The Perfect Routine for Dry Skin

For smooth, youthful, glowing skin moisture is your best friend. If your skin is feeling a little parched and that natural radiance feels like a distant memory, you might want to give our skincare routine for dry skin a try.

What causes dry skin?

Dry skin occurs when your skin doesn’t produce enough oil to sustain the lipid barrier which keeps your face smooth, protected and hydrated. This can result in flakiness or a rough, uneven skin texture that makes makeup application a little tricky. To keep your skin looking bouncy and youthful, stopping your face from drying out is a crucial step in your skincare routine; as we all know, dry skin can make the effects of ageing a lot more noticeable.

You’re probably wondering why your skin is suddenly craving more moisture than it did before. There are lots of factors that can wreak havoc on your skin’s oil production, from cold weather to being a little overzealous with your cleansing routine, or simply natural aging. Whatever the cause there is plenty that can be done to help keep your skin in check, read on to discover our skincare routine for dry skin.

Be kind with cleansers

The first step to combatting thirsty skin, is to prevent it from drying out even more. That means avoiding any harsh cleansers or alcohol toners that could strip your skin of the vital oils it needs. Many of us try to overcompensate for the roughness of dry skin by over-cleansing or over-exfoliating in a bid to smoothen it out, unfortunately, this just exacerbates the problem and can make fine lines more obvious.

Instead of moisture-sapping facial soaps, which are fine for those with oilier skin, opt for something mild and nourishing like the No7 Radiant Results Micellar Cleansing Water to remove makeup and debris.

It’s important not to rub your face too hard while cleansing as you can damage your skin’s delicate exterior which can become irritated and dry. Using a micellar water to cleanse your skin means you don’t have to work as hard with your cotton pad as the clever micellar particles make quick work of capturing makeup and dirt and drawing it out of the skin in an instant.

Moisturize the right way

Now that we’ve tackled stripping out any products from your skincare routine that could be aggravating your dry skin, it’s time to add some moisture back in to soothe those dehydrated pores. The aim is to replenish your skin’s lipid barrier.

It’s important not to overload the skin with too many heavy products all at once, so your best bet is to actually split your skincare routine into day and night. This way, your skin gets a light dose of moisture that isn’t going to make you look greasy throughout the day, but at night time you can introduce something a little more luxurious to give your skin a real treat while you sleep.

Protect your skin

So, we’ve got our cleansing and moisturizing covered – now it’s time to keep your skin nourished and stop any of that moisture from escaping. There are a few extra things you can do to make sure your face stays youthful and radiant:

Stay out of the sun

We all know that sun damage can not only rapidly age the skin, but also chips away at your skin’s lipid barrier. And even if you manage to stay out of the sun, it’s always worth using an SPF Day Cream for extra protection.

Keep your cool

Try to avoid washing your face with hot water as this will rinse away all your skin’s nourishing oils, lukewarm or cool water is best.

Stay hydrated

It’s no use moisturizing your face if you’re not drinking enough water throughout the day, stay hydrated from within and you’ll see it on the outside too.