Nobody wants dry skin, and suffering from constant dry skin can cause irritation and soreness. It makes it harder to apply makeup and can leave you feeling less confident about your appearance. However, there is plenty you can do to tackle this on your own. If you are battling with dry skin, here are 7 ways to banish it for good.
Apply Moisturizer Correctly
Do you know the correct time to moisturize? If you want to get the best from your moisturizer, you should be applying it straight after washing. Keeping your moisturizer handy in the bathroom can remind you of this. Moisturizer actually works by trapping moisture into the skin so doing this straight after a shower or washing means that you are trapping in plenty of moisture.
Use the Right Products
If you have dry skin, the best way to combat this is actually with a cream or an ointment. Lotions are the least effective when working with dry skin. Anything that contains oil is an added bonus, so look for products that contain jojoba, olive or coconut oil. Shea butter is another rejuvenating product that can work wonders on dry skin. Other important ingredients to look out for include mineral oil, glycerin, lactic acid, and hyaluronic acid. If you prefer natural remedies, check out the best essential oils for dry skin.
Bathe Better
If you have dry skin, bathing (or showering) in a certain way can reduce the chances of it worsening or coming back. Bathing with dry skin entails:
- Bathing in warm, not boiling water
- Closing the door and windows
- Bathing for just 5-10 minutes
- Washing with fragrance-free products only (see below)
- Blotting skin dry rather than rubbing
Being in the water too much can actually worsen dry skin, so cut down on the length of your showers to notice a big difference.
Use Unperfumed Products
Perfumed products can cause further harm to already dry skin and are best avoided. Don’t use any scented or deodorant products and ensure any products that you do use don’t contain alcohol. All of these can damage the skin’s natural production of oil and stop your skin from retaining these oils, leaving to further dryness and damage.
Use a Serum
The right serum can work wonders for dry skin and is best applied twice daily after you have thoroughly cleansed your face, quickly followed by moisturizer. Serum which has been infused with vitamins and plant extracts, like this one from herbaldynamicsbeauty.com, can combat dry skin in many ways. Serum hydrates the skin, fighting against rawness and irritation.
Hydrate from Within
Ask yourself; do you honestly drink enough water each day? As our body is comprised of mostly water, it makes sense that our skin will remain dry if we aren’t getting enough of the stuff. Drinking juice or coffee just doesn’t cut it. Be sure to drink enough water every day, as this will only add to your problem or may be the leading cause.
Use a Humidifier
It may be that your dry skin is down to a warm home. While it is all too easy to stick the heating up in winter, this can cause dry skin, especially over long periods of time. Humidifiers can add more moisture to your environment, which can make a big difference to dry skin throughout the cold months.
If you have tried all of the above and still cannot get rid of your dry skin, speak to your doctor about being referred to a dermatologist, as it might be that you have an undiagnosed skin condition such as eczema.