Proper Dry Skin Care Will Restore Your Skin's Moisture Balance

Proper Dry Skin Care Will Restore Your Skin's Moisture Balance

Proper Dry Skin Care 

Dry skin care involves gentle cleansing, moisturizing, protection from the sun, selecting the right make up, eating a healthy diet and hydrating the body. The skin becomes dry because there is a decreased production of oil by the skin�s sebaceous glands. You should not use harsh skin products that strip the skin of its natural oils. The mainstay for treating dry skin is to replace the lost oils and prevent the loss of moisture from the skin. Moisturizers are absolutely essential for people who have dry skin.

In order to purchase the best products for your dry skin, you should know what ingredients are commonly used to treat dry skin, how they work, why they feel different on the skin, and what ingredients to look for on the product�s label.

Most moisturizers have a very high water content, typically between 75% and 85 %. The functions of water in a moisturizer are several fold: (1) it acts as a hydrating agent (2) facilitates the absorption of the other ingredients in the moisturizer and (3) dilutes the active and inactive ingredients in the moisturizer.

Moisturizers are classified as oil-in-water formulations and water-in-oil formulations. Oil-in-water formulations contain small droplets of oil entrapped in water, giving the moisturizer a lighter feel. Oil-in-water moisturizers are easily and quickly absorbed. With water-in-oil formulations, the water is held within the oil, giving the formulations a heavier and greasier feel.

You should always select dry skin care products that contain replenishing oils such as emollients. Emollients prevent moisture loss from the skin by forming a thin film of oil on the skin to prevent water in the skin from evaporating.

Emollients are dry skin care products that make the skin softer and more supple. Emollients commonly used in dry skin cleansing products are: petrolatum, lanolin and mineral oils. These substances are known as occlusive agents. Emollients vary in their degree of greasiness or heaviness. Some emollients are light and spread easily over the skin, while others are heavy and have occlusive properties.

The feel of a moisturizer when applied to the skin is determined in part by the emollients that are included in the formula. Typically, lighter emollients are used in day moisturizing creams and lotions. Whereas, heavier emollients are used in night and eye creams. If you don�t like a daytime greasy look to your skin, you should use a heavier cream at night and a lighter moisturizer in the daytime.

For cleansing dry skin, you should use soaps that contain emollients such as olive oil, lanolin, or mineral oil to replace oils that are lost during the process of washing. These soaps are also called beauty bars. The Dove beauty bar is a popular soap and dry skin care treatment used to cleanse dry skin.

Also, many women with dry skin prefer to use cleansing products or soaps that contain moisturizing agents. Humectants are classified as moisturizing agents because they hold and attract water. Some soaps are formulated with humectants. Glycerin is a well known humectant and is included in some soaps and skin cleanser formulas. Usually, the label will state that glycerin is in the soap�s formula. You can purchase glycerin soap bars. The bars are usually transparent.

Some dry skin care cleansing products are enriched with a combination of emollients and humectants. Thus, cleansers or soaps that contain a combination of emollients and humectants are ideal dry skin cleansing products because they simultaneously replenish the skin with oils and moisture. You can also use soap free-liquid cleansers on your dry skin.

Dry skin requires the daily use of moisturizing creams or lotions. Moisturizing creams improve the appearance and health of dry skin by plumping it up, making it softer, and more supple. Moisturizing creams temporarily reduce fine lines in dry skin and smooth the skin. If you prefer to take baths, an excellent way to hydrate your skin is to add bath oil to the water. Bath oils leave the skin feeling smooth and soft. If you prefer to shower, you can increase the moisture content in your skin by applying a hydrating body cream.

You should always dampen the skin before applying a moisturizing cream. The moisturizer will seal the water into the skin, thereby further increasing hydration. Multiple daily applications of a moisturizing cream will speed up hydration, especially if you have an advanced dry skin condition.

The most commonly used emollients in moisturizing creams and lotions are petrolatum, lanolin, and mineral oil. According to dermatologist, petrolatum is the most effective emollient and moisturizer for dry skin. The beneficial effects of petrolatum can lasts up to two weeks. Petrolatum is not harmful to the skin and is an excellent product for dry skin.

Lanolin is the second most effective emollient. Lanolin has almost the same composition of oils that are produced by human skin. Lanolin is very effective in preventing the loss of water from the skin. Lanolin is an excellent skin softener. In contrast to petrolatum, lanolin is a potential skin allergen or sensitizer. If you are not allergic to lanolin, you should not hesitate to purchase dry skin care products that contain lanolin.

In addition to emollients, moisturizing creams may contain one or more humectants. As previously mentioned, humectants have the ability to attract and hold water in the skin. The most commonly used humectants in dry skin care products are glycerin and propylene glycol.

There is also another group of humectants collectively referred to as natural moisturizing factors (NMF). The most popular natural moisturizing factors are urea and lactic acid. Lactic acid and urea have a tremendous capacity to hold water and are effective skin softeners. These humectants diffuse easily into the outer layers of the stratum corneum (the outer most layer of the skin) and significantly enhances its water-holding capacity.

Dry skin care requires the use of sunscreens. Sunscreens work by protecting the skin from the effects of the sun�s ultraviolet rays. Some sunscreens work by forming a physical barrier against the rays of the sun. Other sunscreens work by absorbing some of the ultraviolet rays.

Because dry skin produces less oil, it is vulnerable to the harmful effects of the sun. Thus, you should use sunscreens with a SPF-15 to cover your face before exposing it to direct sunlight. Some moisturizing creams are formulated with sunscreen.

For dry skin, you should always purchase make up products with oil based foundations. You should choose cream powder blushers. These products tend to make the skin look moist.

For good dry skin care, you should always eat a healthy diet and drink a minimum of eight glasses of water daily. Dry skin must be hydrated inside and outside. Moisturizing creams only hydrate the skin on the outside.

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