Do you have dry skin? You might find this surprising, but dry skin is not just simply because of lack of moisture.

Here are some quick facts about dry skin:

• Our skin produces less oil as we age thus causing dry skin.
• Some people are born with a dry skin type it. Usually, these are people with a family history of eczema or asthma.
• Constant exposure to harsh and irritating products like solvents or soaps will strip the skin of its natural oils.
• Being in dry and harsh climates with relatively low humidity pulls out the water from the skin causing it to become dry or chapped.

Dry skin is usually equated with a skin that has an impaired skin barrier. Such an impairment makes the skin vulnerable, such that the outer layers of your skin loses its ability to repair itself. As a result, it will have a hard time securing the moisture within your skin. An impaired skin barrier also results to a highly penetrable skin – which means that sun’s UV rays and other environmental stressors, as well as harsh soaps and other dehydrating ingredients from skincare products, can seep into your skin, thus stealing the intrinsic moisture that it has from the skin’s natural oils.

The important thing to be able to regain your skin’s optimum moisture levels is to let your skin heal. Correct skin care as well as the use of skin care products with reparative effects should be a priority. 

Effective solutions

So what can we do?
 
The very first thing on the Skin Repair Intervention List is to stop exposing the skin to situations that decrease its water and oil content, and at the same time, apply products that promote the healing and repair of the skin’s barriers. With this, you will be sure to keep your skin young as it is ale to effectively maintain a healthy moisture content.

And so, be sure to avoid the following:

1. Exposure to bar soaps
2. Use of loofahs and other abrasive scrubs
3. Harsh cleaning ingredients
4. Rinsing of the face with hot water (instead, use cool water)
5.  Skincare products with dehydrating effects like menthol, eucalyptus, alcohol

 

1. Minimize sun exposure, as well as exposure to harsh skin substances.

2. Never (ever) go out without any sunscreen. Remember, skin damage from sun exposure is the number one culprit for your skin’s inability to hold moisture.

4. Exfoliate! Next to applying sunscreen, this is another beauty habit that you need to regularly perform. Exfoliation, or skin cell turnover, is naturally done by healthy skin, but if your skin is dry and sun-damaged, your skin will need a bit of help in doing it.

A good beta hydroxy acid (BHA) or alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) product can help with this process by removing the build-up of dead skin cells and replacing them with smoother, newer ones. To learn how to properly in exfoliate skin, check out YEOUTH's latest blog post.

5. If you have extremely dry skin, some plant oils will help, like olive oil or jojoba seed oil.

6. A humidifier in your home or in your bedroom can make a whole world of difference! A humidifier can boost the relative humidity in the air that you expose your skin to.

7. Use cook, lukewarm, or warm water when bathing – never hot water! Hot water increases skin inflammation and removes skin oils.

8. Do not ever use products that have irritating or drying ingredients. But well, you already know that one, right?

To keep your skin moisturized, go for products that include a moisture-binding and moisture-trapping set of ingredients. Our personal favorites include:
 
1. Hyaluronic acid – Did you know that this super ingredient has the ability to hold water up to 1,000 times its weight? Naturally produced by the body (making it 100% non-toxic), this element serves to increase your skin’s moisture content, and at the same time strengthen your skin’s barriers and keep the moisture from seeping out. However, our ability to produce hyaluronic acid declines as we age,
therefore, a steady supply of hyaluronic acid content on the skin is essential.

2. Glycerin  - This is another very powerful element that significantly retains moisture. Glycerin does this by absorbing water from the air, thus bringing more moisture to your skin. In fact, the absorption ability of glycerin is so high that if you leave a bottle of it exposed to the air, it would eventually change its composition from 100% glycerine to 80% glycerin and 20% water.

3. Oils – Botanical oils are packed with healing properties, making them do moisturizing wonders to your skin. At YEOUTH, the ones we like best are:

• Shea Butter – Shea Butter contains high concentrations of natural vitamins and fatty acids that protect the skin’s natural oils, and provide additional nourishment and moisture.
• Olive Oil – Practically everyone has been giving this oil a big thumbs up because of its beauty benefits. While it is true that olive oils are mostly found in kitchen cupboards, they ought to earn a place in our beauty dressers – olive oils have actually been used on the body for its moisturizing properties since the ancient times. Olive oil has antioxidants that prevent the premature signs of aging, making it superb especially for dry and stressed skin.
• Coconut oil - Coconut oil is also able to retain moisture in the skin. Plus, it is rich in protein, thus able to keep the skin young-looking, rejuvenated, and healthy.