Dry January is almost over...but dry, flaky skin can happen all winter long. We’ve got the scoop on what causes parched skin and what you can do to help restore hydration and get your glow back.
What causes dry skin?
First of all, it’s important to point out that not all dry skin is created equal. If you have flakes, irritation, itchiness or a “tight” feeling, you may have dehydrated skin. Wait a minute, you might be thinking…there’s a difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin? Actually, yes there is!
Dry skin is a skin type (as opposed to a skin condition) and it happens when your skin doesn’t produce enough oil. People with dry skin typically don’t have enlarged pores or experience frequent breakouts, because their skin doesn’t overproduce oil. Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, is a temporary condition that happens when your skin can’t retain enough moisture.
In dermatologist-speak, when water evaporates from skin, it’s called “transepidermal water loss” (TEWL). But when too much TEWL occurs, skin can become dehydrated. Dehydrated skin feels uncomfortable—as in tight, itchy and irritated—and tends to look thin and crepey (as opposed to plump, bouncy and elastic). As if that wasn’t enough, dehydration causes fine lines, dullness and dark circles to appear worse and triggers flaking. You can also end up in the super-confusing situation of having skin that’s flaky but greasy at the same time. Um, how does that happen? Basically, your skin is overcompensating for the lack of water by overproducing oil, but it’s still out of balance.
Why is dry, flaky skin worse in the winter?
Dryness and dehydration tend to worsen in the winter because of a few factors. Harsh weather is an obvious one. Anyone who’s spent time outdoors in chilly temps and windy conditions knows that your skin can quickly become chapped and dry. In addition, dry indoor heating can make TEWL worse. All that bone-dry air pulls much-needed moisture out of your skin, leading to—you guessed it!—dehydration.
When you put those two factors together, you’ll often notice rough, flaky, scaly skin. And then you may start to scrub your skin to get rid of flakes. The problem? This only strips your skin and further damages your skin barrier, leading to a vicious cycle of more dehydration and flaking.
How to fix dehydrated skin
The solution for bringing dry and dehydrated skin back into balance is all about restoring a healthy skin barrier. To give you the TL;DR version, your skin barrier keeps good stuff (like moisture) in and bad stuff (like irritants and environmental pollution) out. When it’s functioning properly, your skin will be happy and healthy even in harsh winter weather. Here’s your plan:
Stick to gentle cleansers
Step away from the harsh cleanser, please! If you have naturally dry skin, use a gentle, creamy cleanser during the winter. If your skin type is oily or combination you can use a gel cleanser, but make sure to stick to one that’s free of sodium lauryl sulfate. This ingredient helps cleansers foam up and gives you that “squeaky clean” feeling, but it also tends to strip away essential moisture. No, thank you!
Don’t over-exfoliate
Scrubbing in order to remove flakes is not going to do dry winter skin any favors. Your goal is gentle, effective exfoliation that removes dead skin cells but doesn’t damage your skin barrier. “LUXE+ Sonic Dermaplaning is an easy way to gently remove flaky dead skin without irritation or damaging your skin barrier,” says master esthetician Kendal Galette. “Once session a week is all you need.”
Sonic dermaplaning is safe for sensitive skin types and it has the added bonus of removing peach fuzz. “Without dead skin cells and peach fuzz in the way, your skincare can penetrate more effectively. Hydrating ingredients will sink in and do their job—not just sit on skin’s surface,” says Galette.
Layer on the hydration
Which brings us to our next point! Now that dead skin cells and peach fuzz are gone, it’s time to make a little hydrating “cocktail.” First, apply a hydrating serum like HYDRAFLASH Cocooning Serum. This formula has proven hydrators including hyaluronic acid and glycerin, and target peptides that act like skincare “delivery drones” to deliver smoothing and brightening actives. It also contains an extract called lavandula stoechas (commonly known as Mediterranean lavender), which helps to relax expression lines and provides a temporary Botox-like effect.
After you apply your serum, seal in hydration with a moisturizer. If your skin is extra-dry or dehydrated, you can finish with a sheet mask or facial oil. “A facial oil as your last step is great for very dry skin types in the winter,” says Galette. “It gives you that extra ‘seal’ your skin needs to help retain moisture.”
Consider a humidifier
Using a humidifier in your home helps to counteract the effects of dry indoor heating and helps keep your skin looking plump and healthy. For frequent travelers—or anyone who works in a crazy-dry office—a portable humidifier (like this one by Canopy) can also be super helpful.
Oh, and before we sign off, we wanted to quickly address the relationship between drinking water and dry skin. Staying hydrated on the inside is a healthy habit, and it does promote healthy skin by keeping your circulatory system working properly. But drinking eight glasses of water a day alone is not going to fix dry or dehydrated skin.
To keep your skin dewy and glowing, you need the tips above. Get in the habit of gentle cleaning, weekly exfoliation and layering on hydrating skincare…and say cheers to healthy, flake-free skin all winter long!
