Skin Care Solutions for Dry Skin

Normal to Very Dry Skin Starter Skin Care System Step 1 - Cleanse One Step Face Cleanser Step 2 - Tone Moisture Boost Hydrating Toner Step 3 - Moisturize Hydrating Treatment Cream Enhancements 1% BHA Lotion All Bases Covered Foundation SPF 15 Healthy Finish Pressed Powder SPF 15

Normal to Very Dry Skin Advanced Skin Care System Step 1 - Cleanse Skin Recovery Cleanser Step 2 - Tone Skin Recovery Toner Step 3 - Exfoliate 8% AHA Gel Step 4 - Disinfect Skin Recovery Super Antioxidant Concentrate Step 5 - A.M. Sunscreen Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 15 Step 5 - P.M. Moisturize Skin Recovery Moisturizer

• Some Great Options for Winning the Battle
• Step-by-Step Skin Care for Dry Skin
• Learn More

Before you begin creating a Skin Care Solution for your dry skin anywhere on your body, it is essential to have a fundamental understanding of what dry skin is all about. Ironically, dry skin does not seem to be as simple as being about a lack of moisture. There are studies comparing the water content of dry skin to normal or oily skin and there doesn't appear to be a statistically significant difference. Adding more moisture to the skin is not necessarily a good thing—if anything, too much moisture, like soaking in a bathtub, is bad for skin because it disrupts the skin's intracellular matrix by breaking down the substances that keep skin cells functioning normally and in good shape (Source: Journal of Investigative Dermatology, February 2003, pages 275-284).

What is thought to be taking place when dry skin occurs is that the intracellular matrix (the substances between skin cells that keep them intact, smooth, and healthy) has become depleted or damaged, creating water loss. In order to prevent dry skin, the primary goal is to reduce the damage to, as well as preserve and enhance, the intracellular matrix.

To reduce damage to the skin's matrix, never use drying skin-care products such as soaps, harsh cleansers, or products with irritating ingredients. These problematic products can disrupt the outer layer of the skin, destroying the intracellular matrix and eventually causing flakiness and roughness.

Constant exposure to arid environments, cold weather, as well as dry, low humidity air blasting from heaters or air conditioners are all problematic because they destroy the skin's matrix. Adding a humidifier to your home can make a world of difference!

Believe it or not, sun damage plays a major role in why skin becomes dry any time of the year. Unprotected sun exposure creates a damaged outer layer of skin where skin cells adhere poorly to each other. The result is that the surface of new skin being formed is continually unhealthy and impaired. Sun damage also disrupts and destroys the skin's intracellular matrix. Every day of the year, if there is daylight, the skin is subject to sun damage. Keep in mind that the sun's damaging rays come through office and car windows. Daily sun protection is vital to the health of skin.

Improving cell turnover is another important consideration in getting rid of dry skin and improving its appearance. Dry skin does not shed as it should and those built-up layers of dead skin cells can feel rough and cause skin to look flaky and dull. A well-formulated, pH-correct exfoliant such as an alpha hydroxy acid (glycolic or lactic acid) or beta hydroxy acid (salicylic acid) can handle this problem beautifully.

Genetically, aged skin is also a cause of dryness, because as the body's levels of estrogen drop the skin becomes thinner and the fat deposits under the skin (part of the skin's protective barrier) also become thinner or depleted altogether. Regrettably, there is little that can be done about this other than using various types of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and plant-based hormone replacement (phytoestrogens) that can be consumed when eating or drinking soy-based foods.

By the way, while drinking eight glasses of water a day is great for your body, it doesn't work to improve or reduce dry skin. If all it took to get rid of dry skin was drinking more water, then no one would have dry skin and moisturizers would stop being sold. The causes of and treatments for dry skin are far more complicated than just drinking water.

Here are some great options for winning the battle:

1. Wear sunscreen: Daylight, even dim, obscure daylight, causes skin damage, which means it slowly becomes less and less able to hold moisture or feel smooth.
2. Use state-of-the-art moisturizers: Moisturizers should be filled to the brim with antioxidants, water-binding agents, and anti-inflammatory ingredients. If you have persistent or exceptionally dry skin, the moisturizers you use should also contain various forms of lipids such as lecithin, cholesterol, glycerol, glycerides, and plant oils. Anything less leaves your skin incapable of warding off the environmental causes of dry skin. To ensure stability of the light- and air-sensitive ingredients, make sure whatever moisturizer you choose does not come in clear or jar packaging.
3. Apply and reapply moisturizer: If you have dry skin, you really can't use too much. So whenever your skin starts feeling dry, put more on. It is also important to be diligent about reapplying moisturizer every time you wash your hands. Don't forget to keep a moisturizer in your purse, at your desk, and in every bathroom in your home.
4. Avoid soap—use only gentle, nondrying cleansers: This cannot be stressed enough. Never use a cleanser that leaves a dry feeling on your skin, and that includes skin from the neck down. Do not overscrub skin—you can't scour away dryness.
5. Avoid soaking in the bath tub, Jacuzzi, or taking long showers: As wonderful as a leisurely bath or shower feels, too much water is bad for skin because it breaks down the skin's protective covering (the skin’s intracellular matrix) destroying the substances that keep skin cells intact. Keep showers or baths as short as possible.
6. Get a humidifier: Low humidity is the cause of most weather-related dry skin, whether it is winter or a desert environment. Humidifiers are relatively inexpensive, last a long time, and work for the whole family. If you have a large or multi-level home, you may need two or three humidifiers to gain benefit.
7. Avoid bath oils in the bath: It does not make much sense to pour bath oils into the bath water because most of the oil goes down the drain, plus they make the bathtub slippery and dangerous. Bath oils also encourage you to soak in the tub for longer periods of time and that isn’t good for skin. There is also research showing that oil can trap cleansing ingredients on skin, causing irritation and dryness. Oils are best applied when you get out of the bath or shower, after you are well rinsed off and gently towel dried.
8. Exfoliate: Skin cell turnover (exfoliating) is a function of healthy skin, but due to sun damage, skin more often than not needs help with this process. A well-formulated AHA or BHA can help skin cells turn over in a more natural, youthful manner by removing the build-up of old skin cells and replacing them with newer, smoother ones.
9. Use a pure plant oil, such as olive oil, after your moisturizer over dry areas: At night, after you’ve applied your moisturizer, massage a few drops of plant oil over stubborn dry areas. Pure olive oil is a great option because it is rich in antioxidants.
10. Don't forget your lips: Lips are the least capable of staying smooth and soft when the air becomes dry. They lack the lipids and cell structure the rest of the face has and, as a result, are far more vulnerable to the effects of dry air. During the day apply and reapply an emollient lipstick or gloss. At night be sure to do the same. Do not go to sleep without protecting your lips. An emollient lip balm worn throughout the night can prevent dry lips all year round. Be sure it doesn't contain any irritating ingredients; peppermint and menthol (often found in lip balms) can cause irritation and that won't help dry lips.
11. Never use products that contain drying or irritating ingredients: But you already knew that one, right?

If after all this you find that your skin is still dry, consider wearing plastic gloves over your hands or feet or wrapping the driest parts of your arms, legs, or feet with plastic wrap after you apply AHA or BHA, moisturizer, and oil. You will be shocked at the difference this can have even if you only do it once or twice a week. (Obviously, the plastic wrap trick is only for the elbows, hands, feet, or legs and never the face.)

Additional sources for this article: Dermatologic Therapy, 2004, 17 Suppl. 1:43-8; American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, April 2003, pages 771-788; Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, March 2003, pages 352-358; Skin Research and Technology, November 2003, 306-311; American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, April 2003, pages 771-788.


Paula's Choice Skin Care Solutions for Dry Skin

These Paula's Choice Skin Care Solutions are a combination of all the elements described above: Gentle cleansers, exfoliants, moisturizers and treatments loaded with antioxidants, ingredients that mimic the structure of skin, and cell-communicating ingredients.

Experimentation is the key to finding the right combination of products that will work for you. For example, exfoliating with 1% beta hydroxy acid may not be enough and you would then want to consider trying a 2% version. If you are allergic to aspirin, BHA may cause an allergic reaction so you should consider an alpha hydroxy acid-based exfoliant.

Based on the above recommendations, you may wish to consider these products for your skin type:

Step-by-Step Skin Care for Dry Skin

• Normal to Dry Skin Starter Skin Care System  
• Normal to Dry Skin Advanced Skin Care System  
  

Learn More:

To learn more about which products can irritate your skin and which products really work, subscribe to our FREE Beauty Bulletin E-Newsletter.