Dryness strikes from face to feet. Here, a simple battle plan for getting soft, touchable skin
Most people don't fixate on dry skin the way they do acne or cellulite, but it can erode your youthful luster--and in some cases, your health. Along with causing flaking, dullness, and red patches, "it intensifies the fine lines on your face, making you look years older, and can cause microscopic cracks that invite bacteria into your body, potentially resulting in a staph infection," says New York City dermatologist and Women's Health advisor Francesca J. Fusco, M.D., who says about 30 percent of her patients suffer from dry skin. Use these easy strategies to make the skin on your face and body more supple.
FACE
1 Shampoo and condition first.When you wash your hair, suds from your shampoo and conditioner inevitably run over your body and face, depositing a film caused by the strong cleansers and heavy moisturizers found in many hair products, explains Michelle Reid, an aesthetician at the Somme Institute in New York City. Lathering up with a mild, unscented bar soap or body wash afterward will rinse away those moisture-zapping, itch-inducing chemicals and leave skin supple. Try Aveeno Fragrance Free Skin Relief Body Wash ($6, at drugstores).
2 Soak smart.You'd think being submerged in water would hydrate your skin like crazy. But no--sitting in a bath actually breaks down your body's natural lipid barriers (or oils), causing water to seep out of your skin. Prevent this by keeping the water lukewarm (hot water is drying) and adding a few drops of pure almond, wheat germ, grape seed, or apricot kernel oil to your bath. "The oil will create a comforting, moisturizing layer on the skin that locks in hydration," says Ian Ginsberg, owner of C.O. Bigelow Apothecary. Or try Calgon Nourishing Milk Bath with Serum Beads ($5, at drugstores)
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1 Baby your skin.It's a bit of a catch-22. Dryness makes skin rough, but most skin-smoothing scrubs are too abrasive and strip away even more of dry skin's fragile outer layer. To gently but effectively exfoliate your face without zapping moisture, swap your gritty scrub for a baby's washcloth (it's softer and gentler than a regular one), suggests Wendy Allred, director of education and development for Bliss. Just wet it and massage your face in small, circular motions.
2 Be a dairy queen.Most cleansers harbor a dirty secret: They contain a surfactant called sodium lauryl sulfate, which can suck away moisture. Look for mild, nonsudsy, fragrance-free cleansers (the chemicals behind scents can be drying). Try Eau Thermale Avene Gentle Milk Cleanser ($18, aveneusa.com) or stick with your regular product and just swap it for milk two or three times a week to give your skin a break and to boost hydration. The lactic acid in milk acts as a mild cleanser, and the fat is extra moisturizing (so skip skim and go for 2 percent or whole), says Nina Naidu, M.D., a plastic surgeon in New York City. Pour three ounces of milk into a cup, then use a soft washcloth to massage it into your skin (the washcloth also exfoliates, as previously explained, so you kill two birds with one stone!). Just be sure to remove your eye makeup first. Milk is no match for mascara.
3 Turn over a new leaf.Twice a week, apply a soothing aloe mask to your face to help rehydrate skin and reduce redness and inflammation, says Allred. Crack open a fresh aloe vera leaf and rub a thick layer of the sap onto clean skin (find the plant at a nursery or at a housewares store such as Home Depot). Leave it on for 15 minutes, then rinse off. Or try a mask that's packed with aloe, such as Yes to Cucumbers Calming Facial Mask ($15, at drugstores).
4 Beat indoor heat.Your skin goes into repair mode while you sleep, but drying indoor heat can cause cells to shed too fast, resulting in rough, flaky skin, says Fusco. To add some moisture back into the air (and your face), use a humidifier in your bedroom or get the same effect by leaving a pot of water close to your radiator. If that's too much of a pain in the butt, pick up one of nature's humidifiers--a Boston palm, bamboo fern, or Ficus alii--and place it in your bedroom. These plants transpire and increase water vapor in the air, explains Fusco.
5 Show your lids some love."Thin and fragile, the skin on your eyelids is the most dryness-prone area of your face," says Bobby Buka, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. If your eyelids are red, scaly, or itchy, swipe a hydrocortisone cream over them (remove makeup first) a few times a day to help hydrate and reduce redness. Buka recommends Cortaid Maximum Strength Hydrocortisone Cream ($8.49, at drugstores).
BODY
2 Be a dairy queen.Most cleansers harbor a dirty secret: They contain a surfactant called sodium lauryl sulfate, which can suck away moisture. Look for mild, nonsudsy, fragrance-free cleansers (the chemicals behind scents can be drying). Try Eau Thermale Avene Gentle Milk Cleanser ($18, aveneusa.com) or stick with your regular product and just swap it for milk two or three times a week to give your skin a break and to boost hydration. The lactic acid in milk acts as a mild cleanser, and the fat is extra moisturizing (so skip skim and go for 2 percent or whole), says Nina Naidu, M.D., a plastic surgeon in New York City. Pour three ounces of milk into a cup, then use a soft washcloth to massage it into your skin (the washcloth also exfoliates, as previously explained, so you kill two birds with one stone!). Just be sure to remove your eye makeup first. Milk is no match for mascara.
3 Turn over a new leaf.Twice a week, apply a soothing aloe mask to your face to help rehydrate skin and reduce redness and inflammation, says Allred. Crack open a fresh aloe vera leaf and rub a thick layer of the sap onto clean skin (find the plant at a nursery or at a housewares store such as Home Depot). Leave it on for 15 minutes, then rinse off. Or try a mask that's packed with aloe, such as Yes to Cucumbers Calming Facial Mask ($15, at drugstores).
4 Beat indoor heat.Your skin goes into repair mode while you sleep, but drying indoor heat can cause cells to shed too fast, resulting in rough, flaky skin, says Fusco. To add some moisture back into the air (and your face), use a humidifier in your bedroom or get the same effect by leaving a pot of water close to your radiator. If that's too much of a pain in the butt, pick up one of nature's humidifiers--a Boston palm, bamboo fern, or Ficus alii--and place it in your bedroom. These plants transpire and increase water vapor in the air, explains Fusco.
5 Show your lids some love."Thin and fragile, the skin on your eyelids is the most dryness-prone area of your face," says Bobby Buka, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. If your eyelids are red, scaly, or itchy, swipe a hydrocortisone cream over them (remove makeup first) a few times a day to help hydrate and reduce redness. Buka recommends Cortaid Maximum Strength Hydrocortisone Cream ($8.49, at drugstores).
BODY
1 Shampoo and condition first.When you wash your hair, suds from your shampoo and conditioner inevitably run over your body and face, depositing a film caused by the strong cleansers and heavy moisturizers found in many hair products, explains Michelle Reid, an aesthetician at the Somme Institute in New York City. Lathering up with a mild, unscented bar soap or body wash afterward will rinse away those moisture-zapping, itch-inducing chemicals and leave skin supple. Try Aveeno Fragrance Free Skin Relief Body Wash ($6, at drugstores).
2 Soak smart.You'd think being submerged in water would hydrate your skin like crazy. But no--sitting in a bath actually breaks down your body's natural lipid barriers (or oils), causing water to seep out of your skin. Prevent this by keeping the water lukewarm (hot water is drying) and adding a few drops of pure almond, wheat germ, grape seed, or apricot kernel oil to your bath. "The oil will create a comforting, moisturizing layer on the skin that locks in hydration," says Ian Ginsberg, owner of C.O. Bigelow Apothecary. Or try Calgon Nourishing Milk Bath with Serum Beads ($5, at drugstores)
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