Dealing with Dry Skin
For as long as I can remember, my skin has been dry. At its worst, my cheeks and nose would peel, and immediately after drying my face from a wash, my skin would feel incredibly tight and parched. In a desperate attempt to fix the problem, I lathered on whatever I had in sight. Many of these products made my skin sting, which I thought was an uncomfortable but normal sign that my skin’s thirst was being quenched, but looking back, I can see that I wasn’t using the right products, and with proper research, I could have helped my skin a long time ago.
Last year, I finally decided to do the research I needed to turn my skin from flaky to hydrated – and while I’m still figuring out what my skin loves most, there are a few products that have quickly become the superstars of my dry skin journey.
It’d be an understatement to say a good moisturizer is essential for dry-skinned folks. I’ve experimented with all kinds of textures, but find that I feel longer-lasting effects with thicker, cream-like consistencies. And since my skin is sensitive, too, I also prefer gentler formulas. I found my forever moisturizer earlier this year in First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration. The company calls it a “head-to-toe moisturizer that provides instant relief and long-term hydration for dry, distressed skin, even eczema”.
After the first few days of use, I could already feel the effects. My skin felt instantly hydrated right after application, but that hydration also carried into the rest of the day and through the night (I use it in the AM and PM, and it’s the only moisturizer in my routine). I had a dry patch on my right cheek that I couldn’t get rid of, but using this cream religiously made it shrink down noticeably. Today, my skin never feels parched or tight, and it’s visibly more hydrated. My makeup goes on easier because I’m not having to deal with as many dry patches or as much flakiness.
An added bonus with this cream is its light, whipped texture. Once applied, it sinks right in, so you don’t have to feel like there’s a bunch of product just sitting on your face. Even now, after almost half a year of use, it’s still my favorite part of my skin routine because of the way it goes on!
I seal my Ultra Repair Cream in with another holy grail product: a face oil. Up until I tried oil for the first time last year, I thought it was bad, thinking that putting it on would make my skin prone to oiliness. But I’ve since learned that’s a myth – the right oils can be effective for all skin types, even including oily!
To date, I’ve used three different oils, all from The Ordinary: the 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Borage Seed Oil, 100% Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil, and 100% Plant-Derived Squalane. All of these fall under the “Hydrators and Oils” category on The Ordinary’s Regimen Guide. I use my face oils at the end of every skincare routine as an occlusive, which is just a fancy word for a substance that locks in the moisture from your previous skincare steps to prevent it from escaping. But hydration isn’t the only thing that face oils help with – across the three of the oils I use, a variety of skin concerns are addressed, including redness and sensitivity (which I also struggle with), inflammation, dullness, and signs of aging, among others. Since incorporating oil into my routine, my skin has gotten a lot softer, and I feel like I have a little more glow in the morning!
Dry skin can be really tricky, stubborn, and frustrating, but just adding a couple of extra steps with the right products can go a long way. I hope all my dry skin friends out there can try these life-savers out and get that soft and supple feeling we’re all looking for!