My tale is truly a story of 'be careful what you wish for,' as when I was a teenager I would pray to the Skin Gods every night for my skin to be a little bit drier. As you can probably tell, I was blessed with very oily skin as a teen that I didn't know how to handle. Make-up would slide off my face and power was my BFF! Fast forward ten years and my predicament is at the other end of the skin condition spectrum. As a 23 year old I have skin that can only be described as 'drier than the Sahara Desert,' (No seriously, that's how the lady at Kiehl's described it to to me when determining my skin type!!)
I do however, find drier skin more manageable that I did it it's oilier days so I thought I would share with you all the products I use to keep it in check.
I've learnt the hard way that even the products that you cleanse with can have a drying effect on the skin. I've always been a fan of foamy cleansers but as my skin has got drier I've noticed how tight my skin feels after using them. This is when I made my decision to switch to a cleansing balm or a hot cloth cleanser. My favourite is the Emma Hardie one. I find that it cleanse, exfoliates and moisture's my skin all at the same time and my skin always feels refreshed, never dry after I use it.
Hydraluron is a recent addiction to the 'Alies' after reading so much about it on
Andy's blog. To cut a long story short, it basically allows the skin to holding on to more moisture thanks to the hyaluronic acid. I apply this before I apply my moisturiser face mask both in the morning and at night to ensure that maximum moisture is locked in!
This moisturiser is one of my favourite day time creams. I'm also using it at night whilst I hunt for something more intensive but for now it will do. I find that this moisturiser is fantastic at keeping skin hydrated throughout the day. Best of all though, is while it is working for you skin, it also creates a perfect base for your makeup.
Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
This is a fairly new addition to the forces as eye cream is something I was desperate to add to my routine. My normal moisturiser is too heavy for my eye areas so I had to look for something more specific. It's really important to keep the eyes hydrated as it keeps them looking younger for longer by slowing down the wrinkle process.
Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
Once a week, I treat my skin to a face mask or two. I always make sure that one of those masks is a hydrating one and usually it is the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. At first I couldn't get my head around going to bed with a face mask on but when I could see the result in the morning I was soon singing a different tune. I find that this stuff gives the extra moisture my skin needs and if I'm having a particularly dry weeks I'll sometimes treat my skin to two nights of this. It smells divine which is a big bonus and I find it very calming just before bedtime. I also use the mask on planes when travelling long haul as it soaks in quickly and is transparent so you don't look like a weirdo when reapplying once an hour!
If I have a dry skin patch, my Advanced Night Repair is not a product I dive for first (that is usually the hydraluron) but it most certainly helps on an 'every other day' basis. If I have a red, dry patch spring up I know that by adding this product in to my normal evening routine it will have it gone by morning. This stuff is like gold (ha, for the price you'd expect it to contain little flecks of it!) and works well on the skin for a number of different ailments and combating dryness is just one of the many. I'll never not be without a bottle of this in my collection as it can be applied before moisturiser, Hydraluron or a face mask!
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream
For me, this is the 'Daddy' of my skincare routine to battle my dry skin. I've been using eight hour cream for around eight years now as an intensive overnight treatment. I only apply it to my problem areas as over use of this stuff can clog my pores in a major way. If I have a particularly dry patch that just won't clear even after using everything above I find that a night or two of this and my skin is bouncy and moist again. It also makes a great lip treatment for dry lips which I unfortunately suffer from also (whole other story)
So that's how I keep my skin looking peachy and hydrated. I've recently dipped my toe in the 'face oil' pool and I've been quite surprised with the results. I've heard that face oils are excellent for dehydrated skin so watch out for my musings on them in the future. This was really only a quick overview into the products that I use but I've reviewed most of the above products in greater detail on my blog before so just click on the name for a more in-depth review!
And to my dry skinned ladies, holla at me what are your dry skin saviours?
