Different Types of Dry Skin: Which One is Yours ? & How To Take Good Care of It?
Okay, so today we are going to discuss about dry skin. I agree that I’m a bit late in this because we’re past the winter in India & winter is the season where atleast 80 percent of us give skincare a thought (thanks to the extra dryness) but those people with already dry skin suffer extremely during this season. This winter I was busy baking cakes & tart; so It didn’t really strike me to post about this extremely common situation before someone asked a related question to me on quora.
Now you may have noticed that I’ve mentioned different types of dry skin on the title of the post. This is important because most people are clueless about the ‘types’ & without knowing that, the problem cannot be solved no matter how much moisturizer you pour on your skin.
I’ve classified dry skin types according to their causes. First comes,
Inherent Dry Skin: This is the most common type & unfortunately other types of dry skin are often confused with this & that’s why those types cannot reap any benefit from the maintenance routine of this. Inherent dry skin types are those people who have always had a dry skin, even when they were teenagers.
To be true, it is the kind of dry skin that is easiest to maintain but it’ll need lifelong maintenance & attention. Like any other inherited skin type, it has no ‘cure’; it can only be maintained. But as you age, you’ll need better multi tasking products to take care of it.
Products that suit this kind of skin are usually heavier moisturizers. Even facial oils like Avocado, Wheatgerm, golden Jojoba, Argan oil are all good choice. Also proper hydration is mandatory. So choose products with a good percentage of hyaluronic acid. This is a common suggestion to all skin types.
During the dry season, top your favourite moisturizer with a face-oil (or any carrier oil). I usually don’t advocate glycerin based cleansing products like soaps because they don’t cleanse the skin properly. I highly recommend using a facewash or a bodywash that’s suitable for sensitive skin. During the winter you may also use Shea Butter, Cocoa butter based products on your body & face. Sunscreen usage is a must all year round.
Next comes those types which I call ‘acquired dry skin’.These people do not have dry skin genetically but it is rather a condition acquired by them mostly because of negligence for real long. The two categories are:
a). Ageing Skin / Mature Dry Skin: This is a very common situation. Most of these people had quite a normal or even oily skin when they were young but due to long term negligence & lack of proper maintenance, as they age, their skin turns extremely dry & the condition worsens during the winter.
It is natural for human skin to turn dry as it matures but with proper care, it can be controlled to a great extent. This ‘care’ includes getting used to sunscreen, having a defined skincare routine while they’re still young. It not only delays ageing but also keeps the skin proteins like collagen & elastin in good shape & prevents them from degrading early.
But better late than never, if you notice dry skin lately & you’re over the age of 35, you definitely need special care. For starters, I’d suggest a night cream based on retinol & hyaluronic acid & a vitamin C serum. Retinol would slowly exfoliate the damaged dry layer & diminish the appearance of fine lines & expression lines & hyaluronic acid will restore hydration of which, mature skin is seriously deprived of.
Vitamin C serum will reverse the free radical damage which is a major reason of skin ageing. But I highly recommend using these specialized products at night because they tend to degrade upon exposure to sunlight. Also get used to regular sunscreen usage to prevent further damage.
During the day, even though your day cream has some SPF in it, top it with a broad spectrum sunscreen, even if you’re at home & cover your limbs with long sleeved summer jackets or shrugs & save your fav LBD for the evening.
You can also use DIY face masks & some ingredients like tea tree oil, argan oil are amazing to combat visible signs of ageing & I highly recommend them to be used in it. Also once in a while, apply a Rhassoul Clay mask. It is not only sensitive skin approved but also gently draws the toxins out without causing moisture loss to extremely dry skin.
You can also try lactic acid peels once a month. Consult a dermatologist for that.
b). Sun Damaged Dry Skin: This condition is often confused with the inherent dry skin type because this even strikes people who are at the prime of their youth. But this has different symptoms than those with inherent dry skin.
People suffering from this condition often get plastic like dry appearance on sun exposed areas of their body contrary to people with inherent dry skin having naturally dry skin all over irrespective of sun exposure. This plastic like appearance is the hallmark of extreme sun damage.
There is another interesting symptom. No matter how much moisturizer you’d apply on the affected area, it’d show its dry self again in 15-20 minutes. The plastic like skin would feel stretchy & dry, no matter what you apply. If this is your case, you’ll need a long term fix. Try the following:
· AHAs like Glycolic Acid works extremely well with this type of dryness. In fact glycolic acid is used to treat such ‘dry skin’. You may also try a BHA like Salicylic Acid. Just begin with a lower concentration of the ointment & apply it on the affected area at night before bed for a month or more & then you can move up for greater concentrations.
· You may also try topical retinoids like Adapalene, Tretinoin on the affected area instead of AHAs or BHAs. But personally I prefer Glycolic acid to treat this above all.
· Also go for a chemical peeling session. A light glycolic/lactic acid peel or even a lower conc. TCA peel would be extremely beneficial to this kind of sun damage.
· Avoid any toner (or any product) with alcohol content. Opt for a oil based micellar water or simply an oil based cleanser to remove makeup.
· Get a hyaluronic acid & retinol based night cream or if you can’t get them together in a product. Apply one by one at night on your face. Substitute retinol with an AHA based product like a mandelic acid cream for face because it is a lot less irritating than glycolic acid.
· Also use an antioxidant based serum like Vitamin C/E or a Q10 serum. It’ll reverse the sun damage by fighting free radicals. But these things are notoriously unstable upon sun exposure, so use them only in the evening or at night.
· Apply sunscreen religiously, every 2-3 hours during the day, even indoors. Cover your limbs with long sleeved shrugs. Save the minis for the evening or night-out. Get a broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or more & PA +++ at the least.
· Apply DIY face masks in the evening & add yogurt, apple cider vinegar in it. Also try essential oils like Lime, Lemon, Balsam of Peru, or Moroccan Argan oil. You may add these oils in your regular moisturizer. These greatly reverse sun damage. But make sure you use them only after the sun sets, reason being the same as above (extreme instability upon sun exposure).
So that’s all I know about the dry skin types & I hope you enjoyed the post & it’d be great if you add some more to this in the comments section below.
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Stay Tuned.
Koyel M.
