How to Combat Dry Facial Skin

About 1 in 32 people in the U.S. (over 8 million people) suffer from dry skin. Healing dry skin on the face can be far trickier than it seems. You must battle dry facial skin on three fronts. Prevent dry facial skin by finding and eliminating habits that might be causing or worsening it. Next, deeply hydrate the skin. Last, reinforce the lipid barrier.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Identify the culprit(s). Look for things that could be making your dry skin worse. Antihistamines and other medications can make skin feel tight and dehydrated. Alcohol consumption, smoking and sun exposure rob skin of moisture and break down the protective lipid barrier. Common products like whitening toothpastes can dry the area around the lips and mouth. Air conditioners and heaters can also aggravate dry skin.

2. Wash your face with very mild, soap-free cleansers made for dry skin, and pat your skin dry-don't rub. How you physically treat your skin is just as important as the skin care products you use.

3. Use a moisturizing toner (no alcohol) after cleansing. Toners and conditioners prepare the skin for better absorption of your skin care products, resulting in far better hydration.

4. Look for skin care treatments with both humectants and lipid barrier ingredients. Humectants are water-binding agents like hyaluronic acid that attract moisture to your skin. Lipid barrier ingredients, like ceramides, reinforce the natural protective barrier of the skin to keep moisture in. Treatments that have "time-release" ingredients are helpful. Choose a rich eye cream (not a gel) and apply to the orbital bone around the eye.

5. Choose products from skin care lines that are fragrance, dye and alcohol free to reduce the chances of irritation.

6. Wear sunscreen to combat one of the most common causes of dry skin. Minimize free radical damage from sun exposure to keep the skin's lipid barrier functioning well.

7. Once or twice weekly, use a creamy, hydrating mask to give your face a boost of moisture.

Tips & Warnings

• Know when to call your doctor. You may need prescription medication if your skin is so dry that it's scaling or itchy (and there's no rash.) If you're treating your dry skin and it's not getting better, or it's so irritating you can't sleep through the night, it's time to see a doctor. If you have wounds or sores accompanying your dry patches, particularly if you are diabetic, you may need professional care.
• Windburn and sunburn can both leave skin almost unbearable dry. Treat burned skin very gently, and use a moisturizer with a high aloe content as well as oils to slow down evaporation of water in the skin.
• Check with your doctor to see if taking essential fatty acids or other skin-repairing supplements, as part of your skin care regimen, might help the dryness.
• Water intake is crucial to maintaining healthy skin, so make sure you're consuming 8 glasses of water a day and limiting caffeine.
• Take warm showers, not hot, as hot water strips the skin's natural oils.
• There can be several underlying illnesses that could cause dry skin. Diabetes, kidney disease, hypothyroidism and dehydration can all result in dry skin. If your skin does not respond to treatment, check with your medical provider to see if there are any underlying conditions contributing the dryness.

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Resources

• Read articles on various skin conditions.
• Find articles and products that help combat severely dry facial skin.
• Learn more about dry skin and related conditions.
• Review hundreds of medications which cause dry skin and learn about treatments.