From Dry to Dewy – Dr. Michela Sorensen’s Tips for Dry Skin

Dry skin is so much more than a seasonal nuisance, it can be painful, irritating and even affect your self confidence. There are, however, some very simple things you can do to protect and restore your skin, taking it from dry and damaged to dewy and glowing.

First things first, however, let’s look at why skin becomes dry in the first place. One of the most common causes of dry skin is cool weather. In the colder months the air is dryer and, less humidity in the air means skin loses more water, making it prone to dryness and irritation. This is then compounded by the fact that people often have hot showers to warm up on those chilly mornings and sit in heated rooms all day, further dehydrating the skin. The wind in colder months also damages the lipid barrier in the skin which is responsible for retaining hydration and blocking irritants which, you guessed it, results in even dryer and more damaged skin.

Dry skin on its own can be troublesome enough, but if not managed properly it can lead to worsening eczema or rosacea, red and inflamed skin as well as dry and cracked lips, hands and feet.

So, how do you take that dry, inflamed and irritated skin to glowing, dewy and healthy?

The first step is avoiding things that exacerbate dryness and, one of the big ones is hot water. Try to keep showers warm rather than piping hot and always wash your face with no hotter than lukewarm water. Trust me, your skin will thank you for it.

Avoiding soap-based products where possible is also important. Soap strips your skin of those important, natural oils. Instead, look for soap free products with a mild cleansing action. My other tip for washing your face is to look for products that not only cleanse but also soothe and moisturise at the same time. Think ingredients like colloidal oatmeal for soothing, plus hyaluronic acid and ceramides for hydration. Dermal Therapy Very Dry Face Cleanser is a great example of this, being a soap free cleanser that has all of those wonderful and intensely hydrating properties.

The next important step is moisturising. I’m sure you’re thinking, “well that is obvious, of course dry skin needs moisture”, right? And you would be correct. It is important to know however, not all moisturising products are created equal. In fact, some moisturisers can actually make dry skin even worse. Avoid anything with intense fragrances, alcohols or sulphates as these can dry the skin and also cause inflammation. Also be careful with astringents as, while they might give a cooling sensation, they can actually dehydrate the skin.

Instead, products like Dermal Therapy Very Dry Face Cream are a much better option. Dermal Therapy Very Dry Face Cream contains ceramides which moisturises as well as restoring the skin barrier, hyaluronic acid which acts as a water magnet for intensive hydration and urea, which acts as a very gentle exfoliant to remove the damaged skin cells without irritation.

I do also want to shine the spotlight for a moment on lips. The skin on lips is particularly delicate and exposed to elements, leaving them prone to dryness and cracking.

Applying barrier creams or lip balms during the day is important, but often not enough. Trying to keep up with hydration between drinking, eating and talking, can be tough. This is where using products designed to work overnight can be a game changer. Overnight lip repair treatments such as Dermal Therapy Overnight Lip Repair Mask will intensely hydrate while you sleep.

The other problematic area when it comes to dry skin is the hands. Hands are often exposed to the elements and, for a lot of people in colder weather, the hands can have reduced blood flow (think white numb fingers, chilblains), leading to increased dryness. Add to this regular handwashing with antibacterial (and very drying) hand soaps, and it is the perfect storm to create cracked and painful skin. The key here is to moisturise often and with good quality, thick hand creams. I recommend products containing 10% urea and 2% dimethicone with a blend of emollients to really restore that moisture and protect the skin barrier. This is exactly what is found in Dermal Therapy Hand Balm.

When you’re looking for products to manage dry skin remember, expensive doesn’t mean better. You can have really great quality skin care at reasonable price points. It really comes down to ingredients. At the risk of repeating myself, those power ingredients are ceramides and hyaluronic acid that will give you the moisture you desperately need, and urea which gently exfoliates without further inflaming the skin, and colloidal oatmeal that will soothe inflamed and irritated skin.

Also remember, don’t wait until your skin is dry and damaged to start these products, regular daily use will help protect your skin and stop that dry, painful and irritated skin from happening in the first place.