Dry skin type

Your faces skins feels stretched and tight after washing and sometimes gets flaky giving patchy dull and look. If you skip moisturiser, fine lines appear and in severe case, itching and redness can occur. Dry skin could be inherited however there are certain factors that increase dryness of skin, simple precautions can drastically improve your skin:

1. Attention to environment
1. Low humidity: Air conditioning and central heating should be restricted. Placing open container containing water or indoor plants is helpful.
2. Wind: can increase evaporation of water from skin. So, protect with clothing.
3. Prolong sun exposure: UV rays of sun increase dryness, sensitivity and pigmentation, so daily use of sunscreen that will suit your sensitive skin and other methods as detailed in Blog  summer skin care are essential for you.
4. Cold weather: wear protective clothing however, avoid woollens as they can irritate dry skin further.
5. Frequent air travel exposes dry skin to low humidity and UV rays exposure through air plane windows:  Put moisturisers followed by sunscreen before flight.
2. Avoidance of irritants and friction:
1. Avoid soaps, detergents and other cleansing agents, alcohol based toners, bleach, home remedies like lemon because protective barrier of dry skin is compromised so irritants can penetrate easily leading to redness and itching. In general “Anything that causes burning, irritation or redness on your face should be washed off immediately.”
2. Avoid prolong soaking of body in water like bath tubs, swimming, and use of multiple buckets for bath: for you quick shower or single bucket bath is better.
3. Avoid friction like rubbing of face with towel after cleansing, instead pat dry with a soft towel.
3. General physician consultation: To substitute medicines (especially cholesterol lowering drugs, diuretics) that our known to cause dryness. Also to rule out any systemic disease (like hypothyroidism, chronic renal or liver disease) associated with dry skin especially if your general health is getting worse.
4. Proper skin care regime:  Dry skin is easy to tackle because all it need is moisturiser and avoidance of irritants. So again I will be summarising ongoing dry skin care in my “Six Basic Steps of skin care”
1. Face wash: Choosing right type of face wash (not soap) that does not strip natural moisturising factors of dry skin is essential. Creamy cleansers that does not foam or lather vigorously preferred. In case of severe dryness, apply moisturising cream and wipe the face with cotton. Restrict cleansing to twice a day. Steps of effective face wash:
1. Wash your hands first.
2. Splash tepid (not hot or cold water) generously on face.
3. Massage cleanser on face gently for not more than a minute but do include areas around eye, nose and mouth.
4. Rinse well with tepid water( not hot or cold).
5. Always pat dry (rather than rubbing) your face with soft towel.Always apply moisturiser immediately after pad drying your face to trap the water.
• BRAND RECOMMENDATION
• Dove beauty moisture face wash 
• Olay regenerist cream cleanser 
• • Neurogena extra gentle cleanser face wash
• • Garnier essential care gentle cleansing milk
• • Vichy pure termale cleansers
2. Day cream with sun protection: Sun exposure also increases dryness, so always put sunscreens if you step out in sun. Prevention of dark spots and wrinkles is additional advantage. Sunscreens are usually oily and are as good as applying moisturizers in morning. SPF of 15 is enough indoors, however SPF of at least 30 is required once you step out. You might feel dry and tight after an hour or two, re-apply moisturizer- thick moisturizing creams if skin is very dry like in winters or lighter creams or lotion if your skin is slightly dry. Frequency of applying moisturiser will depend on the feel of skin: “If you feel the stretch and tightness, your thirsty skin is craving for moisturizer.” I would recommend bland creams without anti-ageing or skin lightening agents if your skin is flaky and red. Look for ingredients like petrolatum, Lanolin, squalene, paraffin, olive or mineral oils, dimethicone, propylene glycol, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, cocoa butter, shea butter, oatmeal, ceramides, niacinamide in your moisturizing creams etc.
• Olay regenerist regenerating cream
• Neutrogena fine fairness cream with SPF 20
• Vichy aqualia thermal light cream
3. Night cream with anti-ageing ingredients: Effective anti-ageing ingredients like retinoic acid can further increase dryness, so you need either hyaluronic acid or Vitamin C based anti-ageing product. You can also try Olay regenerist because it contains a molecule that works like retinol but does not cause dryness.
• Olay regenerist night firming cream
• Neutrogena light night cream
• Garnier Nourishing cold cream
• 
  
4. Exfoliation: helps to remove dead skin cells and improve the dull ashy look of your skin.

1. Scrubs: Cause micro-trauma and may induce inflammation in dry skin, so use gentle microbeads based rather than nut shell based scrub. Use scrub gently once a week. Discontinue if you develop itching, burning, redness, flakiness or rash.
• • Loreal- Pearl perfect scrub
  • Vichy- Purete Termale Detoxifying Scrub
2. Peels: Glycolic acid/lactic acid/ mandelic acid/ combination peels done once in a month at dermatologist clinic is excellent way to remove dead skin layer and rejuvenate your skin. Dark spot and fine lines reduction is additional benefit.
1. Face pack: I would not recommend Facials because over-scrubbing can irritate dry skin, over-message as done in parlours increase sagging of skin and steaming can further increase the dryness though it may give temporary relief from stretch and tightness. You can try two-step home facials once a week: do gentle scrubbing followed by a hydrating face pack followed by a moisturising cream.

Morning	Night	Once a week
Wash your face with creamy cleanser meant for dry skin. Apply sunscreen. Re-apply moisturiser every time you feel the stretch or dryness.	Wash your face with creamy cleanser.         Apply thick moisturising cream with anti-ageing ingredients.	Exfoliate gently with microbeads based scrub followed by hydrating face pack. Apply moisturiser.
Dermatologist consultation required if you have redness, rash or itching and if above regime for a month does not help.

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                                                                                                                         Dr Surbhi, MD Skin