Dry Skin Tips
by Emily Linehan on July 09, 2022
With warmer days approaching you may be wondering how to make sure your skin stays hydrated all summer long. Or perhaps you’re finding that your skin seems to remain dry and flaky, regardless of how much moisturizer you apply. If this sounds like you, you aren’t alone! Here are some tips to help combat dry skin.
Cleanse with Cool Water
It may not seem like it would make a big difference, but cleansing the face with hot water (either at the sink or in the shower) will immediately strip the skin of its moisture barrier and cause the skin to dehydrate rapidly. Additionally, hot water causes tissue damage which can lead to more acne scarring, which will take longer to heal. So make sure you always use cool or very lukewarm water when washing the face.
Be Mindful of Sweat
Not only is breaking a sweat great for your body, sweat also helps to purify and rejuvenate your skin. However, sweating with dirty skin or hanging out in your sweaty skin post workout can have many harmful effects including breakouts, excessive dryness and irritation. Our salty sweat is incredibly drying and irritating to the skin since salt draws moisture out of skin cells via the process of osmosis. To combat this, you will need to perform your post workout skincare routine immediately (within 5 minutes) after sweating or working out. Be sure to take a travel size skincare set with you to the gym and do your morning routine there. Please refer to the Pre-Workout and Post Workout Skincare Guide for your skincare routine instructions.
Complete a Pre-Workout Routine for Morning Workouts
If you workout first thing in the morning, it is very important that you perform your pre-workout skin routine (cleanse, tone, skin quencher, moisturizer and SPF if the sun is up) before you workout to remove any active skincare products (e.g. acne treatments, retinol, AHA’s, etc) from the night before. This is because your sweat can reactivate these products, causing a lot of dryness and irritation.
Drink Water!
Are you drinking enough water to stay hydrated everyday? Our skin, like our body, regenerates and repairs most efficiently when the cells are hydrated. Additionally, hydration keeps our skin's oil production from becoming thick and sticky, which can lead to more clogged pores and breakouts. The amount can be dependent on how much you weigh and the climate you live in (for example, you would need to drink more in the hot summer). Based on the Mayo Clinic's recommendations, the average woman needs approximately 2.7 liters per day, and the average man needs approximately 3.7 liters per day. There are also Hydration Calculators which can give you personalized recommendations of how much water is ideal for your body, lifestyle and climate.
Something else to remember is that drinks like coffee and alcohol will actually dehydrate the body more. If you plan on sipping these types of drinks, balance them out with extra water consumption.
Supplement with Omega 3 Fish Oil
Healthy fats are essential for healthy skin, especially dry or acne prone skin and omega 3 fatty acids help to keep the skin hydrated from the inside out. While we can get omega 3 fatty acids from foods like salmon, chia seeds and macadamia nuts, most people do not consume enough to truly benefit the skin. Of course it is always recommended to check with your doctor first*, but supplementing with a high quality Omega 3 Fish Oil will help to give your skin a stable supply of healthy internal moisture. Some brands I love are OmegaVia Fish Oil, or Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega which can support healthy, hydrated skin.
*Always check with your doctor before starting any vitamin or supplement.
Don’t Allow Your Skin to Air Dry
Letting your skin air dry after cleansing will cause your skin to dehydrate quickly. Be sure to quickly apply the first skincare product in your routine after cleansing and toning so you don’t lose the moisture in your skin. Once moisture evaporates off the skin, it can take days to replace and rehydrate.
Wear Moisturizer
If you have oily skin you might think that you don't need to wear a moisturizer, however this couldn’t be further from the truth! In fact, one reason skin can be excessively oily is if it lacks water moisture. Since our skin can't create its own water moisture, a lack of water moisture sends out oil glands into hyperdrive to compensate. The result? Really oily skin.
Be sure to use a water-rich humectant (like our Skin Quencher Gel or Dew Drops Hydrating Serum) and a light-weight, non-greasy lotion (like our Pure Light Lotion) to lock in the moisture and tame those ambitious oil glands to bring your skin back to it’s hydrated self.
Use a Toner
Aside from its many other benefits (like restoring pH balance of the skin), applying a hydrating toner after cleansing introduces crucial water moisture to dry, dehydrated skin. When immediately followed with your humectants and moisturizer, it will help seal that moisture in to give your skin a more dewy, radiant complexion.
These tips will help your skin stay clear, hydrated, and glowing all summer long! If you have any questions or concerns about your skin, be sure to check-in with me to make sure you're prepared for the rising temperatures. Or, if you’re new here, be sure to start with my free online skincare consultation!
xoxo, Emme
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