8 Do's and Don'ts of Dry Skin

Cold winter temperatures combined with cranked-up heating, lots of indoor time, and low humidity levels can spell ultra dry skin in the cold months. This usually means flaking and a dull appearance, which can render makeup application a nightmare. Then there’s also the drawback of everyday discomfort like itching and chapped skin. The good news is that there are a number of steps you can take to improve these symptoms. Here we’ve mapped out some major Do’s and Don’ts of dry skin - so memorize them well, dry skin types!

DO

This may be the most obvious suggestion, but it can be difficult to remember until it becomes a habit: moisturize everyday, both AM and PM. It’s important to be using two different moisturizers, each with a different set of properties. Your AM organic face moisturizer should have a sunblock in it, as UV rays are potent even in the winter months and can exacerbate dryness and irritation. Your daytime moisturizer can also be lighter weight, especially if you’re combining it with a BB cream or CC cream that has moisturizing properties. For a nighttime moisturizer, you can opt for a formula that contains plant-derived retinoids or active exfoliating ingredients (we like carrot derived vitamin A) - in other words, ingredients that you shouldn’t be wearing during the day because they’ll make your skin more sensitive to the sun.

DON’T

Steer clear of harsh surfactants, the chemicals present in conventional cleansers which typically cut through oil and sebum, acting as foaming agents, emulsifiers, and detergents. Typically surfactants will leave your skin with that ‘squeaky clean’ feeling, meaning that all possible lipids have been stripped from your outer epidermal layer. In effect, this means that your skin has been cleansed too thoroughly, leading to irritation, exacerbated dryness and disrupted PH balance.

DO

Wear hydrating masks multiple times a week, a wonderful self-care DIY spa hack that can leave you with smoother skin and remedied dryness and flaking. Some masks will treat your H2O levels (hydration) while others will treat your lipid barrier (moisture), so make sure you’re addressing both. A mask that’s rich in essential fatty acids from ingredients like avocado oil, rosehip oil, or coconut oil will replenish your natural oil levels and leave you with bouncy and fresh skin. And for hydration, opt for a mask full of floral waters like rose hydrosol, aloe water, and cucumber water.

DON’T

Don’t use synthetic fragrances, which can behave as sensitizers for already vulnerable skin. Used in higher doses, synthetic fragrances can cause rashes and irritation, and even provoke more clinical dry skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis. What’s more, negative reactions to synthetic cosmetic fragrances are not always visible on the surface of your skin. Sometimes the chemicals we apply are absorbed into deeper layers, causing a disruption in oil production and skin cell renewal. Instead opt for cold pressed plant and seed oils, extracts, and organic essential oils, which will imbue your routine with fragrance plus healing benefits like antimicrobial action and enhanced lipid retention.

DO

The most basic must-haves for dry skin are natural, non-stripping ingredients which will cleanse and treat - but not at the expense of your skin’s natural lipid barrier and hydrating mechanisms. A few of our favorites? Aloe vera, organic avocado oil, and chia seeds. Aloe vera is an excellent plant-based treatment for dry skin, with its ultra soothing properties and ability to protect skin from external aggravators. Organic avocado oil is another allstar, packed with antioxidants and essential fatty acids to aid in the reinforcement of your lipid barrier (to lock moisture in and keep irritants out). Chia seeds are designed to hold large volumes of H20 and trap moisture, meaning that applied topically, they can reinforce your skin’s water retention, resulting in a plumper and smoother dermis with that coveted well-hydrated glow.

DON’T

You need to continue a regular cleansing routine, but when you’re suffering from dry skin, your cleansing process should be gentler. This means that you don’t want to be using hot water to wash your face, as your pores aren’t designed to withstand extreme temperatures. That means exposure to high heat can scald your skin and strip it of its natural oils - so say ‘no’ to those hot showers after the gym! Similarly, you don’t want to be using any harsh manual exfoliation techniques, which can damage your epidermal barrier and inadvertently remove healthy and active skin cells, leaving your skin unable to retain H20 and moisture.

DO

Don’t exfoliate too vigorously, but do exfoliate with care. Dry skin typically means a build-up of dead skin cells, which can lead to flaking and roughness. It’s super important to remove this dead skin cell buildup gently, so as not to damage healthy skin cells along the way. A dead giveaway that you’ve overexploited is if your face stings when you apply a gentle product after exfoliation. If this happens, steer clear of highly concentrated chemical exfoliants (enzymes and acids like AHAs or BHAs) and reduce your manual exfoliation to once a week. For your once-a-week slough, try a DIY scrub made out of honey and ground oats. Think buffing, not peeling.

DO

Stick with a primarily oil-based routine! In other words, make sure the majority of your products are comprised of plant-based organic oils like coconut, shea, argan, avocado, and rosehip. Our Seaberry Moisturizer and Restorative Facial Oil are both excellent choices for dry skin! And don’t worry about overdoing it with the oils, even if you suffer from breakouts or blemishes. Organic cold-pressed oils are naturally antimicrobial, plus they encourage healthy membranes in your skin cells, which result in efficient skin cell turnover for reduced acne and pore clogging.

For more on preventing dryness, check out our post on Cold Weather Skin Care, and keep an eye out for new skin-pampering posts on our blog!