5 Common Skincare Questions About Dry Skin
Dry skin is something many of us suffer from at some point in our lives. However the good news is, you can treat dry skin. For most people, just a few simple changes are enough to keep dry skin under control. In this post, we’ll review everything we know about dry skin and how you can get rid of dry skin for good!
1. What causes dry skin?
Dry skin is usually the result of lifestyle and atmosphere. Most people only get dry skin seasonally. Winter is usually the worst time for dry skin. That’s because the air is cooler and less humid, and we spend a lot of time indoors with the heat turned up. Both artificial heating and cold air reduce humidity, making dry skin more likely. You can also experience dry skin in the summer in desert climates. Basically any time the air has low humidity, you’re at greater risk.
Related: How to deal with dry skin in the spring
Sometimes dry skin is also caused by medical conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. While these conditions are usually more annoying than harmful, they can cause cracked, blistered, and bleeding skin if left untreated. They can usually be treated by topical creams available over the counter. Sometimes doctors will prescribe stronger steroid creams to help keep skin conditions in check.
Allergies are another common cause of dry skin. These can be triggered by common household detergents like dish soap or fabric softener. Many soaps are designed to cut through oils, and that can include your protective skin oils. Without that barrier to hold moisture in your cells, you can quickly develop dry skin. Even if you’ve used a product for years, you can still develop an allergic reaction.
If you suddenly start suffering from dry skin, consider stopping using soaps and detergents and reintroducing them one at a time. If you can discover the cause of the irritation, you can simply stop using that product. Alternatively, wear rubber gloves when washing dishes and take other preventative measures to protect your skin.
The final common cause of dry skin is water. This might seem strange, but it’s true! If you love to take long, hot baths and showers, you’re probably drying out your skin. Your cells get waterlogged, which breaks down the bonds holding them together. Then they can slough off easier than cells that aren’t saturated. The hot water evaporating off your skin is also damaging to your skin’s protective oil barrier, making it easier for water to escape your cells and cause them to dry out. Limit your bathing routine to 15 minutes in lukewarm water to ease dry skin.
Related: Learn more about the causes of dry skin!
2. Does drinking water help dry skin?
It seems logical that dry skin is a sign of dehydration and you should drink more water to fix it. Unfortunately, that’s not really the case. The most common causes of dry skin are nothing to do with dehydration, but with the moisture in the air and the products you put directly on your skin. Extreme dehydration might make your skin start to tighten and dry out, but for a normally hydrated person, drinking more water won’t have a noticeable effect.
Dry skin is all about what comes into direct contact with your skin. The best way to treat it is to remove irritants and apply moisturizer directly to your skin.
3. What ingredients are best for dry skin?
If you suffer from dry skin, you need a good moisturizer. Look for ingredients that are humectants. These help to attract moisture and can reduce dry skin. They include alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), salicylic acid (BHAs), glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera.
Another type of ingredient that can help dry skin is occlusives. These ingredients form a protective barrier that locks in moisture and stops it escaping. They are mostly oil-based. Common examples include petroleum jelly, shea butter, coconut oil, and jojoba oil.
Many moisturizers contain a combination of humectants and occlusives. Together these ingredients help your skin to absorb more moisture, and then lock it in place.
4. What ingredients make dry skin worse?
Dry skin is often caused by a reaction to detergents and soaps that cut through skin oils and allow water to escape. If you suffer from dry skin, switching out your regular soap for a moisturizing cleanser can make a big difference.
You should also avoid any allergy triggers. These include fragrances and dyes. Sulfates and parabens can also make dry skin worse, so look out for them on the label. A good way of avoiding irritating products is to steer clear of anything that foams up. Yes, that creamy lather feels wonderful, but foaming agents are very drying and can strip your skin oils.
5. Should you exfoliate dry skin?
Exfoliation is super important for dry skin. Some people try to avoid it, thinking they might make their dry skin worse. But if your skin cells are already dry enough to have started shedding, the best thing you can do is help remove them. This exposes the fresh, undamaged cells underneath. Then you can focus on taking care of your skin before it gets dry again.
It’s better to use chemical exfoliants on dry skin. Mechanical exfoliation, using a brush or sponge to physically remove the old cells, can cause more damage to your skin. Dry skin is delicate, so you should treat it with ingredients such as alpha hydroxy acids that will break down the bonds between cells without harming your skin.
How Qyral products tackle dry skin
Removing old, dead skin cells is an important part of the cellular turnover cycle, and that’s what Qyral is all about! Each product is designed to help tackle dry skin at the source and help your skin stay hydrated and healthy.
- Accelerate Cellular Revitalizing Serum — includes a customized blend of AHAs/BHAs to help exfoliate dry skin without causing irritation. This speeds up skin shedding and reveals your fresh, hydrated skin!
- Promote BioPlacenta Invigorating Serum — packed with nutrients and vitamins, as well as nourishing BioPlacenta, to help support skin structure and cell health.
- Fortify Nourishing BioPlacenta Moisturizer — targets dry skin directly with a powerful blend of humectant and occlusive ingredients designed to hydrate your skin and keep it soft and supple.
- Sustain Cellular Health Supplement — delivers even more nourishing ingredients, including hyaluronic acid to specifically target dry skin and protect your cells from the inside-out