How To Combat Dry Skin

This is an update on a previous post I did about two years ago on how to handle dry skin. Apologies for the over-dramatic tone of that one. But basically, whenever my skin starts to dry out during the colder months, this becomes part of my routine. Yes, I know it's a bit of hassle to have to change up the products that you normally use, but it is essential to making sure you keep that skin of yours looking cute and healthy (emphasis on the cute part obviously).

Please note that I am not a dermatologist or skincare expert. I just wanted to share some tips with you all and hope it can help you out too!

*Just as a reference, I normally have oily skin but it turns into combination skin during the colder months. I'm also prone to acne.*

1. Dry Bad, Moist Good

So I have a little space heater in my room that I use in the mornings when it gets really cold. Now I'm not an expert on humidity, so I really had no idea that using a heater could have negative effects on your skin. Basically, having my heater on was sucking the moisture out of the air so my mother told me cut that out and buy myself a humidifier. You can purchase any kind of humidifier. The one I bought was a Safety 1st one from Target. It was the cheapest I could find and it worked just fine.

2. Exfoliate

I should start this off with a warning because exfoliating too much could irritate the skin even more. It is important though to get rid of all the dead skin cells and anything that could possibly clog your pores. So if you're going to exfoliate, go with something gentle like the Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Purifying Exfoliator and only do so every 4-5 days or once a week. And make sure to pack on the moisturizer afterwards!

3. Make Aquaphor your new BFF

I don't even care if you don't follow all the other steps, but you probably should not skip this one. I think this saved my skin completely. I put this on every night before I go to bed and almost always see results the very next morning. The improvements are gradual, but consistent. You only need a little bit so don't go overboard. I don't think it can cause breakouts (because I haven't experienced any), but try not to apply on too much. You should definitely test it before trying it on your whole face. I also use this instead of a regular moisturizer for a couple of days, which means I have to go make-up free. If this isn't something that you're quite comfortable with, then using a tinted moisturizer and applying a little bit of powder over it should give you enough coverage. Aquaphor is about $5 at Target, which I think is such a huge bargain with what it can do. It's also good for when you have really chapped lips or have dry patches elsewhere on your body. 

4. Say Goodbye to Matt(e)

When my skin gets dehydrated, I stop using all products that can dry out my skin, which includes all mattifying creams, gels, primers, and foundations. Those only dry out your skin even more and can clog your pores, thus creating those ugly little bumps that we all hate. Use products that are meant to hydrate your skin. My favorite facial cream is the Eclos Anti-Aging Regenerative Cream. You should also stay away from other products that have alcohol in it, like toners for example. There are toners that don't dry out your skin so just read up on the ingredients. 

5. ExpressHydrate Yourself, Don't Repress Yourself

Speaking of alcohol, you probably shouldn't drink too much of it at this point. But what you should drink a lot of is good 'ol H2O. And while I'm on the subject of water, I know that during the cold winter months we want to take baths/showers in the hottest water possible, but beware because this does dry out your skin. If you're going to wash your face, make sure it's with luke perry warm water.

I hope that was helpful in some way. Stay hydrated!