The Best Moisturizer for Your Dry Skin? Here’s What To Look For and How To Use It

People living with dementia can benefit from a range of services. Dry skin The pain is real. You want to be healthy so you exercise regularly Wash your hands (good job!) Use sanitizer if you are in a hurry.Even basic hygiene, especially in cold weather can cause your skin to feel tight, itchy, and uncomfortable.

What is the key? Choose the right moisturizer to hydrate your skin. Follow some dermatologists’ advice on how to keep your skin clean.

Which moisturizer should you choose for dry skin, with so many skin care products on the market that promise “best skin ever?” The dermatologist Alejandra Estemalik MD takes a look at moisturizers. She explains what to look for, the best way to use it, and how to take care of your dry skin.

Why moisturizing is important for dry skin

The main job of your moisturizer is to hydrate the moisture barrier on your skin.

What’s that?

Dr. Estemalik says that the skin barrier is your outermost skin layer. It acts as a protective armor for the cells below.

The harshness of soap, the cold weather and over-exfoliation can all cause your skin to become dry, flaky, or itchy.

Choose the right moisturizer for your dry skin

The right moisturizer will keep your skin healthy and hydrated by providing that important layer of protection. Dr. Estemalik’s top recommendations for moisturizing dry skin include products from brands such as CeraVe, Aveeno, Avene and La Roche-Posay.

Why are some moisturizers better for dry skin than others? How can you choose the best moisturizer for dry skin?

1. Cream for the body

A moisturizing body cream will help to moisturize dry skin. Not lotion. There is a difference.

Dr. Estemalik says that anything that hydrates the skin is a moisturizer. “But lotions contain more alcohol and water than creams.” Lotions are more likely than creams to dry out your skin.

Lotion is the best choice for your face. I’ll get to that in a moment.

2. Skip the fragrance

It’s better to use products that are botanically and fragrance-free, especially if you suffer from dry skin, allergies, or sensitive skin.

Dr. Estemalik says that fragrances and botanicals can cause allergies and should be avoided if you have sensitive skin. When you apply a scent product to your skin, the allergen will cause inflammation. Inflammation leads to flakiness, itching and flakiness.

Because they are found in nature, botanicals derived from plants (also known as ” all-natural “, “organic“, and “all-natural “) are considered to be healthier for your skin. As Dr. Estemalik points out, poison ivy is also a natural skin care product. “Fragrance tastes like sugar.” “We all love it, but it is bad for our skin.”

Dr. Estemalik recommends avoiding fragrances and botanicals when choosing skin care products.

Fragrance Mix
Balsam de Peru
Cinnamal.
Eugenol or isoeugenol.
Lavender.
Lemon (or limonene)
Lime.
Citrus oils
Orange.
Peppermint oil
Rose oil
Tea tree oil is a natural remedy for acne.
Tocopherol.
Thyme.
Ylang-ylang.

Even if the product is marked as fragrance-free that does not mean it is allergen-free.

People think fragrance-free is hypoallergenic. “But if it contains any of these plant-based products, then it is definitely not hypoallergenic,” adds Dr. Estemalik.

3. Select the right ingredients

Look at the ingredients list before the price when choosing a moisturizer.

Skin care products are priced in a wide range. “A high price does not mean that a product will work better than an inexpensive version,” Dr. Estemalik stresses. The mix of ingredients tells you more about your skin care product’s potential to be effective rather than the price.

You should look for a few different types of ingredients in a moisturizer that will treat your dry, flaky skin. These are:

Humectants.
Occlusives.
Emollients

Dr. Estemalik says that a good moisturizer contains ingredients from these three classes in order to hydrate and prevent dry skin.

Take a look at the ingredients that can help dry skin.

Humectants

Humectants hydrate the skin by pulling water from your dermis (second layer) up to your epidermis (topmost layer). These ingredients also help to remove dead skin cells, and they use the moisture in the air to moisturize your epidermis.

The following are some of the most popular and effective humectants used in moisturizers to treat dry skin:

.
Lactic acid
Urea.
Sorbitol.

Occlusives

They work together with humectants. They are a boost to your skin’s hydration, as they prevent moisture loss.

Ingredients like:

Dimethicone is a good option for moisturizing hands that are dry.
Lanolin.
Petrolatum.

Emollients

Emollients are like asphalt on a road with potholes. They smooth and soften your skin by filling in the cracks caused by dryness. Emollients are also occlusives. Choose a moisturizer that contains:

Mineral oil is a type of oil.
Virgin Coconut Oil
Palm oil
Shea

Ceramides

Around half of your epidermis consists of natural Ceramides. These lipids help to lock in moisture.

Your natural ceramides can be given a boost by using synthetic ceramides.

These common ceramides are commonly found in moisturizers:

Ceramide 1 or EOS ceramide.
Ceramide 3 or ceramide N.
Ceramide AP, also known as ceramide 6-II.

What is a good moisturizer for your face?

If you have dry skin and are looking for a facial moisturiser, look for noncomedogenic products. This means that they will not cause acne.

Dr. Estemalik says, “Your skin on your face is thinner than the rest of your body. This makes it more delicate.” “A good facial moisturizing product should be lighter.” Gel or lotion are better options for your face, unless you have extremely dry skin.

Use a moisturizer that has SPF 30 and higher all year round. SPF protects you from UVA and UVB damaging rays. This is important to prevent skin-cancer, and to limit the sun’s aging effect.

Dr. Estemalik recommends: “I prefer face moisturizers with mineral SPF, like zinc oxide or titan dioxide.”

Antiaging Skin Care Vitamin C and retinol can also be added to facial moisturizers.

How to moisturize dry skin

You’ve chosen the right moisturizer. The product is only as good as how you use the product.

It’s not as simple as “just apply it.”

Dr. Estemalik suggests these steps to hydrate dry skin.

Shower less

If you have dry, itchy skin, you should stop taking a daily shower. Instead, try to lather every other day.

Dr. Estemalik explains that if you bathe too frequently, your skin barrier may develop micro-irritations. This damage builds up over the course of days and even months. This can lead to cracked, dry skin. It’s also more likely to get rashes or skin infections.

Skin damage makes it more susceptible to allergens, pathogens, and irritants. This includes viruses and bacteria such as staphylococcus.

He adds, “This is also why over-washing children with eczema are more susceptible to warts or viral skin infections.”

Reduce the heat

Shower water should be lukewarm and not hot.

Water can strip your skin’s protective barrier, the natural oils which keep out irritants and allow hydration to penetrate. Showers that are too hot can exacerbate the problem by evaporating more moisture.

Keep it short

Your skin will thank you for taking short but effective showers, rather than spending a long time in the shower. Keep your showers short, no more than five or ten minutes, and concentrate on “dirty” areas such as the armpits and feet.

Do not dry completely

Keep the amount of toweling you do after getting out of the bath to a minimum.

Dr. Estemalik suggests that you pat your skin dry as soon as you get out of the shower. But, keep some water on it. “Apply your moisturizer in three minutes, to help lock the moisture into your skin.”

Moisturize at every opportunity

What’s the point of using a moisturizer that you never use? For best results, use it every time you bathe or shower.

Dr. Estemalik stresses that after showering, moisturizers can restore oils lost when you wash your skin and protect it. Consistency is the key. Consistent use of moisturizer can reduce symptoms and symptom frequency, especially if you suffer from atopic dermitis, or eczema.

Contact a dermatologist if the right moisturizer or shower routine doesn’t work to help dry skin. You can feel more confident in your skin.