Dry Skin Hacks
Hey, sweet friend!
Are you struggling with your skin? I tend to be on the more dry side myself during the winter and sometimes it feels very difficult to combat it! I want to give you a few tips that might help you before we transition into spring.
Stop Washing Your Face
Ok, not really…but most of you I’m sure have been told to wash your face morning and night. If you feel dry, one easy step to skip would be washing in the morning with face wash. You can “wash” your face with just water. Do you feel like your skin is really tight after you cleanse? Try changing your cleanser to a milk or cream cleanser to avoid over stripping the skin.
Exfoliate the right way
Is there a wrong way to exfoliate? That’s up for debate and maybe a conversation for another time, but in this case, when it comes to dry skin that can be irritated and inflamed, you want to stay away from the scrubs. I prefer an acid or enzyme exfoliant. Glycolic acid is one of my favorites because it penetrates the deeper layers of the skin. It’s the smallest molecule so it can go a little deeper than most, however, this isn’t always the best choice for someone who has irritation and inflammation. Some other great, perhaps more gentle, options would be lactic, mandelic, or azeleic acid. They are going to be better for someone who is sensitive.
Moisturize
You want to look for ingredients that help moisturize but also calm and soothe the skin. Stay away from a lot of fragrances and even essential oils, as they can be irritating to the already disrupted skin barrier. Look for ingredients like colloidal oat, squalane, and glycerin.
Skin Basting
After you have applied your moisturizer you can baste your skin, like a sweet little turkey on Thanksgiving! You can use a thick moisturizer, vaseline, or even diaper cream with zinc oxide (yes, you read that correctly) to help soothe the skin but also help hold in that moisture, protecting it from the dry environment over night.
Get a facial
You knew I was going to say it, right? Having a facial will help your skin tremendously in this tough, dry season. This also gives the esthetician a better understanding of what your skin needs that you may not be aware of. Plus, getting into a warm, cozy bed while getting your skin pampered is the perfect pick-me-up for this wintery weather.
Bonus Hack for dry, cracked feet
Do you get dry, tough skin that cracks on your feet? Get a body cream with 10-20% urea, slather it on. Wrap your feet in saran wrap, add socks and watch movie or even better, go to bed and wake up the next day with softer feet. Repeat as needed.
Now What?
Ok, Chelsea, so you gave me a bunch of things to look for, but what if I’m too overwhelmed to actually find these things? I know, there is a LOT out there and even as an esthetician I get overwhelmed. But don’t worry! You can find all of the products I recommend to my clients here for these dry skin hacks here.