If you have dry or irritated skin, you know the struggle of trying to find products that keep your skin nourished and moisturized without suffocating or having the need to pack on the creams throughout the day. The truth is, as we get older, dry skin becomes a lot more prevalent and can have negative impacts on your short and long-term dermal health. Not only does it contribute to dull, uneven, and flaky skin, but it can also contribute to various irritation issues on both the surface and within deeper levels. Over time, dryness can also emphasize common signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles. Dealing with dry skin, however, can be a tricky affair. The best way to treat and prevent dry skin effectively is to learn and understand more about your skin type and know the skincare mistakes you should avoid. When you have dry skin, making these seemingly harmless mistakes can have a much bigger impact than you think.
1. Washing your face too frequently
How often do you wash your face? Beyond your morning and nighttime skincare routine, you should avoid washing your face too frequently. It can strip your skin of its natural oils and weaken the skin barrier, allowing moisture to escape your skin and cause dry patches and irritation. Using a gentle, moisture-barrier-protecting cleanser at night will help keep your skin fresh and clean without leaving it out to dry like shirts on a clothes hanger. In the morning, you can forgo the cleanser. Just a few splashes of cold water should do the trick before adding on your daily skincare products and sunscreen.
2. Not taking your makeup off at night
As tempting as it can be to simply jump into bed at night and snuggle up in those warm covers, keeping your makeup on throughout the night can trash your skin without you even realizing it. In general, makeup is the nemesis to thriving skin, so keeping it on any longer than it needs to is never a good idea. Not only does it dry out your skin, but it also inhibits the ability of your skin to breathe, especially if it’s fully covered, which will create irritation, clog your pores, and lead to acne.
3. Taking long hot showers
Everyone loves taking long hot showers every once in a while, but this practice shouldn’t become a routine, no matter how relaxing they may be. The scalding water can irritate and dry out your skin even more, resulting in itchiness and redness. It can also put your skin at risk of premature aging through the constant damage and weakening of the skin barrier. Lukewarm water and especially cold are always the better choices. Even though the odds of you taking a cold shower every day are extremely slim, try to keep the water temp down or even finish the shower with cold water instead. The cold water will tighten up your pores and leave your skin feeling plump and invigorated.
4. Over-exfoliating or under-exfoliating
Exfoliation is a crucial step in any skincare routine as it gets rid of dead skin cells. Skipping it can cause your skin to look dull, flaky, and can even cause breakouts if the build-up on the surface is too great. But just like everything in life, we must find balance. If exfoliation is overdone or you're using a particularly harsh exfoliant, it can damage the natural moisture barrier and even cause micro-tears in the skin. If you already have dry skin, look for a gentle exfoliant (not walnut, salt, or sugar scrubs, if it’s on your face, as these will be too harsh). A gentle exfoliant could be natural loofah pieces, jojoba beads, or even a gentle glycolic or lactic acid exfoliant.
5. Using the wrong products
The skincare market is flooded with thousands of products, so it is only natural to get overwhelmed, and as a result, make the wrong choices for your skin type. Keeping your skin nourished and moisturized is an art form, and it starts with listening to what your skin needs. Look for products that are formulated for your skin type and address your specific skin concerns, don’t just go for what’s trending (even though it’s very tempting). A few products to look for would be a plant-based essence or a hydrosol. These products are designed to be the first level of hydration for your skin (leave the toners behind as they are usually geared towards drying skin out or may contain alcohol). Next, use a serum to lock in that moisture. Fatty acids build and trap moisture in the skin barrier, so they are essential in avoiding evaporation out of the skin. For dryer winter days, we recommend an essence followed by our plant oil-based Super Bioactive Face Serum and followed up with the nourishing Multipotent Regenerative Night Cream to keep skin plump, healthy, and moisturized.
ARÊMÊS FERMENTIS offers a range of skincare products that are specially formulated through the revolutionary PhytofermentationTM process that brings together traditional fermentation with herbal plant medicinals and groundbreaking scientific discoveries. Browse through our online store to discover anti-aging night creams and serums for dry skin, irritation, and a myriad of other multi-correctional solutions.