The main causes of dry skin are the degree of fat on the skin and the functioning of the skin barrier. These two together determine the degree of TEWL (Trans Epidermal Water Loss) – by which we measure how quickly moisture evaporates through your skin.
Skin is dynamic and responds to the environment. If you apply regular skin care products with mineral oils that do not penetrate your skin, the skin will lose its normal function and react by making less sebum. As a result, you get drier and drier skin and you have to lubricate more and more. They also call this the labello effect. So it is important to stop using products that contain mineral oils. Your skin will feel dry for a while, but will return to producing more sebum on its own after a while. It is worth a few days of slightly dry skin so that your skin is no longer completely dependent on mineral oils.
There are 2 types of dry skin, lacking in sebum and lacking in moisture. Usually this goes together but both are treated separately here for a better diagnosis.
Low-fat skin has little sebum and often looks somewhat dull. May feel rough and scaly, blotchy and has visibly fine capillaries.
Dehydrated skin feels tight, shows fine lines and ages prematurely. This skin reacts quickly to changes in weather and has barley grains.
LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS
- Take an omega 3 supplement with at least 600 mg of long-chain omega 3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) and avoid a low-fat diet – eat healthy fats such as seeds and nuts.
- Use adequate moisturizer and make sure it contains vegetable oils that can be absorbed rather than petrochemical ones that are not absorbed.
- Don’t use pieces of soap for your face and body – find a mild ph balanced shower gel or even better a cleansing cream.
- Watch out for sunlight.
- Avoid strong exfoliants.
- Use products that contain hyaluronic acid.
- Swallow a good quality probiotic supplement and apply live probiotics to your skin to improve the skin barrier and reduce TEWL on the skin surface.
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS FOR THE HOME
Esse Cream Cleanser/EsseSensitive Cleanser
Esse Probiotic Serum/EsseHyaluronic Serum
EsseUltra/Rich or Esse Restorative Moisturiser
We have also put together two special packages for dry skin. You can find those here and here.
Note: If your skin is not yet used to Clean Beauty or Esse Skin Care, our advice is to start with the Esse Sensitive line and introduce it step by step so that your skin can slowly get used to it.
Check out the proper routine below:
You will see and notice that in a few weeks, your skin will be glowing like never before. Are products starting to run out after this period and your skin is nicely balanced? Then you can gradually replace these products with the products from the advice above. Again, do this one step at a time.