Saving Dry Skin (2017)

Often times at work a client will come to me looking for a new foundation for their dry skin. They'll follow up with the usual complaints, saying that their foundation gets cakey, sticks to dry patches, feels like cement, looks crepey, etc. To my horror, I'll ask about their skincare routine and find out that they either don't have one or will at most stick any ol' moisturizer on their face and go right in with the foundation. Boo, honey, my friends, my dears, my loves, get your skincare routine on lock. As someone that personally has dry skin (lemme tell ya... sometimes I feel like I'm one of those characters from animorphs and I'm shifting into a crocodile) I've spent a lot of time coming up with a bomb routine to get my skin in tip top shape. So I'm here to give you some tips, as well as show you some of my favorite products that I've used or currently use in my morning-nightly rotation.

Quick disclaimer, everyone is different. Although these products have all worked wonderfully for me, that does not mean that they will work as well for you. Finding a good skincare routine can be a process, but my recommendations might be a good place to start.

Tip 1: Cleansing

As much as I understand what it's like to be too tired, or too lazy, or too drunk to want to take that extra effort to remove your makeup when you could, you know, just... sleep in it? Proper cleansing is a huge part in taking your skin in the right direction to be in it's healthiest state. Reality is, makeup has a lot of ingredients in it that just don't belong sitting on our faces for long periods of time. And even for you non-makeup-wearers, on a daily basis we come into contact with environmental nasties that build up on our skin. Your average soap and water isn't going to cut it, it's not formulated to deal with your delicate face skins and will strip you of any natural oils.

I've found that one of the saviors of my skin have been solid oil/balm cleansers. I currently switch between using Erborian Solid Cleansing Oil and Sunday Riley Blue Moon Tranquility Cleansing Balm. They're both hydrating balms that completely melt any makeup, debris, or dirt away from your face. You can then go in with a damp wash cloth and simply wipe off the extra oils.

My only gripe with cleansing balms or oils is that they do take a little bit more time. So although I do love them with all my heart, I do have another cleansing routine for days where I want to take an easier route. But that's for another post. After going in with the cleansing balm, I'll use a cotton round with some micellar water to make sure that I've gotten everything wiped away.

Tip 2: Exfoliators

Exfoliating is an important step in your skincare routine, regardless of your skin type. The idea behind an exfoliator is to remove the dead skin (including those flakes y'all!) to get your skin to the smoothest possible state. This allows the rest of your skincare to penetrate more effectively, and allows your makeup to lay smoother and more flawlessly.

There are two types of exfoliators: physical and chemical. Most people are aware of the physical exfoliators. These exfoliators are those scrubs that may feel like they have bits of grain or crystals in them. While physical exfoliators might be something good for quick body exfoliation, I would highly recommend staying away from them for the face. Physical exfoliators have the ability to cause damage to your skin, with little nicks or removing skin cells that shouldn't be removed due to how aggressive they are. These are called "micro-tears". Not to say physical exfoliators are all bad, but fact of the matter is it's all that simpler to avoid them rather than going through the process of having to find a good one when there's a whole other option, being chemical.

Chemical exfoliants use, surprise, chemicals to remove dead skin cells while aiding in the process of cell turnover. There are many different chemical exfoliators made for different skin types, so there's one out there for everyone no matter how rough or sensitive your skin may be. Two exfoliators I've had great experiences with are the Perricone MD Exfoliating Pore Refiner and Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peel.

Tip 3: Add oils!

There's not a simpler way for me to put it for you dry skin babes, add some oils into your skin care routine. If your skin isn't producing enough of it's own, why not do it yourself? There are a lot of beauty oils out there dedicated to adding a bit of moisture into your skin, so you can pick one that appeals to you and find a way to work it into your routine. Below is a breakdown of a handful of oils I've used, with an explanation of when and how I used them and why I used them that way.

• Boscia Tsubaki Beauty Oil
  This is a very diverse oil that I like to use day or night. It's extremely moisturizing and gives your face a really nice healthy looking glow as well as provides a few anti-aging benefits. It's moisturizing enough that it can save my skin on an extra dry day, but lightweight enough that it still sinks right in immediately and doesn't deteriorate my foundation.
• Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Oil
  I've found this oil to be the most hydrating of any I've used, but it's also a bit heavier and takes longer to settle into the skin. Because of this I would only use this oil at night, as it causes my foundation to break apart and melt away. As far as how this oil treats my skin, I enjoy it just as much as the Boscia Tsubaki Oil. But it's a little less versatile in when I can use it.
• Bio-Oil
  This oil is less moisturizing for my face that the previous two listed. Therefore, I will go in with another moisturizing oil after Bio-Oil. I enjoy Bio-Oil because of the variety of different ingredients it has in it that causes it to work on other skin concerns such as scars, uneven skin tone, sunburn, stretch marks (you can use it in other areas, not just your face!), and so on. It sinks immediately into the skin making it easy to apply the rest of your skincare or makeup.
• Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil
  As I said with Bio-Oil, I use this one not so much for moisturizing but for it's other benefits. Luna Sleeping Night Oil is considered a "retinoid oil" and is used primarily for anti-aging. There are some skincare products out there that do not work well or can cause adverse affects if used with a retinoid, so watch out for that! But if your skincare doesn't clash with retinoids, this oil plumps your skin, gets rid of wrinkles, reduces appearance of pores, evens skin tone, and brightens for a youthful appearance. Due to it being a retinoid product and suggesting so, it only gets used at night.
• Farsali Rose Gold Elixir
  Rose Gold Elixir falls along the same lines as Boscia Tsubaki Oil, with a little bit of elegance to it. It works as a lightweight moisturizer with a bit of anti-aging benefits, and the 24k gold flakes in the oil adds a beautiful radiance to your skin. While this can be used in regular skincare routine both day and night, my favorite way to use this is to mix it in with foundation. It's a lightweight enough formula that it always mixed very well without ruining the formula or wear of my makeup and gave a gorgeous glow.

Tip 4: Toners, essences, & serums

First off, what is the difference? Toners are meant to balance the pH in your skin and most contain antioxidants and may provide a thin layer of hydration. Because of this, your skin is able to absorb any skincare applied after much easier and more effectively. My current favorite Belif's Witch Hazel Herbal Extract Toner. A lot of toners can be drying, but because of the apothecary herbs in the ingredients of this specific toner, it doesn't dry you out but in facts gives you a small boost of hydration before going in with the rest of your routine. Essences (I've also seen them called "emulsions" or "lotions") are typically more hydrating than toners, but more lightweight and less potent than serums. Serums are then your pack of skin care, filled with ingredients to address any skin concern you may have. Below is listed different essences and serums I enjoy, and what I enjoy about them.

• May Coop Raw Sauce
  An effective essence for really any skin type. Primarily adds an extra layer of hydration. Also helps with the absorption of following skin care products. Because of it's lightweight formula, I like to use this during the day and when my skin is in a better state than usual.
• Erborian Ginseng Milk
  A bit of a more moisturizing essence. It's lightweight in feel, but provides much more moisture than the May Coop Raw Sauce. If my skin is struggling or extra dry, I will use this as my day essence.
• Shiseido Ibuki Softening Skin Concentrate
  This is one of those products that is sitting on a fine line in between essence and serum because of the higher levels of concentrated ingredients. Because of this, I use this as my night essence as I use Good Genes (see further down list) as my night serums, which is a very strong and potent treatment.
• Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum
  Vinoperfect is probably my all-time favorite serum of life. It's great for all skin types because it's oil free, but gives you a boost of radiance rather than dry you out. Vinoperfect works to reduce the appearance of dark spots, scars, evens skin tone, and gives you a brighter more radiant complexion. It's light weight, so perfect as a day time serum.
• Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum
  This is a perfect serum for those with dry skin as their primary concern, for day or night. It locks moisture into the skin as well as helps with moisture balance. It's gentle enough for sensitive skin and makes you skin feel refreshed and soft.
• Sunday Riley Good Genes 
  Good Genes is a lactic acid treatment/serum that I've been swearing by for the past year. It doesn't necessarily hydrate, so much as it gives you "new skin". Good Genes comes with a plethora of benefits that causes even the driest of skin to look like baby new skin such as exfoliating dead and dull skin cells away, smooths textures, plumps fine lines, evens skin tone, and gives an instant radiance to the skin.

Tip 5: Moisturize for the occasion

The biggest thing I've learned about caring for dry skin is that one moisturizer does not fit all. Therefore, I have multiple different moisturizers in my skincare routine that I fit into two different categories: day time moisturizers, and bed time moisturizers.

With my daytime moisturizers, I want something that's both very hydrating but very lightweight in formula. This is so that they, first and foremost, penetrate the skin better but also so that they don't disturb the wear of my foundation. Moisturizers like Belif True Cream Aqua Bomb or Fresh Rose Hydrating Gel Cream are perfect for day time use. Both moisturizers are formulated with extremely hydrating ingredients (pro tip: for dry skin, try anything with rose) but have a very light and refreshing feel to them.

For night or bed time is when we can go heavy. You skin absorbs things much easier at night (which is part of why more heavy duty skincare products actually recommend you use them at night.) Not to mention I personally don't have to worry about any makeup during this time, so I'm going to let my skin really quench it's thirst while I'm sleeping. Two moisturizers I enjoy at night are First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, and Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream. Both are formulated for very intense hydration, and are both thicker formulas so while they may not be ideal for day time they are perfect for while you're snoozing. When I use either of these I always wake up feeling like my face is as soft as a baby's bum (I hate this comparison, but if the shoe fits.) Another product that has been my tried and true holy grail for a night time moisturizer is the Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Mask. Though it is considered a "mask", it's also very effective as a night time moisturizing treatment. But because of it's concentrated ingredients, it is more so a "treatment" rather than a casual moisturizer so I try to keep to using that one only once or twice a week.

Now, I'm going to sound like all of Tumblr and those frilly positive tweets you see occasionally but, water. Drinking lots of water. Your water intake and how much your body as a whole is hydrated is very blatantly reflected in the state of your skin. So sometimes, by increasing your water intake you can see a huge improvement in your skin's hydration levels. 

Hopefully any of these tips or products will help you out. Or maybe you've at least learned something new. A skincare routine video may be coming in the near future!