Normal to Dry Skin

How to Understand your Dry Skin Needs

Is your skin ‘dry’ or ‘dehydrated’

All of us lose around 300 – 400 mls of water a day as it’s evaporated back into the atmosphere.  We replace it with water we consume.

Dehydrated skin is skin that needs more water – which can be provided by drinking it, or with hydrating moisturisers.  You can tell if your skin is dehydrated through its tone: it will look dull and areas like the eyes will appear slightly sunken and darker.

Dry skin is due to the lack of lipids (sebum) in this top layer of the skin. That said, dehydrated skin can appear as dry skin, as well as causing other skin issues such as sunken eyes and a dull skin tone.

Tell tale signs of dry skin:

• Itching

• Patches of ‘ashiness’ especially in darker skin types

• Cracking and lines that are tender to the touch

• Tightness made worse by exposure to water

• Redness

• Scaliness and roughness

• Peeling

Tell tale signs of dehydrated skin:

·        Sunken areas, particularly around the eyes and mouth

·        Fine lines, particularly on the cheeks

·        Lack of volume – if you press the skin it takes a long time to ‘pop’ back up

·        Poor tone – your skin may appear dull, and lack colour

·        Patches of oiliness, for example on the nose.  This is your skin’s way of trying to compensate for the lack of water.

What causes dryness 

• Age:  As we age, our skin loses elasticity, doesn’t create enough collagen or sebum and struggles to hydrate itself naturally.

• Low humidity: Days that lack moisture (dry days in winter for example) will dry your skin.

• Dry, hot weather. Dry air in summer can also make your skin lose moisture, and that can result in dry, flaky skin.

• Central Heating:  Common radiators remove moisture from the air, leaving skin feeling tight

• Hot water:  We advise using warm, not hot water on your face especially, to avoid drying it out

• Need to hydrate:  Drink 8 glasses of liquid (which can be juice but not coffee or cola) a day to feed the skin, more in hot weather

• Hard water. If you live in a hard water area, you can struggle with dry skin. Your water is rich in minerals that can leave residues on your skin and dry it

• Allergy Prone Skin Conditions: Skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis are associated with skin dryness.

• Environmental damage: Living in the city leaves your skin exposed to free radicals and causes increased harm and damage

How can moisturiser help dry skin?

Moisturiser helps in two ways: by adding moisture to the skin and by preventing it from leaving the skin.  This works either via occlusives (barrier ingredients such as oils and fats), or by attracting moisture from the surrounding environment with ingredients such as glycerin.

Best natural moisturiser ingredients for dry skin

There are steps you can take to treat or prevent your dry skin.

Rose:  Rose essential oil in a moisturiser is soothing and promotes regeneration, whereas rosehip oil made from fruit of the rose when it has finished flowering, is highly effective for dryness caused by ageing.

Avocado:  Avocado is rich in vitamin E and fatty acids which is especially good at night and for those with environment-triggered skin dryness.

Frankincense:  Frankincense is highly nurturing, and when used in a face cream works beautifully to protect and nourish even very dry skin.

Hyaluronic Acid:  Able to hold 1000x its own weight in water, Hyaluronic Acid is the ideal way to add water back into the skin if it’s dehydrated or tight.

Calendula:  Calendula is soothing, restorative and ideal for allergy-prone, reactive or flaking skins

For more advice on your skin and which natural moisturiser you need, contact our skin experts today >