Ready-made products for your natural routine..
Do you want to stay updated on offers, (giveaway) actions and recommendations? This way you won't miss out on anything! Not too often, we promise.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
Dry skin… A common problem in the Netherlands, especially during the cold winter months.
The dry, cold winter air draws the moisture out of our skin, and the heating indoors makes it even worse. A dry winter skin is simply part of this time of year. But pleasant it is not!
The requests for a dry skin routine come pouring in every day. Together with questions such as: "Which products are suitable for dry skin?", "Do I even have dry skin?" and "Where should I start?".
In this article, discover how to get rid of your dry skin in 4 steps.
Dry skin, an often harmless skin condition, is characterised by a dull appearance, a tight feeling, flakes, peeling skin, fine dryness lines and itching. The cause of dry skin often depends on several factors. Here they are briefly listed:
An imbalance of the Natural Moisturising Factor. The NMF is the skin's moisture factory, consisting of a cocktail of skin-native ingredients that keep the hydration of the stratum corneum topped up.
An unhealthy lipid composition of your skin. A healthy skin contains a ratio of 40-50% ceramides, 25% cholesterol and 10% free fatty acids. The lipids protect and support the NMF. This can change due to external factors that I will explain later in this article.
A disrupted skin barrier. This is in turn linked to the NMF content and the lipid composition of the skin. If the skin is not sufficiently hydrated and lacks essential fatty acids, some of the enzymes that keep the skin barrier intact no longer work properly. This then leads to flaking and what we experience as dry skin.
To achieve the desired result, it is important to know which skin type you have.
Doing a skin analysis is simple and something you can easily do yourself. Wash your face with water (not with soap!) and wait 15 to 30 minutes. In the meantime, do not use any other products. Stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself. Hi! Lovely human, how nice that you are here! Then take a close look at your beautiful skin. What do you see? Now rub your fingers over your cheeks and your forehead, how does it feel?
And another example:
My pores are barely visible, if at all
My skin feels rough, tight or taut
My skin looks dry with a clear lack of hydration
I have few to no blockages and blackheads
My skin has visible dryness lines and fine wrinkles
Did you answer most of the questions with yes? Congratulations, you belong to the dry skin club!
There are several factors that play a part in dry skin. Factors that can have an influence:
Drinking too little water causes dehydration from within. While too much water on the skin can in turn cause dehydration.
Washing too often with soap can disrupt the skin's lipid balance.
Weather conditions such as low temperatures, wind, pollution, air conditioning and low humidity accelerate the skin's moisture loss.
Chemicals such as cleaning products or synthetic ingredients in cosmetics can dry the skin out further and sometimes irritate it too.
Have you worked through the previous steps and are you looking for a skincare routine for your dry skin? Then keep it simple and opt for gentle cleansing, intense hydration and nourishing protection.
Soap can dry out dry skin even more. Still want to cleanse your skin? Then give the oil-cleansing method a try. Oils with a slow absorption rate are best suited to this. Think of Olive oil, Avocado oil, Pomegranate oil, Castor oil or Coconut oil. As well as being able to remove oil-based impurities from the skin, they nourish the skin intensely at the same time.
Warm the oil slightly, apply it to damp or dry skin, let it absorb for a moment, and remove it with a warm, damp cloth.
Our skin is made up of 80% water. Water-soluble ingredients absorb quickly into the skin and can bring the NMF back into balance. For example, make a hydrating spray based on Aloe Vera or your favourite Hydrosol. Rose Water, Chamomile Water or Bamboo Water are very suitable for dry skin. Mix these with moisture-attracting substances such as Honey, Glycerin, Urea or Allantoin. Soon we will be adding hyaluronic acid to our range, the absolute Hero when it comes to hydration. More on this to follow later!
To optimise the lipid composition of the skin, use a carrier oil or butter, or a combination of carrier oils and butters that are suitable for dry skin. Some options you could go for are Shea butter, Calendula Oil or Prickly Pear Oil. Or choose your own personal favourite with our oil-finder. To lock in the lipids and the NMF, it is wise to use an occlusive product. This is a product that lightly seals the skin, thereby locking your routine into the skin while at the same time protecting it from external influences. The All Purpose Balm is perfectly suited to this. It not only contains oils especially for dry skin, but also waxes that lock in the oils and protect your skin throughout the day.
Dry skin does not just appear out of nowhere, and fortunately there is plenty you can do to remedy it! Hopefully this allows you to put together your 100% natural routine and be rid of dry skin once and for all.
AUTHOR: Malou Hofmann
