All About Dry Skin
Did you know that only 10% of the entire world population has truly dry skin? The rest who experience dryness have "dehydrated" skin.
Truly dry skin lacks oil, and therefore has less natural ability to keep water in the skin. The skin uses its oil to lubricate itself and keep water from escaping. The hallmark of truly dry skin is very small pores, because pores expand to accommodate larger oil flow. Dry skin is typically thin, delicate, often fair but can be dark, too, and can sometimes get very slightly congested due to a lack of momentum of its oil; not enough is produced to push it out, so some oil can get solid with air exposure and can get stuck. But with truly dry skin this is actually not common.
Dehydrated skin may produce enough oil for the whole face, or just enough for parts of the face, but because of lack of humidity, lack of proper exfoliation, use of rubbing alcohol, use of cleansers that are harsh and irritating, sun exposure, and consumption of cigarettes and alcohol, the skin can lose the water it needs very easily. Since this can also just as easily happen to an oily skin, especially from use of the wrong products, the skin can often have oiliness on top of tightness or flakiness.
So if you do actually have skin that does not produce enough oil on the entire face, or just parts, this is what you can do:
1) Cleanse with a lotion cleanser that is thorough and rinses well, yet feels comfortable. In other words, you should not feel tight or dry after you rinse, but you shouldn’t feel like it takes forever to rinse completely.
2) Use an alcohol free toner, preferably one that sprays on. leave wet on the skin, do not blot.
3) Immediately apply an antioxidant serum, firming serum, or moisture boosting serum right on top of the wet toner.
4) AM – apply a sunscreen that hydrates as well as replaces lipids. It is not necessary to use an SPF higher than 30, but do not use any number below 15.
PM – apply a hydrating moisturizer that replaces lipids and helps to add water to the skin.
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5)If your skin is especially dry, you may use a lipid replacement serum that will restore the skin’s natural moisture balance and help repair skin whose integrity has been compromised by dryness. Apply after moisturizer morning and night, and before makeup. For flakey or tight skin, this kind of serum can allow for a smoother makeup application.
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6)Use of a lipid-rich, ultra hydrating mask once a week or as needed will really boost any skin care routine for dry skin.
