for are shea butter and lactic acid, which provide hydration and exfoliation.”
Pro tip: Apply moisturizer while your skin is still slightly damp, either after cleansing or after a spritz of refreshing or revitalizing mist to lock in extra hydration.
2. Take a shower or bath with lukewarm water
Extreme temperatures can aggravate an already dry skin by stripping the skin of essential oils. Dr. Joshua Zeichner he says SELF: “The water in your shower should be the temperature you would imagine a heated pool to be – about 84 degrees F.” If hot showers are your love language, limit them to 10 minutes at most to mitigate the damage.
3. Use gentle ingredients
Like extreme temperatures, harsh cosmetic ingredients can affect the skin’s moisture barrier, causing dryness and irritation. To protect your skin, avoid skin care products that contain chemical ingredients such as parabens, petroleum jelly, mineral oil, propylene glycol, or sodium lauryl sulfate. All Eminence Organics products are free of these ingredients, so switching could make a difference.
4. Protect your skin in winter
Dry winter air also increases skin dryness. There’s less moisture around during the winter months, which makes any on your skin evaporate faster. Many of us are also guilty of turning up the thermostat, which further removes moisture from the air and skin. For compensation, Harvard Health she recommends using a humidifier and setting it to about 60%, which is enough to replace any moisture lost in the top layer of your skin.
5. Adjust your diet
Attack the subject from the inside out. You can boost your skin’s ability to retain moisture by adding healthy fats to your diet. Omega-3 and omega-6 oils support skin health by fighting inflammation and strengthening the skin’s moisture barrier. Foods rich in healthy fats include salmon, flaxseeds, walnuts, avocados and sunflower seeds.
Now that you know some tactics for treating your dry skin and preventing it, you can also consider a number of gentle products that can be helpful in relieving dry skin on the face. One of the best ways to combat this is by adjusting your skincare routine to include moisture-rich products that replenish and repair. We recommend the following routine to heal and soothe dry skin so it feels a little more balanced.
A 5-step routine to help you deal with dry facial skin
If your flaky skin is causing your style cramp, smooth things out from day to night with these Eminence Organics solutions.
1. Clean up
Lathering with harsh soaps or strong perfumes can further irritate dry skin. There’s also a chance that the foaming cleanser you’re using is stripping your skin of its natural oils. Instead, use a rich balm or oil, or if you want to see bubbles to feel clean, choose a mild option like Kombucha Microbiome Foaming Cleanser. As a first cleansing step, cleanse your dry skin with a gentle oil-based cleanser. We recommend the Stone Crop Cleansing Oil which replenishes the skin with moisturizing ingredients such as sunflower oil and jojoba oil. Using this as the first step of a double cleanse is especially effective on make-up days.
In addition to adding moisture, you may also want to exfoliate and remove surface debris. Monoi Age Corrective Exfoliating Cleanser is infused with exotic monotones and made with Eminence Organics’ unique Natural retinol alternative to help you achieve a smoother, more youthful glow.
2. Exfoliate (Weekly to Start)
Us Product Support Team encourages exfoliating dry skin weekly to “take care of any flaking.” For this skin type, a gentle exfoliant like Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant is the best choice. Containing lactic acid, rice and chickpea flour, this natural and chemical exfoliating combination clears away dead skin cells and smoothes rough, dry skin The presence of salicylic acid gently exfoliates and removes impurities to brighten things up and shrink the appearance of resources.
Watch Natalie guide you through two gentle yet effective ways to exfoliate dry skin, eliminate flakes and reveal a glowing complexion:
3. Tone
A toner is helpful to balance your skin’s moisture and pH levels after cleansing and remove any impurities that cleansers may have missed. Think of toner as the “emollient” for your cleanser. A product like Stone Crop Hydrating Mist includes emollient ingredients like stone crop, lavender and jasmine to restore moisture and nourish dry skin. After cleansing your skin, apply one to two sprays to the face and neck, or you can apply it with a cotton ball, avoiding the eye area, and let it work.
4. Treat
When it comes to choosing an oil, concentrate or serum for dry skin, we recommend looking for a product rich in fatty acids. Our recommendation is the Facial Recovery Oil, which includes nourishing oils that are healing for dry skin. This luxurious face oil is formulated with precious herbs and oils, including clary sage oil and sage leaf extract, to soothe and rejuvenate the skin. It is also a best seller and for good reason. It has earned the nickname “liquid gold” from our customers – and it does Cameron Diaz is a fan, saying, “A drop of facial repair oil goes a long way in relieving dryness from the sun and water. A drop on each cheek after your shower will do wonders.”
5. Hydrate
When you shower or wash your face, make it a habit to apply a generous layer of moisturizer and spend plenty of time massaging your face. Choose an oil-rich cream that replenishes moisture and repairs your skin’s lipid barrier. Our Coconut Age Corrective Moisturizer includes deeply hydrating coconut oil and shea butter. Shea butter, in particular, is an excellent emollient for the skin, as it is rich in triglycerides and fatty acids that restore and retain moisture.
If you want to target the neck and face during the night, use the Monoi Age Corrective Night Cream for Face and Neck as it reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles so you wake up looking more refreshed.
And don’t forget the rest of your body. Dry skin is a real thing all year round. Whether the culprit is salt water, dry air, diet or environmental stressors, your hands and feet can also feel flaky and itchy. A nightly skin care routine is one of the most effective ways to rejuvenate and hydrate your skin, especially mature skin. Outside of the shower, we recommend using Monoi Age Corrective Night Body Cream. Contains an exclusive Argan Stem Cell Complex to encourage skin to appear softer and smoother.
Ready to update your dry skin care routine? Find these products and more at an Eminence Organics Spa partner near you.
This article was originally written in November 2020.
