Dry skin lacks moisture, resulting in dry, rough, or flaky skin. Dry skin is common during the colder months, but you may also experience dry skin types that persist throughout the year. Dry skin may feel uncomfortable and itchy, but adjusting your skincare routine to replenish your skin’s moisture can help rebalance your skin’s moisture.
A basic dry skin care routine includes a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen with moisturizing ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin. However, depending on your skin’s needs, you can add more products to your day and night skincare routines. Here are dermatologists’ recommendations for developing the best skincare routine for dry skin.
What Is Dry Skin?
Your epidermis (or the top layer of your skin) has a fragile barrier that locks in moisture, which moisturizes and protects your skin from the natural elements. Dry skin, also known as xerosis or xeroderma, occurs when the skin barrier loses moisture too quickly.
As a result, the skin of people with dry skin can feel:
- Itch
- Rupture
- Coarse
- Tight
- Flanked
- Scaly
“Some people are born with dry skin, but others can have dry skin in the winter due to cold, dry winter winds, central heating (or car heaters), and low humidity — all of which combine to create a ‘perfect storm’ of skin dehydration,” says Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Manhattan and chief of dermatologic surgery at Metropolitan Hospital. You may also experience dry skin due to conditions such as eczema, which causes inflammation, inflammation, and swelling of the skin.
Morning Skincare Routine for Dry Skin
A morning skincare routine can hydrate the deficient skin barrier and help dry skin prepare for the elements. Here’s how to help your dry skin stay hydrated and scale-free during the day.
Step 1: Cleanser
Cleansing the skin is always the first step in the morning to remove dirt and create a clean state. But dry skin types should also look for cleansers that add extra moisture to the skin and don’t strip the face of much-needed oil.
“Gentle cleansers with gentle moisturizing ingredients like glycerin, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, oil-based cleansers, and moisturizing cleansers are best for dry skin,” says Engelman. Oil-based cleansers are especially suitable for people with extremely dry skin, helping to lock in moisture.
Step 2: Toner
Toner is an optional skincare step that usually removes residual oil and dirt. As a result, many toners can irritate dry skin, but are more suitable for oily, acne-prone skin. However, some toners are specifically designed to moisturize dry skin. Engelman recommends choosing an alcohol-free toner that contains moisturizing and soothing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and aloe vera. These types of toners can support even the most sensitive skin.
Step 3: Serum
Serums are water-based skin care products that contain a high concentration of active ingredients. If you have dry skin, look for serums that contain active ingredients to help hydrate and protect your skin from the effects of a dry environment. Lindsey Zubritsky, M.D., FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at Premier Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center, believes that hyaluronic acid serums are ideal for dry skin and help attract moisture to the skin barrier. Zubritsky recommends applying a hyaluronic acid serum to damp skin to draw more moisture into the skin.
Engelman also recommends serums that contain moisturizing B vitamins like niacinamide and panthenol. Serums containing ceramides and vitamin E can also help replenish moisture and strengthen the skin barrier.
People with dry skin can also use the popular vitamin C serum to help brighten their complexion, eliminate pigmentation, and reduce UV damage. If you’re using a vitamin C serum, try using a tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate product instead of an L-ascorbic acid product, as this product is more moisturizing and less irritating to the skin.
Step 4: Eye Cream
Eye cream is also another optional addition to your daytime skincare routine. For dry skin, look for an eye cream that contains moisturizing peptides to hydrate the delicate, often dry under-eye area. Day eye creams with antioxidants like vitamin C and SPF can also help protect the delicate underneath the eyes from sun damage.
Step 5: Moisturizer
Using a rich moisturizer is essential for dry skin care. Moisturizers repair the dry skin barrier by increasing the skin’s moisture content and locking in moisture.
Stick to thick creams or oil-based moisturizers, especially those that contain ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid, to lock in moisture and rebuild the skin barrier. Zubritsky also recommends moisturizers that contain softening and moisturizing ingredients such as squalane, shea butter, and glycerin.
Step 6: Sunscreen
Dry skin also needs to be protected from UV rays. Your morning skincare routine should always end with a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. Making sunscreen a daily priority can help reduce the risk of wrinkles, sun spots, and skin cancer. Nickel-sized sunscreen should be applied to the face, neck, chest, and ears every 2 hours.
Dry skin types can use mineral or chemical sunscreens. Zubritsky recommends using a moisturizing sunscreen that contains ceramides to continue the fight against dryness. We recommend mineral sunscreens because the ingredients in chemical sunscreens can sometimes sting and burn.
Nighttime Skincare Routine for Dry Skin
A nighttime skincare routine focuses on removing daytime oil and dirt and replenishing the moisture lost during the day by dry skin. This helps your skin cells repair damage throughout the day. Here’s how to hydrate dry skin overnight.
Step 1: Cleanser
You can continue to use a gentle, oily, or moisturizing cleanser at night to remove dirt and makeup from the day. If you want to switch to it at night, or need a stronger makeup remover, Engelman recommends using a gel cleanser. They can help remove dirt, oil, and makeup without stripping the skin of its natural oils. Mina points out that creams or oil-based cleaners are also great for washing away makeup and daily pollution overnight.
Step 2: Toner
You can add or skip toners for your nighttime skincare. If you have sensitive, dry skin, you may prefer to use a moisturizing toner at night. This can help remove excess dirt and add more moisture to the skin while you sleep.
Your night toner can be the same as a day toner, with moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and aloe vera.
Step 3: Serum
Night serums are another opportunity to hydrate dry skin more and treat fine lines. Again, choose a moisturizing serum that contains niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, peptides, or ceramides. These ingredients moisturize and repair dry skin after a long day.
Dry skin types can also use a nighttime exfoliating serum that contains α-hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as lactic and glycolic acids to exfoliate roughness, hydrate, and smooth fine lines. These chemical exfoliants can help smooth dry skin by removing dead skin cells that cause skin flaking and roughness. While both lactic and glycolic acid can help moisturize the skin and smooth fine lines, glycolic acid can be too irritating for dry and sensitive skin. Lactic acid is a gentler option for dry skin types who want to exfoliate dry, rough skin.
Step 4: Retinol
Vitamin A derivatives such as tretinoin and retinol (a type of retinol) help stimulate cell metabolism and boost collagen production, which can help improve overall skin texture, reduce fine lines, and prevent clogged pores. Retinol tends to be too irritating and dry for dry skin. Mina notes that “sandwiching” a retinol product between two layers of moisturizer can make it easier for dry skin to accept.
When choosing which type of retinol to use, people with dry skin may be better suited to opt for over-the-counter (OTC) retinol, retinyl palmitate, and retinaldehyde. Zubritzky recommends retinol products with added niacinamide to help maintain the skin’s barrier, as well as retinol creams to increase hydration. Prescription vitamin A treatments such as daphwen (adapalene), Retin-A (tretinoin), Aklief (trofarotene), and tazolac (tazarotene) can be too intense for dry skin.
If you’re new to retinol products, apply a thin layer on your face and start slowly. Start by applying retinol every other week for about a week. If your skin is not irritated, you can gradually increase the frequency. “If your skin is prone to becoming very sensitive, you may need to start at a slower pace every three nights,” Zaesim notes.
Step 5: Eye Cream
You can continue to use your daily moisturizing eye cream in the evening, or opt for a more moisturizing eye cream. In the evening, Mina recommends using an eye cream containing peptides to soothe dry skin, followed by a petroleum jelly ointment on top to lock in moisture.
Additionally, the night eye cream contains ingredients such as retinol, niacinamide, or hyaluronic acid, which can help repair the skin and reduce fine lines. However, retinol eye creams can be too irritating for dry skin.
Step 6: Moisturizer or Night Cream
Overnight moisturizing helps dry skin hydrate and repair itself. You can stick to a day moisturizer or use a thicker night cream. Night creams are great for repairing the skin and have a thick consistency that dry skin loves.
To really help with more hydration during the night, look for a night cream that contains hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Night creams containing AHAs and retinol can also help stimulate cell turnover and reduce the appearance of fine lines. Since these can sometimes be irritating ingredients paired with thick creams, dry skin types can usually tolerate them.
Step 7: Facial Oil
Applying a facial oil at night is a great way to help dry skin rehydrate more. Look for face oils that contain fatty acids, such as argan oil or coconut oil, to increase the skin’s hydration. If you have sensitive skin, rosehip oil may help soothe and moisturize.
Tips for Dry Skin
When developing a skincare routine for dry skin, it’s important to remember that it goes beyond the typical morning and night regimen, and here are some additional tips for caring for dry skin:
- Limit exfoliation: Chemical exfoliation once or twice a week to avoid irritating dry skin. Chemical exfoliants use acids to break down dead skin cells and smooth the skin. However, they can take away some moisture.
- Use a humidifier: Using a humidifier, especially during the colder months, can help add moisture to the dry air.
- Spot Test Products: Dry skin may also be sensitive to certain products. Before trying any new exfoliating products or masks, it is advisable to do a field test. Place a small amount of product on your wrist and wait a day or two to see if there is a reaction.
- Avoid hot water and rubbing your skin: Washing your face, body, or hands with hot water will wash away your skin’s natural oils. When using a towel, pat the skin dry and do not rub it.
- Choose gentle laundry products: Products that come into contact with the skin can further irritate dry skin. Look for laundry detergents and fabric softeners for sensitive skin and fragrance-free.
Summary
Dry skin lacks moisture, resulting in rough, flaky, and tight skin. Customizing your skincare routine to hydrate can help rebalance your dry skin barrier. The basic skincare routine for dry skin includes cleansers, moisturizers, and sunscreens that contain moisturizing ingredients such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and glycerin. You can customize your daily care routine with moisturizing serums, eye creams, oils, and night creams.
