Your facial skin feels dry and you feel like you've tried everything. Even after slathering your face with all sorts of lotions, creams, and oils designed for extra dry skin, your skin still looks dry and flaky. Caring for dry facial skin is a multi-step process, including changing the way you wash, exfoliate, moisturize, and care for your skin on a daily basis. Adopting dry skin-friendly habits will make your dry skin look bright, healthy, and glowing.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Starting a Cleansing and Exfoliating Routine
Step 1. Wash your face with water only
One of the biggest skincare mistakes you can make is washing your face with harsh cleansers. If your skin is dry, it means it is producing less oil which prevents your skin from peeling. Harsh cleaners will wash away the resulting oil, making the problem worse. Instead of washing with soap, try washing only with plain water, especially when you don't wear makeup.
- Use warm, not hot, water, as hot water can dry out the skin. Wet a washcloth with warm water and gently wipe it over your face. After that, pat your face dry with a soft clean towel.
- Even cleansers that are labeled as having moisturizing properties may contain ingredients that dry out the skin. Look at the label and read the ingredients: if you see sulfate, any type of alcohol, or salicylic acid, don't apply it to your face.
Step 2. Use the oil cleaning method
This is the best method for washing your face at night when plain water can't reduce dry skin. The oil-cleansing method will remove makeup, dirt, sweat, and more without drying the skin. It may sound counterintuitive to have to use oil to clean your skin, but adding oil will actually draw in any existing oil, thus acting as a gentle cleanser. You can tell your acne-prone friends to try it too, as this method is a healing method for all skin types.
- Start by making an oil blend that suits your skin type. For very dry skin, jojoba oil, argan oil and almond oil are all quite effective and do not dry out the skin. If you also have oily areas, add some castor oil to the mixture.
- Splash warm water on your face, then use your fingers to rub the oil mixture all over your face. It is also an effective way to remove eye makeup, even waterproof ones.
- Use a damp cloth with warm water to gently remove the oil. Wipe using circular motions, and rinse frequently. Continue until all the oil is gone.
- Repeat if there is still makeup on your face.
- Rinse your face with warm water and dry with a soft towel.
Step 3. Exfoliate your face several times a week
Dry skin is actually a layer of dead skin cells that accumulate and begin to peel off. Removing this layer of dry, dead skin a few times a week will reveal healthy, fresh skin underneath. Try one of the following methods to exfoliate your skin:
- Use scrubs. You can make a scrub by mixing a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of ground oatmeal. Simply rub into dry areas in a circular motion, then rinse.
- If you have more dead skin buildup that you can't get rid of with a scrub, try using glycolic acid or another alpha hydroxy acid. This acid comes from fruit or sugar, and will remove dead skin cells while strengthening the skin underneath.
- Do not scrub your skin with a brush or washcloth, or use harsh facial scrubs. This will damage and weaken the skin.
Part 2 of 3: Moisturizing Effectively
Step 1. Moisturize in the morning
Covering the face with cream at night is still a debate. Some studies seem to show that facial cell renewal occurs at night, and if you cover it with cream, the skin will not naturally renew itself with healthy cells. On the other hand, moisturizing in the morning is a good thing because it protects your face from pollution, dirt, dry air, hot air, and other things you come across throughout the day that can dry out your skin. After using a washcloth moistened with warm water to clean your face, apply moisturizer.
Step 2. Avoid moisturizers that contain alcohol
With so many moisturizers to choose from, it can be difficult to figure out which one is best for your face. One easy way to tell the good from the bad is to check the ingredients for alcohol. This alcohol makes your skin dry so there's no reason to use it on your face, especially if you have dry skin. If a moisturizer has a long list of ingredients that contains a lot of words ending in -ohol, avoid it.
- Look for a natural moisturizer made from a mixture of oil and lanolin. It protects the skin and will not dry it out.
- On days when skin is really dry, try pure argan oil or coconut oil. Choose unrefined coconut oil, as it is better for the skin than refined coconut oil.
Step 3. Do a deep moisturizing treatment
Once a week or so, treat your face with a highly moisturizing mask that will help your skin feel renewed. Make a mask mixture from natural ingredients, spread it on your face, then rinse with warm water after 15 minutes. Try the following combinations:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey and 1 mashed banana
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 tablespoon honey and 1 mashed avocado
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon milk
Step 4. Moisturize on the go with coconut oil
Carry a small container of coconut oil with you wherever you go. When you notice flaky areas of skin, apply a little oil to moisturize and make skin look smooth and healthy. You can also use coconut oil to treat dry, peeling lips.
Step 5. Use a humidifier or humidifier in the bedroom
If the air in your home is dry, it can also dry out your skin. Put a humidifier in your bedroom to keep your skin moisturized while you sleep. This is especially helpful during winter, when the heating system tends to make the air inside very dry.
Part 3 of 3: Keeping Skin Healthy
Step 1. Check your makeup routine
Ingredients in cosmetics may be contributing to your dry skin problem. If you can survive without makeup, that's the best way. But if you don't want to stop wearing them, switch to oil-based cosmetics that don't contain alcohol and other harsh ingredients. Look for cosmetics that contain ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, almond oil, beeswax, and other natural ingredients that won't dry out the skin - even nourish it.
Step 2. Protect your face from the sun
Sunlight can dry out the skin. Once the healthy glow of the skin fades, the skin begins to peel and fall off. Getting enough sun is a good thing, but it's important to protect yourself from getting burned. But as a person who has dry skin, you need to see what ingredients are contained in the sunscreen you use. Alcohol and other chemicals can dry out your skin, so look for natural sunscreens.
- Consider wearing a hat instead of sunscreen, or wearing both. This is an old fashioned way to protect your face from the sun, and it works well.
- After sun exposure, moisturize the skin immediately with aloe vera and other rich moisturizers.
Step 3. Be healthy from within
The food you eat has a huge impact on skin health. If you want your skin to look hydrated, healthy and glowing, follow these good habits. Not only will your facial skin look better, your entire body will feel healthier too:
- Drink lots of water. If you are dehydrated, the effects will show on your skin.
- Eat foods rich in vitamins; especially healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids. It is found in fish, fish oil, avocados (avocado), and nuts.
- Don't smoke, drink too much alcohol, or use drugs. Tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs have a great effect on the skin. These substances can dry out your skin and make it look older than your actual age. Cut back on these products for healthy skin.
Tips
- Don't rub too hard, it can irritate the skin even more.
- Use a type of scrub with fine grains for sensitive skin.
- You can tell you are dehydrated if your urine is dark yellow.
- Your urine will look clear if you are well hydrated.
- Try not to use too many drying products.
