Here are some factors to consider if you suffer dry skin conditions:
Don’ts
- Avoid products with harsh, drying or irritating ingredients that are likely to disrupt the integrity of your skin covering or epidermal cell structure. Such things as sodium laurel sulphate (Sls) in your cleansers, alcohol, highly alkaline soaps , synthetic fragrance or scents in products,
- Avoid prolonged contact of the skin with water, especially hot water.
- Avoid setting masks e.g. clay masks on face.
- Avoid exposing the skin to extremes of temperature hot or cold
- Stay away from strong sunlight.
Do’s
- Use gentle exfoliants like enzyme peels and gentle AHAs to exfoliate dead skin cells and help restore the intercellular matrix.
- Use a nourishing cream rich in emollients, humectants and film formers. Emolients such as natural butter and oils especially the ones rich in gamma linoleic acid (EfA) such as borage seed oil, sunlower oil, etc. Humectants such as glycerine,( if you are in a humid environment, otherwise see here … http://bareskinnaturals.com/blog/can-glycerine-pull-water-from-skin-in-low-humidity/ for how to use glycerine in a dry environment,) lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, ceramids, sorbitol , sodium lactate, urea etc.. Film formers like hydrolysed wheat protein, aloe vera, allantoin, and occlusives like waxes, silicione, lanolin etc.
- Use cream or gel masks or other non setting facial masks
- Drink plenty of water.