Dry Skin: The Decisive Guide

Just because winter is over doesn’t necessarily mean that your dry skin is! While some people deal with dry skin seasonally, for others, it’s a chronic issue that can be extremely frustrating.

The good news is that most causes of dry skin can be easily treated with simple changes to your lifestyle and daily routine. Other causes of dry skin may require professional treatment from a dermatologist. In any case, understanding your dry skin is the first step towards properly caring for it.

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What is Dry Skin?

When your skin loses too much water or natural oils, it becomes dried out. When skin is dry, it can lead to other symptoms, including itchiness, flakiness, roughness, cracking, pain, sitinging, burning, wrinkling, peeling, irritation, and skin infections.

Generally speaking, dry skin is a common issue that is nothing to be concerned about, and according to one study, is even something you can expect naturally as you age. Dry skin may come and go, or become a chronic issue that lasts for years.

Obviously, dealing with dry skin doesn’t sound fun -- which is why it’s important to gain a complete understanding of it so that you can determine the underlying causes of this issue and then undergo the right treatment.

Where Does Dry Skin Commonly Occur?

While dry skin can occur anywhere on the body, there are certain areas that frequently experience this issue, including the:

Elbows
Lower arms
Hands
Wrists
Feet
Ankles
Knees
Lower legs
Chest
Ears
Cheeks and mouth
Nose
Eyelids
Eyebrows

How To Determine Your Skin Type

While it’s totally normal to experience dry skin every now and again, you could have chronic dry skin based on your skin type. Determining your skin type is a key step to figuring out the source as well as a proper treatment for your dry skin. There are seven different skin types to explore and find your best match:

Normal skin: If you don’t experience any chronic skin issues like breakouts, oiliness, dryness, irritation, or signs of aging, then congratulations -- you have normal skin. Having normal skin gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of your skincare choices, so you can easily try out different product options without worrying about a poor reaction or a breakout as a result.
Oily skin: If you feel like you’re either constantly shiny or using dozens of blotting papers per day just trying to get rid of shine, then you have oily skin. This skin type is common in teenagers and young adults who are more likely to have overactive sebaceous glands. You should focus on oil-free products and mattefying ingredients to help control your shine levels.
Dry skin: If your skin constantly feels dry, tight, or itchy, then you have dry skin. This skin type is common in older individuals whose sebaceous glands produce less and less oil with age. You should focus on deep moisturizing products to soothe dry skin and help fill in wrinkles.
Combination skin: If you experience oiliness in some areas of your face, like your T-zone, but are dry in other areas, like your cheeks, then you likely have combination skin. Dealing with combination skin can be challenging as you may have to use different products in different areas depending on the specific concern. For example, you may need to use a mattifying cleanser on your oily T-zone while also applying a deep moisturizer to your dry cheeks.
Acne-prone skin: If you feel like you’re constantly getting new pimples or have trouble getting rid of them, then you have acne-prone skin. Your pores tend to clog easier, leading to whiteheads, blackheads, or pustules. You should focus on medicated skincare products with acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, clay, or retinol.
Sensitive skin: If you frequently experience rashes, bumps, stinging, burning, or dry patches on your skin, then you likely have sensitive skin. Your skin tends to react negatively to certain products and ingredients. As a result, you should focus on gentle and natural ingredients with anti-inflammatory properties to soothe your irritated skin.
Mature skin: If you feel as if you’re constantly developing new fine lines and wrinkles, then you have mature skin. We all end up with mature skin at one point or another, and with that you may experience increased dryness and dark spots. You should focus on anti-aging skincare that restores and nourishes your skin. You may not be able to turn back the clock completely, but you can still target some of those stubborn fine lines that age your appearance.

Environmental Causes of Dry Skin

Even though dry skin is just one of seven different skin types, it’s an extremely common one, especially for older adults. In fact, more than 50% of older adults have dry skin. That being said, it’s still possible to experience bouts of dry skin based solely on your environment. For example, you have combination skin in the summer but mostly dry skin in the winter. But how does the environment affect and change your skin?

Weather: Cold and hot weather often come with a decrease in humidity levels. Less moisture in the air means less moisture in your skin, and can leave you feeling totally dried out. This is especially true if you’re also exposed to harsh weather conditions like wind.
Forced air: While we all love our air conditioning in the summer and our heater in the winter, these systems could be drying out our skin. These systems typically involve very low levels of moisture that can wreak havoc on our skin when exposed to them for long periods of time.
Sun exposure: The sun certainly has its benefits in terms of providing us with vitamin D and boosting our mood, but it also has its downsides if you’re not careful. Too much sun exposure can damage your skin -- leaving you with dry skin and at-risk for fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging. This occurs as the ultraviolet radiation from the sun actually changes the DNA within our skin cells. As a result, we produce less collagen and elastin, leaving us more susceptible to early signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles. The sun also dries out our skin with its intensity and can leave us in need of some serious moisture. Overall, sun exposure leads to a vicious cycle of dry skin and accelerated aging.
Allergies: Allergies can irritate our skin and lead to itching. Over time, incessant itching can cause dry and flaky skin that’s red and painful.

Lifestyle Factors That Can Cause Dry Skin

In addition to environmental factors, certain lifestyle factors can also contribute to dry skin. Based on this information, some lifestyle changes may be necessary to get rid of your dry skin for good.

Lack of sleep: Our skin repairs and rejuvenates itself as we sleep. As a result, those who don’t get enough sleep are left with unhealthy skin. For example, people who get less than five hours of sleep on average lose 30% more water from their skin compared to people who get between seven and nine hours of sleep. This can create skin barrier issues that negatively affect the skin and can lead to dryness, redness, itching, and irritation.
Smoking: Smoking can cause a lot of harm to our bodies -- both inside and out. While you may be aware of some of the disease risks of smoking, it can also affect the appearance of your skin. Cigarette smoke contains toxins that can enter your body and negatively affect collagen and elastin production, leaving you with aged skin as a result. Cigarette smoke also contains carbon monoxide and nicotine that displace the oxygen in your skin and reduce blood flow, leaving you with dry and flaky skin.
Alcohol consumption: Alcohol is a diuretic that dehydrates the body and leaves it in need of some serious hydration. While one alcoholic beverage every now and then certainly won’t cause too much harm, excessive alcohol consumption on a regular basis can dehydrate your skin and leave you with a dry and aged appearance. Alcohol is also an inflammatory substance and can cause existing skin conditions to flare up, causing redness and irritation.
Poor diet: The food we eat nourishes our body, and in turn, our skin. However, if we aren’t consuming a healthy diet, our skin will be lacking in nutrients. For a healthy diet that nourishes our skin and body, avoid food items with a lot of sugars, carbohydrates, salts, processed fats, and unhealthy additives. Instead, focus on eating healthy food items like fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats.
Dehydration: Our skin is mostly made up of water, so when we don’t consume enough of it, we are setting our skin up for failure. When our skin cells are dehydrated, they aren’t able to function properly. As a result, we can end up with breakouts, dryness, irritation, and redness. This is why it’s extremely important to drink enough water on a daily basis to support our skin and other bodily functions.
Occupation: Some people are more prone to dry skin than others simply based on their occupation. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those working in the food service, agriculture, healthcare, and cleaning industries have a higher risk of developing dry skin as a result of long-term sun and chemical exposure.

Skin Conditions That Can Cause Dry Skin

Finally, certain skin conditions can cause dry skin in addition to other symptoms. If you believe that you have developed a skin condition that’s causing your dry skin, it’s a good idea to meet with a dermatologist specialist to get an official diagnosis and begin an effective treatment.

Contact dermatitis: Contact dermatitis is essentially an allergic reaction that is triggered by an irritating substance. Symptoms of contact dermatitis include a red rash, itchiness, and scaling.
Atopic dermatitis: Atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, commonly affects children. While the exact cause of this condition isn’t well-understood, it may be related to genetic and environmental factors. Symptoms of atopic dermatitis include a rash, cracked skin, itchiness, scaly skin, and reddish-brown dry skin patches. This condition commonly appears on the cheeks, arms, and legs.
Seborrheic dermatitis: Seborrheic dermatitis results from excess oil production by the sebaceous glands. Symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis include white and crusty flakes, commonly known as dandruff, that appear on the scalp, face, chest, and back.
Psoriasis: Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder that also affects the skin, as it causes skin cells to multiply too quickly. Symptoms of psoriasis include dry skin patches, red patches, scaly patches, itchiness, pain, peeling, and discoloration of the fingernails and toenails. This condition commonly appears on the scalp, face, palms, soles of the feet, knees, elbows, and lower back.
Rosacea: Rosacea is a skin condition that affects the blood vessels in your face. Symptoms of rosacea include redness and swelling around the nose, mouth, cheeks, and eyes. This condition may come and go over time, with seemingly random flare-ups.

DIY Treatments to Combat Dry Skin

If you’re looking to quickly whip up an all-natural yet still effective treatment to combat dry skin, here are some DIY recipes that you can try out by using things that are probably already in your kitchen:

Avocado mask: Avocados are jam-packed with beneficial antioxidants, specifically vitamins C and E. The natural oils in avocados effectively hydrate, nourish, and soften stubborn, dry skin. To make your avocado mask, mash up half an avocado, add in one teaspoon of olive oil, and one tablespoon of honey. Apply the mask to your face for about 15 to 20 minutes before washing it off.
Oatmeal and honey mask: Oatmeal is a gentle exfoliant while honey has antibacterial, antiseptic, and antioxidant properties that allow it to cleanse the skin while smoothing it at the same time. To make your oatmeal honey mask, mix two tablespoons of oats with one tablespoon of honey and a little bit of water. Warm up the mixture by popping it in the microwave for a few seconds. Gently rub the mask onto your skin and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes before washing it off for an exfoliating and nourishing effect.
Greek yogurt mask: Greek yogurt contains lactic acid that’s a powerful yet natural acne treatment. This acid in the yogurt is able to exfoliate your skin without the need for rough particles that can cause damage to your skin if you’re not careful. To make your soothing Greek yogurt mask, combine two tablespoons of plain, unflavored Greek yogurt with one teaspoon of raw honey. Apply the mixture across your face and let it sit for 20 minutes before rinsing with cool water.
Milk mask: Milk has fat that can soothe the skin along with vitamin D that can boost collagen production and give you a healthy glow. To make your milk and honey face mask, combine four tablespoons of powdered milk with two tablespoons of warm water and two tablespoons of honey. Spread the mixture onto your face, wet a washcloth with warm water, and rest it over the mask on your face for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, wipe off the mask with the washcloth and gently pat your skin dry.
Cucumber and aloe vera mask: Aloe vera has incredible healing properties that can soothe even the driest, reddest skin. Cucumbers have cooling properties that can give your treatment an extra soothing boost. To make your cucumber and aloe vera mask, blend half of a cucumber, add two tablespoons of aloe vera gel, and blend until the mixture is smooth. Apply the mixture evenly onto your face and let it sit for half an hour before rinsing it off with cool water and gently patting your skin dry with a fluffy towel.

Other Ways To Effectively Treat Dry Skin

The best treatment for your dry skin depends on the cause. So now that you know more about some of the potential causes of dry skin, we can discuss the best treatment options.

Here are some effective treatment options for dry skin that is caused by environmental and lifestyle factors:

Dry skin caused by cold, hot, or windy weather can be treated by generously and frequently applying a moisturizer. In cold weather, thicker moisturizers are ideal to protect your skin barrier. In hot weather, thinner moisturizers are ideal to prevent the accumulation of excess sweat and oils.
Dry skin caused by dry forced air can be remedied by using a humidifier. A humidifier is a device that increases the amount of moisture present in the air and can benefit your hair, skin, and overall health.
Dry skin caused by a lack of sleep can be remedied by getting at least eight hours of sleep every night. If you have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, you can try solutions like melatonin supplements, aromatherapy, white noise machines, or blackout curtains.
Dry skin caused by smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol can be remedied by quitting smoking and cutting back on your drinking. Quitting smoking can be extremely difficult, but there are nicotine replacement products like patches and gum to make it easier. In terms of limiting alcohol consumption, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism considers moderate to low-risk drinking to be no more than three drinks a day and seven drinks a week for women and no more than four drinks a day and 14 drinks a week for men.
Dry skin caused by poor diet and hydration levels can be treated by consuming healthy foods and drinking enough water. A beneficial diet for your skin should include a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, fiber, and healthy oils. Some of the best food items for dry skin include avocados, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, salmon, extra virgin olive oil, carrots, nuts, berries, and dark leafy greens. In terms of hydration, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommend that men consume about 15.5 cups of water a day and women consume 11.5 cups of water a day.

Here are some effective treatment options for dry skin that is caused by chronic skin conditions:

Dry skin caused by contact dermatitis can be treated by steroid creams, ointments, or oral medications.
Dry skin caused by atopic dermatitis can be treated by corticosteroid creams, oral corticosteroid medications, light therapy, or an injectable biologic medication.
Dry skin caused by seborrheic dermatitis can be treated by medicated shampoos, creams, and lotions either over-the-counter or by prescription.
Dry skin caused by psoriasis can be treated by corticosteroids, retinoids, light therapy, steroids, methotrexate, and injectable biologic medications.
Dry skin caused by rosacea can be treated by laser therapy, topical creams, oral antibiotics, and oral acne medications.

The Best Skincare Routine for Dry Skin

If you’re looking for an easy and effective way to begin treating your dry skin, you should definitely start with your skincare routine. In fact, a poor skincare routine could actually be contributing to your dry skin rather than effectively addressing it. As a result, we recommend doing a complete audit of all your skincare and cosmetics products, checking the ingredients for potential irritants and drying agents.

Once you have a good idea of what you’re working with, you can start tailoring a skincare routine that is suitable for your dry skin. When it comes to skincare routines, you generally need to include six different key components: cleansing, exfoliating, toning, moisturizing, sun protection, and serum.

That being said, coming up with six or more different products and effectively combining them into a sustainable skincare routine can be quite a challenge. This is where PROVEN Skincare can really help. PROVEN Skincare is able to develop custom-made skincare formulas based on your unique skin profile.

This is all done through our revolutionary Skin Genome Quiz that only takes a few minutes to fill out. With just a little bit of information and a whole lot of data, we are able to select the perfect skincare ingredients and formulas to address your skin concerns and help you meet your skin goals.

For example, some of the questions on the Skin Genome Quiz relate to your skin type, skin concerns, lifestyle, environment, heritage, and skin history. We integrate that information with our skincare database that includes reviews of more than 20 million customer reviews, assessments of more than 20,000 different skincare ingredients, and analyses of more than 4,000 scientific papers.

Within a few seconds, you have the perfect skincare regimen that’s custom-made just for you. In fact, there are more than 2,000 different product combinations so that your skincare can be as unique as you are. Your unique formula is integrated into three skincare products for a comprehensive system: a cleanser, moisturizer, and night cream.

Your cleanser does more than just cleanse your skin, it also tones it and exfoliates it to get rid of every spec of dirt and oil. Your moisturizer nourishes your skin with hydrating ingredients and protects your skin with SPF 40. Your night cream and serum is jam-packed with highly concentrated ingredients to effectively target your skin concerns while you sleep.

At the end of the day, PROVEN is here to take the journey with you towards better skin. We provide priority support for any questions and concerns you have throughout your journey. If your formula isn’t 100% perfect, we will reformulate to find a better fit at no cost to you.

Backed by dermatologists and third-party clinical tests, there’s no reason not to at least take the quiz to see what your formula looks like. At the very least, you could gain valuable insight into your skin. At the most, you can totally transform your skin with clean and safe products.

Skincare Ingredients That Are Beneficial for Dry Skin

Even though PROVEN will do all the hard work for you by selecting the best possible ingredients for your dry skin, it’s still a good idea to discuss some of these potential ingredients and why they are beneficial for dry skin to obtain a deeper understanding of your skincare.

Here are some common skincare ingredients that are beneficial for dry skin:

Lactic acid: This ingredient is actually an exfoliating ingredient rather than a traditional hydrating ingredient. That being said, it’s still highly beneficial for dry skin as exfoliation is a key step in maintaining soft and healthy skin.
Hyaluronic acid: This ingredient is the holy grail of dry skincare. Hyaluronic acid is able to retain 1,000 times its weight in water to provide an intense dose of moisture to parched skin. We recommend heavier hyaluronic acids to hydrate the outer layers of your skin while lighter hyaluronic acids are ideal for penetrating deep into the inner layers of your skin.
Glycerin: This ingredient is a natural humectant that keeps your skin hydrated and soft, while also protecting it from harmful environmental factors like toxins and free radicals that can damage the skin.
Aloe vera: This ingredient has incredible healing and soothing properties that can help you fight chronic dry skin issues. Even better, it can be grown in your own garden to be used whenever you need it!
Ceramides: These ingredients are a key component of your skin barrier that can keep it healthy and protected from damaging climates. Maintaining your skin barrier helps your skin better retain moisture to remain soft, even, and nourished.
Plant oils: These ingredients can help supplement the oils that dry skin tends to lack. That being said, it’s important to use non-comedogenic oils that don’t clog your pores and cause additional skin issues. Some of the best plant oils for dry skin include jojoba oil, argan oil, sunflower seed oil, and evening primrose oil.
Plant butters: These ingredients help lock in moisture in the skin and provide deep hydration. Some of the best plant butters for dry skin include shea butter, cocoa butter, and jojoba butter.

How to Prevent Dry Skin From Occurring

Dealing with existing dry skin can be a frustrating process. Sometimes it seems like you keep taking one step forward and two steps back in your skincare journey. This is why it’s important to take action to prevent dry skin from occurring in the first place. Obviously, you won’t be able to avoid it 100% of the time, but just a few simple steps can make a huge difference in the look and feel of your skin.

Avoid exposing your skin to excess amounts of hot water when bathing, washing the dishes, washing your hands, etc. Hot water can zap all the moisture from your skin, leaving you dry and irritated.
Limit your time in the shower and shower less often to allow your skin to build up more natural oils before stripping it away with your body wash. Try to keep your showers under 10 minutes at the most.
Avoid using abrasives like loofahs, scrub brushes, and washcloths to wash your body. Also make sure to pat dry with a soft towel after bathing.
Apply your moisturizer as soon as you get out of the shower to lock in the existing moisture before it disappears.
Wear natural fabrics like cotton and silk that won’t irritate the skin and cause further dryness or itchiness. Itchy fabrics like wool should be avoided.
Avoid harsh chemicals in your household products ranging from detergents, to deodorants, dryer sheets, hand soap, and everything in between.

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Final Thoughts on Dry Skin

Now that you’re an expert on all things related to dry skin, it’s time to take action. Whether this means setting up an appointment with a dermatologist to discuss a potential skin condition or overhauling your skincare routine in favor of a clean and customized formula, you’re definitely on the right path towards soft, silky, and smooth skin.

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