Five expert tips for hydrating dry skin

When your skin’s upper layer, the epidermis, lacks enough moisture, dryness occurs.

And this you will notice during the colder months when the temperatures drop leaving behind a super dry environment which affects your skin, sometimes even leading to itchiness and cracked skin.

And if you think some foundation will save the day, you’re in for a rude shock. Flaky skin will make it impossible to blend your foundation as it will mostly leave behind patches.

Although dry skin may be genetic and environmental factors may play a huge role, your problem could be the products you’re using. It could be your face washes and soaps stripping your face of its moisture.

If your skin feels tight, rough, is dull in appearance and you have noticed the appearance of wrinkles, your skin is definitely dehydrated.

Here some suggestions on what you can do to get soft well hydrated skin.

Taking hot steamy showers sounds like a good idea on a chilly day but sadly it is not. Too much heat affects your lipid bilayer drawing out more moisture out of your skin making the dryness even worse.

Instead, take shorter showers using lukewarm water. Even better, if you can take a cold shower, do so. The benefits are even much more.

And remember do not use harsh soaps and gently pat dry after you step out of the shower and remember to use a mild moisturizer.

Technically, exfoliating is meant to remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin to allow growth of new ones.

This, however, when overdone strips the skin of moisture and could trigger inflammation which may damage your skin’s barrier resulting in dryness.

Avoid vigorously scrubbing your face with cleansing brushes and overusing serums and retinols.

Is your cleanser stripping your skin of its natural oils? Could be.

Look for a gentle cleanser instead that will do its job right in removing dirt, makeup, excess oil and debris leaving your face feeling clean and soft.

To control dryness, you may also consider skipping morning washes and instead use some lukewarm water to splash on your face before using your toner, sunscreen, makeup or moisturizer.

But when it comes to your night time routine, you must clean your face to remove product buildup, oils and all the gunk to avoid irritation and clogged pores.

Here is the thing, drinking water alone will not hydrate your skin. It is a good place to start but it is not enough.

Besides drinking your daily recommended number of glasses, it should be complemented with a healthy diet rich in fruits, leafy vegetables, nuts, legumes and whole grains.

You should also cut down or completely stop taking alcohol, coffee, junk food, sodas etc while lowering stress factors in your life.

If you’re doing everything right and still can’t seem to tackle the dryness, you may need to use a humidifier. The drier the air in your home is, the drier your skin will be.

Place a humidifier in the room you spend most of your time in to balance the moisture level in the air. They work by dispersing water back into the air increasing the humidity thus helping improve your skin’s dryness.