Hi Girls,

Today, I’d like to talk about a slightly different issue. Exceptionally, there will be no review of the last used product and no care guidance. Yet I think it’ll also be an interesting topic. I would like to tell you why the skin dries up. Maybe you also struggle with dry skin and you might not even realize what problem such a seemingly trivial thing could mean.

Dry skin – what exactly does it mean?

Do you have dry skin? I do not know, but I think you will recognize it very easily.

Dry skin is unpleasant to touch, like a thin paper that is about to crumble. The roughness goes hand in hand with a lack of flexibility and radiance. Such skin is far from rosy and full of vitality. It is definitely dull and gray. If the skin is extremely dry, you might experience dry patches – small, protruding fragments of exfoliating skin, which do not look attractive and make the makeup application difficult. Dry skin is also often accompanied by irritation, itching, the feeling of tightness, etc. What’s worse, it also ages much faster.

As I now look at this description, I have the impression that I am talking about my own skin. I’ve recently had a considerable problem with moisturizing my complexion. Unfortunately, there are more causes than just one – it would be too easy!

Why is the skin drying?

There are many reasons for skin dehydration and it is hard to see it at first glance what’s the particular reason in our case. Anyway, it’s never one specific thing that makes the skin dry. I am sorry to say it, but usually, it is a whole set of different causes, smaller and larger, which accumulate, build up and contribute to dehydration.

Generally, it can be assumed that the dryness of the skin is caused by external factors that remove lipids forming a part of the natural hydro-lipid barrier of our skin. Also those, by which the sebaceous glands begin to work badly and provide the skin with too little protective sebum.

And all these factors are divided into:

• exogenous or external factors,
• endogenous or internal factors.

I know that all this does not tell you much. You are probably expecting particular examples and that I will tell you clearly what makes the skin dry. No problem. Just remember that I mention the most important reasons, but there are many indirect, less frequent causes also affecting the state of your skin. You must always remember that dry skin is a very complex problem.

What are the most common causes of dry skin?

• The use of an ordinary, traditional soap.
• Lack of care and non-use of moisturizing cosmetics.
• Using cosmetics inappropriate to the skin type.
• Incorrect care habits, eg no exfoliation of the epidermis.
• Taking long and hot baths, as well as using the solarium and sauna.
• Some diseases and medicine.
• Frequent exposure to the sun (dryness is the symptom of photoaging).
• Improper hydration and nutrition of the body from the inside.
• The progressive natural aging process of the skin.
• Genetic conditions and hereditary tendency to dryness.
• Unfavorable temperature changes, eg winter frost, summer heat.
• Air conditioners or heating that dry out the air.

Types of dry skin

As if that was not enough, dry skin can appear in different varieties. Mainly because it can be more or less dry.

For some, this is a temporary problem that arises from the use of the wrong cosmetics, detergents or even clothing. The dry skin appears when the water-lipid coat is disturbed and disappears as soon as the lipid layer is rebuilt. The feeling of dryness can then be easily eliminated with proper care. It’s a situation in which you feel that you have dry skin, but you only need to apply a sufficient amount of a cream and the problem disappears.

However, others have a more serious problem because dry skin can be the result of impaired sebum secretion. The sebaceous glands do not work properly and the skin is unable to rebuild the protective lipid layer by itself. Then, not only many factors deprive the skin of protection, but the standard care is often ineffective – the lack of hydro-lipid coating makes every moisturizing and nourishing ingredient escape from the skin as soon as it’s provided.

How to take care of dry skin?

Especially for you: dry skin care in a nutshell.

It requires more attention, but keep in mind that overzealousness is also not recommended. The most important is moisturizing, that is, providing valuable water from the inside, but also from the outside (in the form of cosmetics with humectants). In addition, it’s worth strengthening the natural water-lipid coat, using cosmetics with emollients, ie ingredients that prevent evaporation and loss of water. In this case, natural oils that I personally love and definitely recommend, are a great solution. Daily care of dry skin is based on these two elements. However, it is worth including two additional cosmetics: one with a UV filter that protects against the sun, and another with anti-aging substances, thanks to which we will prevent premature aging of the skin. The most important thing is to determine why the skin dries in our case and to eliminate all possible causes.

Let me know how you take care of your dry skin!