Big no-nos for People with Dry Skin

Everyone wants to have great-looking skin, but not all of us are blessed with it. Some have oilier than usual skin, while some have to deal with a lot of dryness that leads to some unpleasant consequences.

If your skin type falls under the latter category, there are a number of things that you should never do, because it could only make your dry skin worse. Here are some of them.

1. Using toners with a high alcohol content

There is nothing wrong with using toners since they help balance out the skin’s pH if you use it right after cleansing. However, some toners have too much alcohol content that they dry out your skin.

Alcohol can increase the efficacy of toners, but too much of it can leave your skin not only dry but also irritated.

When choosing a toner, pick one that has little to no alcohol content and loaded with ingredients that help hydrate, calm, and soothe the skin.

2. Not moisturizing

One skincare routine that no one should ever skip is moisturizing, regardless of whether you have dry skin or not. For people with dry skin, moisturizing is even more imperative, so never skip the moisturizer, because doing the opposite would only make your skin’s dry condition worse.

3. Using soapy facial cleansers

Cleansers that are too foamy or soapy could be causing your skin to dry out since they can strip the natural oils off your skin. This is especially true of cleansers designed to treat acne.

The best facial cleansers are gentle cream-based ones. Oil-based cleansers are great for dry skin as well, as they leave your skin’s natural oils untouched.

4. Taking long, hot showers

Hot showers offer a lot of relief, especially in the middle of winter. However, doing it day in and day out is not doing your already dry skin any favors. Daily hot showers will dry your skin out.

However, if avoiding hot showers is not an option due to the cold, then you should at least try to reduce the length of your showers while gradually lowering the temperature. Apply Vaseline or coconut oil before showering can also help keep your skin from drying out some more.

5. Over-exfoliating

Through exfoliation, one can remove dead skin cells from the visible surface and get a more radiant complexion instantly. While exfoliation per se is not a problem, it can become one if a person does it excessively, especially if that person has dry skin.

Exfoliation may be regarded as the fast track to getting a more youthful appearance, but it will also irritate dry skin and make it worse.

If you had to exfoliate, you should at least keep it to just once to thrice a week. You also need to stay away from products that contain beads or grains, as they may tear at your skin.

6. Spending too much time in dry environments

When weather extremes come, we all love staying inside a room that is either cooled for the summer or heated for the winter. The problem with cooled and heated environments, however, is that they are dry ones, and the lack of moisture in the air can dry up your skin some more.

To solve the moisture problem, use a humidifier the entire time you’re inside a climate-controlled room.

There may be no magic pill for dry skin, but following the no-nos listed above should help you ditch the need for it.