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Skincare Basics - Dry Skin Type

Dry Skin

Hello lovelies! This week I’m going to be talking about Dry Skin! Having short bouts of dry skin can be very common and although some people can suffer with it on a continuous basis, it is also possible to have the occasional dry patch here and there. Therefore unless you have consistently dry skin you shouldn’t follow a regime like this as it primarily focused towards people suffering from consistent dryness. Short bouts of dryness can usually be dealt with quite quickly and easily, similarly if you only suffer with dryness in specific areas of your face consistently my upcoming blog on combination skin types may be more suited to you. Dry skin can be more common in older people but just like all the other skin types, it can happen to anyone at any age! So here we go…

What causes Dry Skin?
People experience dry skin when there is a lack of water in the superficial layer of their skin. This water level can be disrupted by several things such as cold winter months, drier climates, frequent exposure to central heating, also as we get older our skin struggles to retain as much moisture as usual which can result in dry skin. Dry skin can also occur if the skin’s oil levels are low as they help to lock in the moisture within the skin, this may be due to several things such as diet, stress levels, climate and products you’re using etc. Essentially dry skin is your skin lacking in oil and/or water levels so we combat this with nourishing, hydrating skincare products. 

How do you identify Dry Skin?
People who have dry skin will commonly suffer from one or more of these problems:
  • Flaky patches/Dry patches
  • Dull/Rough complexion
  • Tight pores 
  • Red patches
  • Makeup may ‘cake’ on face/stick to dry patches

*Again note that if you have these problems in some areas of your face and not others, you may have a combination skin type!*

How can I treat Dry Skin?
  • Use a mild gentle cleanser twice daily. Preferably use a cleanser with a creamy consistency or a higher oil level than water level to nourish the skin. Such as these: 




  • Avoid over-exfoliation. Use a gentle exfoliating scrub once a week or you can also exfoliate using AHA’s which I talked about in last weeks blog as a non-abrasive method of exfoliation. AHA’s are more suitable for dry skin types than BHA’s, however bare in mind some of your daily products such as your cleanser or moisturiser may also contain AHA's such as Lactic Acid or Glycolic Acid etc. If you are using 2 or more products containing AHA's daily it may be best to stick with a milder exfoliating scrub initially as opposed to an AHA exfoliant which so you don't overwork the skin or dry it out even more. This is simply because AHA's are active ingredients meaning products that contain them are cosmeceuticals. It is always best to slowly add products like this to your routine because while in the long run they have a more positive and effective result on your skin compared to normal cosmetics, they penetrate deeper layers of the skin so your skin takes longer to adjust to them. You can read more about Cosmeceuticals in my previous blogpost - Skincare 101. With that said here are some mild exfoliators that would be suitable for dry skin:

  • Try to keep the skin away from skincare and makeup products containing drying ingredients such as salicylic acid, kaolin, talc, isopropyl alcohol etc.
  • Make sure to use SPF daily! This is a HUGE step in protecting all skin types.
  • Use a nourishing moisturiser twice daily to keep the skin nourished and hydrated. Your moisturiser should also have a higher oil level than water level when you have dry skin to keep the skin supple. I have linked some suitable ones below:

  • Apply a suitable mask once a week to hydrate, plump and nourish the skin, such as these:

What ingredients will benefit dry skin?
Some of my favourite ingredients for dry skin are:
  • Glycolic Acid – Helps to gently remove dead skin cells and kick-start skin renewal as it is an AHA. This is beneficial to nearly every skin type.
  • Lactic Acid – This is similar to glycolic acid but works at a slower pace so it is much milder. It helps to exfoliate, lighten and brighten the skin. It can also help to seal in moisture.
  • Urea – This is surprisingly used by dermatologists as it is a natural humectant, therefore it draws moisture to the skin.
  • Hyaluronic Acid – This helps to bind moisture to the skin without disrupting the skin’s oil levels! This again is a brilliant ingredient and beneficial to nearly all skin types.
  • Anti-oxidants – Any type of anti-oxidant will help to protect the skin against the environment which in turn helps the moisture and oil levels to remain stable.
  • Glycerin - This ingredient is an emollient so it helps the skin to stay soft and supple. Glycerin has also been known to help attract moisture to the skin's surface making it a brilliant ingredient for dry skin.
Along the way I have attached some products I think are suitable for dry skin just to give you an idea of what products to go for, always bear in mind though what works for somebody else may not always work for you so do your research before you buy products and where possible get a sample and try the products out for a while first. All of the products I have pictured here today can be bought on beautybay.com and if you click the pictures it should take you to that product on the website incase you want more info on the products. Also it doesn't really need to be said but just incase anyone wonders, I am not working with any of these brands or the website beautybay.com. The website is just my favourite place to buy skincare and beauty products as they have loads of brilliant brands, cheap/fast shipping and it is easy to navigate. All of the brands of products I have included are mainly brands I know and love, as I don't have dry skin myself I haven't personally tried all of the products I have linked here so I tried to go for brands I know and trust! 


Also, please note that you should use this article in conjunction with my "Basic Skincare Regime" blogpost to best look after your skin! I hope you enjoyed today's blogpost! I will be back next week talking about Sensitive skin so don’t forget to check it out! I hope you got some information from this today that you can use. If you suffer from dry skin let me know what you do to treat it! I hope you enjoy your week! 

All my love, 
SJL X

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