Knowing your skin type allows you to adapt your choice of products according to your needs. Dry skin, for example, produces insufficient sebum and therefore lacks lipids. It will therefore need to be nourished in depth to compensate for this lack of sebum. But caring for dry skin goes further than simply choosing nourishing products. Let’s go over the causes and consequences of dry skin to understand the importance of a suitable routine better.
Specific care for dry skin
Combination skin is difficult to manage, but it doesn’t have to be a burden: on the contrary, it is possible to make it a beauty asset by choosing the right products. However, people with combination skin often make their situation worse by choosing products that are too rich or too dry. The result is an even oilier T-zone and dry, flaky cheeks. So you need to select the right products.
The different types of dry skin
There are two main categories of dry skin:
- Pathological dry skin, such as cases of atopic dermatitis or eczema, which require regular follow-up with the dermatologist,
- Dry skin without serious problems but more or less uncomfortable still requires a rigorous cosmetic routine.
Causes of dry skin
The leading cause: a lack of natural moisturizing factors
The leading cause of skin dryness is endogenous: a deficiency in natural moisturizing factors responsible for preventing water evaporation from maintaining the skin’s hydration. These hydration factors are the surface lipids, in other words, the sebum layer, which usually forms a barrier protecting the skin from external aggressions. Once this barrier is compromised, the skin is left bare and much more vulnerable to these aggressions.
Factors that aggravate skin dryness
Several additional factors can dry out the skin:
- Dietary deficiencies (especially in unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin C and E),
- Dehydration of the body,
- Age (decrease in the production of sweat and sebum),
- Hormonal changes,
- Certain medical treatments,
- Extreme temperatures (hot or cold),
- UV light,
- Smoking,
- Washing too often,
- The choice of unsuitable cosmetic products.
The consequences of dry skin
The consequences of skin dryness vary according to its level of dryness.
Dry skin
Dry skin is subject to :
- Redness,
- Tightness,
- A rough appearance,
- Low elasticity,
- Increased sensitivity to high temperatures and cosmetic products (soaps, shower gels, perfumes, detergents, etc.).
Dehydrated skin
Dehydrated skin can :
- Desquamate, i.e., peel,
- Be even rougher,
- Tight and itchy.
- Some of the driest skin.
Among the driest skins, the discomfort can go further:
- Redness,
- Chapped skin,
- calluses,
- Peeling,
- Frequent itching.
How to take care of dehydrated skin?
To take care of dry skin, you must ensure that your body is sufficiently hydrated: drinking at least 1.5L of water per day (excluding sodas, milk, or other sugary drinks) is essential.
Also, ensure that your diet contains enough saturated fatty acids, especially oilseeds and oils. Make sure you balance your intake of Omega 3 and Omega 6.
Finally, you will need to adapt your cosmetic routine, combining nutrition and hydration of the skin to help it recover its protective barrier.
To do this, you must adapt each product to your skin type. Among our selection, you can find makeup, and skin care products adapted to dry skin.