Dry skin is skin that lacks water and lipids. Weakened by multiple causes (genetic, pathological or environmental), the hydrolipidic film no longer correctly fulfills its function as a shield against external attacks. Depleted in sebum, it allows the water inside the skin cells to evaporate, which then causes the dryness of the epidermis.
Inevitable consequence: the skin pullslack of suppleness and produces scales.
What should be done to regain soft and comfortable skin? Focus on care moisturizers and nourishing and dismiss products and assets that are too aggressive.
What products should never be used on dry skin?
When you have dry skin, rinse it withtap water is a bad habit. Why ? “Because when the skin cells are immersed, they burst and release the water they contain inside”, explains Cyrille Telinge. It’s even worse when you don’t dry your face: “By osmosis, the water on the skin attracts the water located between the layers of the skin cells and promotes its evaporation”, continues the doctor-researcher.
Prolonged contact of the skin with water can aggravate dryness – especially when it is calcareous – so baths should be avoided as much as possible. “If you still want to treat yourself to this little pleasure from time to time, opt for a lukewarm temperature (hot water captures lipids, editor’s note) and add a few drops ofvegetal oils“, advises our expert.
In general, as soon as the dry skin has been wet, it is better to dry it as quickly as possible, by patting rather than rubbing so as not to irritate it further.
And regarding thethermal water ? “Some thermal waters have a better affinity with the skin than others, develops Cyrille Telinge. They are especially interesting when they are isotonic, that is to say with a concentration of mineral salts that respects the integrity of skin cells. .” And to add: “It is also the only type of water that we could afford not to dry afterwards.”
- Toning lotion with alcohol
Toning lotions containing alcohol disrupt the hydrolipidic film and considerably dry out the skin. Good news: “Tonics with alcohol hardly exist any more, assures the expert in skin biology. However, for an optimal moisturizing action, I advise dry skin to choose tonic lotions enriched with hyaluronic acid.”
“Because of its fairly high pH, classic soap is a real disaster for the skin,” says Cyrille Telinge. As for dermatological bars and surgras soaps, “it’s better, but it’s still not ideal because they are still foaming products that can potentially strip the hydrolipidic film of the skin”, continues the expert. To cleanse dry skin, we turn instead to a cleansing oil or one make-up remover balm “provided you do not rinse them with water, but with a wipe soaked in isotonic thermal water”, specifies the medical researcher.
As for micellar water, some are now suitable for dry skin, “but micelles remain somewhat drying molecules so do not hesitate to favor formulas enriched with hyaluronic acid, which is a real hydration booster. “, suggests Cyrille Telinge.
Finally, a piece of advice that applies regardless of the option chosen: always apply a serum and an cream as soon as possible after cleansing the skin in order to strengthen its hydrolipidic film.
- Scrubs with a gel base
There are several types of scrub. Mechanical scrubs (with grains) are not the most suitable for dry skin “but it all depends on the base of the scrub”, explains Cyrille Telinge. And to add: “Avoid grain scrubs in gel form because this texture does not contain fat, and favor scrubs with a cream base, to be applied once a week maximum with gentle gestures.” Typical chemical scrubs AHA and BHA (or peels) can be quite potent and should be taken with a pinch of salt as they are potentially harsh on dry skin. An important recommendation: “Dry skin should never exfoliate if it is not followed by a mask.”
They protect the skin while providing a healthy glow. But the other side of the coin: “The tinted creams often contain powders, which tend to absorb lipids and therefore dry out the skin”, warns Cyrille Telinge.
What active ingredients should never be used on dry skin?
- Retinol and the whole vitamin A family
Not surprisingly, the retinol and all chemical compounds derived from vitamin A are at the top of the list of active ingredients to never use on dry skin. Despite an efficiency anti-aging powerful, “these active ingredients increase the sensitivity of the skin, in addition to being very drying and irritating”, sums up the doctor-researcher. If the formulas are better controlled today than in the 1990s – when retinol made its appearance – it is better to remain vigilant in the event of dry skin.
“Acids can be aggressive for dry skin, but not all,” says Cyrille Telinge. And to add: “Initially, they weaken the hydrolipidic film but in a second time and according to certain formulas, certain acids can have a beneficial effect as is the case for the exfoliating acid Gluconolactone which durably improves the hydration of the skin.”
Some precautions should still be taken: “It is best to use them over a short period of a month maximum, in spring or autumn (dry skin is put to the test in winter by the cold and the summer by the sun, editor’s note), never in lotions and always in creams to compensate for their power of action”, indicates Cyrille Telinge.
These irritating active ingredients dry out the skin and alter its hydrolipidic film. “They are often used in formulas for the care againstacne“, specifies our expert. In case of dry skin and pimples, we take care to scrutinize the labels to avoid them as much as possible.
Often present in facial cleansers, surfactants allow products to foam but are also very irritating to the skin. Better to avoid them to save yourself redness and tugging.
Very absorbent,clay is not the ally of dry skin. “When the clay is integrated into an emulsion, it still works, agrees Cyrille Telinge. On the other hand, powdered clays which mix with water are to be avoided absolutely, and this whatever the color of the clay. ”
The charcoal care to detoxify the skin are on the rise. “But they are real fat pumps,” says the expert in skin biology.
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