Dry skin care in summer and winter at home

Owners of dry skin are envied in their youth. Without the slightest effort, they manage to look luxurious. The surface of the face never shines, it is matte, light beige or pink. Pore ​​is almost invisible, it seems that the skin covers the face, like a beautiful veil. Pimples and blackheads are extremely rare. Well, what could be better!

Features of dry skin

But without proper care, external beauty quickly leaves. Concerned about the dryness and peeling of the skin. In winter, the face often turns red, and this redness can last up to several days. There is always a feeling of tightness: you want to wash yourself, spray yourself with cool water or make a couple of grimaces. Such subjective sensations suggest that the epidermis has lost moisture and it is important to replenish it.

How does fluid loss occur? The fact is that skin is a multilayer structure. It consists of the dermis, epidermis, and the outer stratum corneum. The task of the epidermis and the horn cells covering it is to protect the dermis from contact with the external environment. The latter contains eighty percent of the water, which gives the skin elasticity. Why it dries the skin very hard, how to deal with it and how to get rid of this problem forever.

Dry type of facial skin is characterized by a small thickness of the protective layer. The epidermis is thin, it is difficult for him to fulfill his function of retaining moisture in the dermis. It has significantly less lipids than in a fatty or normal epidermis. Namely, these substances capture and retain water. Without proper help, the skin loses moisture rapidly. And this process becomes more intense when exposed to external stimuli: wind, frost, too warm and dry air.

Fat test. How to remove fat from the face

If you are unsure of your skin type, take a simple test. Wash, blot your face and do not apply any cosmetics on it. After two hours, attach a napkin to it.

If there are no grease spots on it, then your skin is dry. If moderate or pronounced spots are present in the forehead, chin, nose, you are the owner of not dry, but overdried skin of oily or combination types.

Popular misconceptions

There is a widespread belief that caring for dry skin is practically unnecessary. It is formed in girls at a young age, who, under twenty, really, had nothing to do to maintain attractiveness.

But after twenty-five years, the body starts the natural aging process. And it is dry epidermis that suffers as a result of lack of proper care to a greater extent. Therefore, the appearance of the first facial wrinkles by the age of twenty-eight years in this case is not uncommon.

Consider other popular misconceptions that accompany dry skin.

Myth 1. It is not necessary to cleanse the face, because after washing with water it pulls it together and it dries.It is enough to use makeup remover.

“You can use micellar water or other means to cleanse your face with a cotton pad from time to time, for example, on the road,” says beautician Olga Fem. “Under normal conditions, it is necessary to use means for washing, which more thoroughly remove dirt from the skin.”

Dry epidermis needs regular cleansing no less than oily. Only choose for this should special cosmetic preparations. Gels are not suitable, as they destroy the thin lipid barrier of the dry epidermis. It is optimal to use foams or mousses designed for this type of skin.

You can use milk make-up remover based on unsaturated waxes, fats or hydrophilic cleansers based on vegetable oils. As a rule, such products dissolve well in water, so they are applied to the face with a cotton pad, gently wipe away impurities, and then wash in the usual way.

Myth 2. Dry skin must be lubricated with oils. They nourish and moisturize it well.

Moisturizers create a thin transparent film on the surface of the epidermis, which prevents the evaporation of moisture from the basal layer of the dermis. It seems that oil copes with this task better than cream. It is oily, the skin immediately after application becomes soft and supple.

But this phenomenon is temporary. Oils are too dense substances, they disrupt cellular respiration, reduce the intensity of metabolic processes. With their constant use, the skin ceases to independently produce lipids necessary to maintain its water balance.

In cosmetics, even for dry skin, oil is never present undiluted. It is used in small quantities in oil-in-water or water-in-oil structures. The first formula is used to create light day creams that are quickly absorbed and do not leave a noticeable film. The second formula is a solution for a night cream with a more saturated and oily consistency. Its structure is closest to the natural fatty film of a healthy epidermis.

Creams do not “relax” the skin, do not wean them from working. High-quality cosmetics restore their natural barrier, which distinguishes it from vegetable oils.

Myth 3. Dry skin should be treated with petroleum jelly. It retains moisture in it for a long time.

Dry skin care products are sometimes sometimes made on the basis of petroleum jelly. Also, the composition of cosmetics may include paraffin, mineral oil, ceresin, paraffin oil.

“These substances are refined products,” says cosmetologist Tatyana Nalyvaiko. - They are dangerous for any skin, and in the care of dry they must be excluded. They create a dense film on the surface that interferes with the restoration of the natural barrier. "

The correct substances that form a film on the surface of the skin, promote its respiration, and maintain lipid balance are hyaluronic acid, collagen, cellulosic substances, polysaccharides from algae, chitosan.

Myth 4. Scrub should be used no more than once every ten days.

It is really necessary to take care of dry skin at home with the help of exfoliating products. The natural process of keratocyte expression constantly proceeds on its surface: some cells die, others form, fulfill their function and die again.

Preservation of a layer of "dead cells" on the face gives it a scruffy look. The skin looks embossed, dull. Various substances are used to remove them (exfoliation). The most popular are scrubs.

But with respect to dry epidermis, caution should be exercised. Use any scrubs is unacceptable.As a rule, they contain rough abrasives with sharp edges that scratch the epidermis, leave microcracks on it, which causes inflammation and irritation.

When choosing a scrub, give preference to compositions with soft ball-shaped exfoliating granules, for example, from jojoba oil or sucrose crystals. They polish the skin gently, do not damage them.

Enzyme peels that dissolve dead cells without affecting healthy ones are even safer. These are creamy pastes that should be applied to a face washed with warm water and massaged with warm hands for ten minutes.

Myth 5. Whatever you do, but after 30 years, wrinkles always appear on dry skin.

“Our body is aging, there's nothing to be done about it,” commented cosmetologist Olga Fem. - But it is in our power to slow down this process, to reduce its manifestations. Finally, well-groomed skin always looks better than well-groomed skin, aging slower. ”

Proper care will help to preserve the youth of the skin for a long time, and even after 40 years, facial wrinkles will be little noticeable.

Care Rules

So what to do with dry skin at home? It is important to choose the cosmetic products that suit you, and use them regularly. The composition of the care complexes should be moisturizing, nourishing components.

• External hydration. Hyaluronic acid, chitosan, collagen do not penetrate the epidermal barrier. They work exclusively on the surface, creating a breathable film. Thanks to it, moisture from the dermis does not evaporate, and the skin looks more saturated, healthy, moisturized.
• Maintaining structure. These substances are necessary for the epidermal barrier to maintain their own functions. Such active moisturizers are all types of sugars (lactose, glucose, xylose), sorbitol, glycerin, urea. Look for pro-vitamin B, lactates, amino acids (alanine, serum albumin), pyrrolidine-carboxylic acid as part of the care products.
• Restoration of the protective barrier. For depleted skin, a situation is characteristic when, literally half an hour after applying a moisturizer, you again feel a feeling of tightness, discomfort occurs. This indicates a violation of the natural lipid layer, which is "torn" and can not retain moisture. Treatment of dry skin of the face at home should be carried out using substances that restore the lipid barrier. These include ceramides, linoleic and linolenic acids, phospholipids, natural oils: shea (shi), argan, borage, soybean, sesame, sunflower.

Everyday equipment

In home care, follow the “minimum program” for all skin types, including cleansing, toning and high-quality moisturizing of the skin.

• Cleansing. “Use the mildest cleansing products,” advises beautician Ekaterina Zhivotkova. - Ideal cream, gentle milk. In extreme cases, foam is used, but even it can cause exacerbation of dryness. " Beautician Tatyana Nalyvaiko also advises you to pay attention to special gels based on extracts of algae, bisabol, azulene, natural oils. It is important to clean your face in the morning and evening.
• Tonification. “Please do not forget to treat the skin with an alcohol-free tonic or lotion,” continues beautician Ekaterina Zhivotkova. - This is one of the most important stages of care. The application of the tonic helps to bring the pH level back to normal, which is always disturbed after washing with water. A predominance of an alkaline environment after contact with tap water and leads to dryness, irritation.In addition, the tonic prepares the epidermis for applying the care cream. "
• Moisturizing and protecting. Provided by applying a daily cream. It is important that it contains protective components from environmental factors: antioxidants, which are vitamins C, E, UV filters. These substances prevent skin aging caused by external factors. The right moisturizing ingredients in your day cream are: collagen, hyaluronic acid, milk proteins. Your skin will look healthy, filled from the inside when using compounds with honey extract, lecithin, extract from grape seeds, algae.
• Nutrition and regeneration. Achieved by applying a more dense night cream. According to cosmetologists, it is advisable to give preference to compositions on a semi-synthetic basis, since natural fat is too heavy for such a delicate epidermis. Beautician Tatyana Nalyvayko recommends products with vegetable oils, ceramides, fatty acids. The composition may include algae extract, whey proteins, collagen, elastin. Apply the product on prepared skin an hour before bedtime in a thick layer. If after twenty minutes there are traces of cream on the face, remove it with a napkin.
• Deep cleansing. It is performed once a week in order to exfoliate dead keratocytes from the surface of the epidermis. Use products designed to care for delicate and thin skin. Cream and oil formulations in the form of masks are suitable for you: enzymatic peels, homages, masks with fruit acids (lactic, almond). Do not use products based on salicylic and glycolic acids, as they are too aggressive for the epidermis of your type.
• Deep hydration, nutrition. Choose nourishing and moisturizing masks and use them at least twice a week. To make the ingredients work more actively, apply the product after a deep cleansing with a face mask or mask with fruit acids. The composition of the nutrient mask may be trace elements algae extracts, gingko bilobaGuarana. These substances improve the tone of the skin, increase its protective properties. Moisturizers contain hyaluronic acid, collagen, chitosan, milk proteins. Apply the mask to cleansed skin for twenty minutes. After that, rinse and apply a caring cream.

Nuances of the summer period

Care for dry skin in the summer should include better nutrition. The epidermis reacts negatively to water changes during a trip to the resort, the hot sun and the salty sea wind.

Use nutritious masks more often, three times a week. And for daily night care, choose a dense cream with an oil phase based on avocado or shea butter. So you protect the skin from exhaustion.

Do not forget about sun protection! Ultraviolet dries out the epidermis even more aggressively than central heating. For summer, buy a day cream with a UV filter content of at least SPF-15. If during the day you washed with water, the cream should be applied again. Using a protective cream from May to September will prevent the formation of age spots and hyperkeratosis, the peaks of which occur precisely in the summer months.

Winter nuances

In winter, cosmetologists recommend changing the day and night cream in places. In the morning, after cleansing the skin, apply a nutritious composition. It will become a quality barrier between the delicate epidermis and external factors: frosty air, cold wind. It is important to use the cream an hour before leaving the house, otherwise you will get the opposite effect: discomfort and irritation.

Apply a moisturizer in the evening.The need for active hydration at night is dictated by a stay in the apartment, where the radiators work. They dry the air, and that, in turn, “draws” moisture from our skin.

Going to a ski resort or a walk in a snowy park, take care of protecting your skin from ultraviolet radiation. Use the same cream as in the summer on the beach. Decorative cosmetics will also help: layer-by-layer application of a foundation and powder creates protection against sunlight at the level of SPF-15 and excludes direct contact of the epidermis with an aggressive environment.

Supplement your home care for dry skin in the winter with a course of nutritious serums. Five to seven procedures are enough, in which the serum is applied under a night cream. Such formulations contain liposomes - active components that improve the nutrition of the skin. The structure of liposomes is close to the structure of the cells of the dermis, which allows them to transfer nutrients to the deep layers, inaccessible to the usual cream.

Dry skin is beautiful in youth, but demanding after twenty years. It can bring discomfort in the form of peeling and upset its owner with the early appearance of wrinkles. And it can serve as a source of pride throughout life if you use soft cream products to cleanse it, properly tone, nourish and moisturize it. Organize dry skin care using the right cosmetics with moisturizing and nourishing ingredients in summer and winter.