Best Skincare Routine for Dry Skin 

Whether your skin type is dry or you experience occasional skin dryness, it is a skin condition to be loathed. If you hate the itching, scaling, and cracking that comes with dry skin, welcome to the club! Don’t worry; no matter the causes of your dry skin, the condition can be reversed. All you need is a skincare routine that caters specifically to your skin type.

More often than not, you can treat your dry skin by using over-the-counter moisturisers and making some basic lifestyle changes. Here, you can learn about some telltale signs of dry skin and how you can fix dry skin with simple changes to your skincare routine.

Signs that Indicate You Have Dry Skin

First things first - let’s learn how to identify dry skin. Well, it is simpler than you would think. You will usually be the first to know if you have dry skin. Dry skin can feel tight, especially after a long shower or being in the water for some time.

Depending on the part of your body where the dryness is more prevalent, you might not feel any tightness. However, you will definitely feel the roughness that comes with it. Dry skin is usually rough and flaky. You might see redness and deep cracks on the skin surface. Itchiness is also a common sign of dry skin, and if your skin is severely dry, it might also start bleeding.

In addition to looking rough, your skin will become ashy and flaky. This affects dark skin more. While dark skin can look greyish, white skin can turn reddish due to dryness. Dryness is most visible on the legs as it often has a “dry riverbed" look.

All of these result from reduced sebum production, making it difficult for your skin to maintain its moisture level. As a result, its natural barrier against pollutants is compromised. Dry skin is often only seasonal or temporary, but it can become a long-term ordeal as well.

Skincare Routine for Dry Skin

Hydrating Cleanser

The first step to combatting dry skin is to select the right cleanser. You should only wash your skin with a face wash that is both nourishing and hydrating.

Cleansers with an oil or cream-based composition are ideal, as they keep your skin soft while removing oil, dirt, and other impurities. In addition, cream cleansers have emulsifiers that can help the skin protect its natural oils.

For this first skincare step, you should choose a cleanser that will protect your skin’s barrier. Then, when selecting an exfoliating face wash, choose products containing AHAs that cater well to dry skin.

Gentle Exfoliators

Exfoliation is tricky for dry skin. Avoid sugar or apricot scrubs strictly if you are suffering from dry skin. Instead, opt for a facial scrub that is more suitable for dry skin. You can go for something that contains natural sources of glycolic acid. Glycolic acid can be found in papaya, sugarcane, apple, pineapples and other citrus fruits. It gently dissolves the bonds that tie dead skin cells and then helps remove them. When the dead cells are removed, dry skin patches will disappear, resulting in a radiant glow for your skin.

Moreover, glycolic acid can hydrate your skin besides just exfoliating it. Therefore, choose an exfoliating product for dry skin with 10% or more glycolic acid to augment your skin’s collagen production too.

Moisturising Toners

Toners prepare the skin for other skincare products. It acts as a final step for your face wash and prepares the skin to absorb all the good ingredients you are about to apply next. A good toner increases hydration, restores the skin, and balances PH. Some can even serve to exfoliate your skin.

By choosing a hydrating toner for your dry skin, you are helping to lock moisture in. When picking a toner, avoid those which contain alcohol, witch hazel, or other astringents that have a drying effect. Instead, select those with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, as these will add moisture and even seal it in.

Rich Moisturisers

As you would expect, applying a moisturiser is the most important part of your day and night routine for dry skin. This nourishes your skin with fortifying ingredients that penetrate your skin barriers and hydrate from within.

Apply a lighter moisturiser during the day and opt for a heavier cream to apply at night. This will help your skin heal better and feel softer and smoother. A rich moisturiser containing glycerine, ceramides and hyaluronic acid can do wonders for your skin. If you want to pamper your dry skin a little more, select a moisturiser that contains vitamins, such as Vitamin B12 (niacinamide) and Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate).

Lip Balm

Are you guilty of ignoring the importance of lip care? Well, your lips are vulnerable to dryness and need care too. If you have dry lips, treat them with moisturising lip balms. Select balms with natural oils, ceramides, or natural butter like shea, cocoa, and avocado.

If you have chapped lips, applying dimethicone, hemp seed oil, or castor seed oil can help. Some other natural hydrating ingredients, such as coconut oil, seed oils, and olive oil, are also great moisturisers for your lip.

Finally, do not neglect the importance of SPF for your lips. Apply a lip balm with SPF to protect your lips from the harmful effects of the sun.

Facial Oils

Even though facial oils are not a part of everyone’s skincare routine, you can benefit from this extra step of skin care if you have dry skin. After applying serum and moisturiser, you can use a facial oil for extra hydration.

You can use facial oil for day, night, or both. For daytime, choose a light facial oil, and for nighttime, apply a richer and heavier option. When selecting a facial oil, opt for one with the goodness of antioxidant ingredients such as vitamin C or E.

Sunscreen

When it comes to caring for dry skin, the use of sunscreen is one of the most critical steps. Dry skin or not, never skip sunscreen. Apply sunscreen after moisturiser or facial oil every day. The harsh rays of the sun can cause extensive damage to your skin. It can make your skin stressed, unbalanced, and drier.

Wear a lightweight sunscreen that will not clog your pores or cause breakouts. Choose a mineral or chemical sunscreen with at least SPF 50. When you are outdoors, be sure to reapply your sunscreen every few hours.

Conclusion

Dry skin can be a big challenge. The good news is that you can manage it with the right skincare products and routine. Once you identify that you have dry skin, incorporate lots of hydrating skincare products into your daily skincare.

When choosing these products, ingredients also play a critical role. Go for the ones containing pure, natural and vegan components to get the most out of it. Elements that are good for dry skin include hyaluronic acid, ceramides, aloe vera gel, plant butter/oils, and glycerine. On the other hand, you should also avoid certain irritating ingredients such as alcohol denat, citrus oils, menthol, witch hazel, peppermint, SLS, etc.

In addition to focusing on what products you should use, you must prioritise hydrating your body with the right food and water. You might also benefit from taking shorter baths. Getting a humidifier to balance the humidity around you is another way to prevent dry skin.