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You would think that living in such a humid country that it’s impossible to suffer from dry skin, but we’re all different. Some of us have combination skin, while others have to buy products especially formulated for dry skin.
Fear not, ladies. It’s not the end of the world. It’s all a matter of managing your complexion, using the right products and adopting better habits.
Here’s what you need to do to repair your dry skin:
Do your research on the best moisturizing ingredients
Lotions, cleansers and creams might all state that they work to nourish your dry skin, but the only way to really know if the marketing of skincare products are true to their word is by reading the labels. There are tons of ingredients that are great for dry skin, which you should definitely get to know before you go shopping for new toiletries again.
One example of an ingredient best known as an emollient and a humectant (aka soothes and retains moisture in the skin) is glycerin, which is included in our Doom Breast Enhancing Soap and you can learn more about in our review.
Another hydrating ingredient to look out for is egg. Yolks are packed with skin-enriching vitamins (A, B, D, E) as well as fats that nourish your skin. While mostly known for their skin tightening and toning properties, the protein in egg whites are also great for moisturizing. Who knew that a single ingredient could turn items like our Egg Crystal Soap into a well-rounded skincare product?
Avoid products with alcohol, fragrances and retinoids
These are the ingredients to stay away from if you’ve got dry skin or anytime you have any dry patches for those with combination skin. Fragrances aren’t suitable for sensitive skin as they can be irritating and further dry and damage your skin, while alcohol is often an unnecessary ingredient in most skin care products, which can worsen acne and lead to dry, flaky skin. Retinoids are major players in anti-aging products, but they can lead to dry skin if the products don’t contain a potent moisturizer. There are loads of other age-rewinding ingredients you can work with instead that don’t dry out your skin if you have sensitive skin or want to avoid retinoids all together.
Some dermatologists also suggest to avoid alpha-hydroxy acid or AHA, though one explains to Allure, “Acids don’t work like retinoids, which repair skin by kick-starting inflammation. They dissolve the upper layer of cells to trigger repair.” They’re also ideal for sensitive and dry skin types, but if you’re afraid of a bad reaction, do a patch test every day for a few days, as irritations with AHA may not show up right away. You can also limit your use of products like the Mimi White AHA Whitening Soap or Mimi White AHA Body Serum, starting off buy using them a couple times a week, progressing to every other day to eventually every day.
Change your shower and after-shower routine
As much as any one of us enjoys a long, hot shower, high temperatures disrupt the production of natural oils, therefore drying out the skin. Although all that exposure to steam would open up your pores, it does nothing to repair your dry skin. And the longer your shower in such high temperatures, the more disruptive it is to your skin’s moisture levels.
Once you’re done with your bath or shower, pat your skin gently with your towel rather than drying off quickly to reduce irritation and keep your skin supple. After patting yourself down, moisturize right away to retain the water that’s still in your skin.
Instead of lotion, opt for ointments, creams and plant oils
The reason why creams and ointments are more effective for dry skin types is because it has a higher concentration of oil, while lotions tend to be the watered down versions of the first two. Ointments have the highest concentration of oil, then it’s creams, with lotions being last. Lotions are more watery so that it’s easier to spread all over the body. Creams are still pretty easy to spread, so use a body cream instead of a lotion, and for dry patches, go for ointments and plant oils.
And of course, use products with gentle or hypoallergenic formulas.
Drink lots of water!
It’s not just about what you put on your body! Water hydrates inside and out, and has so many health benefits. Unfortunately, it’s not as quick as we would hope. You can’t drink two liters of water in a day and suddenly expect results. Drinking more water is generally better for you in all aspects, and over time with daily moisturizing, you’ll notice an improvement in your skin.
Drinking more water is also really important if you don’t eat a lot of water-dense foods.
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