Natura

A woman's daily routine is always busy, but investing time to take care of your dry or dehydrated skin will make a big difference in your life. The skin is your body's largest and fastest-growing organ after all. It reveals a lot about your lifestyle, overall health, and emotional state. And though you can't always control your exposure to pollution, the daily stress of being pulled in a million directions, or even breakups, you can always give your skin a little help. Daily time invested in self-care will ultimately result in you feeling good in your own skin.

But before you even start looking for the products that best fit your dry skin needs, spend time learning the difference between dry and dehydrated skin.

Dry skin vs. dehydrated skin 

Dry skin is a skin type and it can be extremely sensitive, flaky, rough and itchy in some areas. Although everyone has oil in their skin, this skin type produces almost no natural oils from the sebaceous glands. It has more difficulty retaining moisture because the skin doesn’t produce enough sebum. This can result in a feeling of tightness like your skin is something rigid.

Dehydrated skin is a skin condition. That means that the skin lacks water, but it can still produce oil. Therefore, skin dehydration can happen at any time and on all skin types, such as oily, combination, normal and dry. 

The causes of dehydrated skin can be present in the daily lives of women, like unprotected sun exposure, overwashing your face or using cleansers with ingredients that strip off the skin of its natural oils, a bad reaction to a beauty product and other reasons that can be identified according to emerging symptoms in your appearance.

How to build a skincare routine for dry skin

Taking care of your skin should be a daily habit. Once you build a skincare routine, it is very easy to put it into practice. Start following these simple four steps for a morning skincare routine.

Morning skincare routine for dry skin

1. Spray cold water a few times on your face

This is the first task of the day. It will activate your skin, leaving it with a dose of energy. 

2. Wash your face

Choose a gentle cleanser, preferably a moisturizing one, and wash your face with water at room temperature or at a maximum of 97°F (the average body temperature). Do not forget any part: forehead, nose, region between the eyes, temples, cheeks, nose, region between the nose, lips, and chin.

Rinse the cleanser thoroughly. If you towel-dry your face, use a soft towel and be gentle. To avoid worsening the dryness, pat with a dabbing motion instead of rubbing the towel against your face. Try to avoid being aggressive or to rush this process. 

3. Moisturize

Choose a moisturizer for dry skin and apply the product all over the face, taking the opportunity to massage it. 

4. Protect yourself from external factors

Do not leave your home without first applying facial sunscreen - it helps prevent UV radiation from reaching your skin, skin cancer, and premature aging. Even if the weather is cloudy or rainy, this step cannot be skipped - ultraviolet radiation can get through to the ground, regardless of the weather.

One more tip: don’t apply the same sunscreen on both face and body. Facial sunscreens are formulated in a different way than body sunscreens, which usually prevents breakouts.

Nighttime skincare routine for dry skin

Our skin needs during the day differ from what it needs at night. In the evening, the skin is not susceptible to environmental factors anymore. The focus now is to use products that clean, moisturize and repair the skin. 

1. Clean you face

First, you need to remove makeup, dirt, and impurities. Try micellar water as it's less harmful to dry skin. 

2. Moisturize 

Complement your skincare routine for dry skin with a moisturizer dedicated to this skin type. An anti-signs moisturizer is ideal to complement this routine because expression wrinkles appear more on this skin type.

Myths and truths about skincare

To help you keep your skin healthy, we listed a few common myths and truths about skincare. That way you can let go of some misconceptions about the subject as well as tackle your main questions. 

Can the face wash I use leave my skin dehydrated?

Truth. Some face washes have a stripping formula that impairs the elasticity of the skin. Bet on gentle and mild cleansers with moisturizing ingredients.

Can I use any face wash as long as it is neutral?

Myth. Face washes for oily skin can have adverse effects if used on dry skin, even if it is neutral. This is because an oily skin face wash can peel dry skin, for example, just as moisturizer made for dry skin can leave oily skin even oilier.

Is the best time to apply moisturizer after the shower?

Truth. The best time to apply moisturizer is immediately after exiting the shower, while the skin is still damp. Because of the warm temperature of the water, your pores open up and allow the moisturizer to penetrate the skin better. This way, you get the most out of your product. 

However, don’t forget: if the water is too hot, it stimulates the sebaceous glands, causing them to produce more oil on both scalp and face. The result can be increased oil production on the top of the head and on the face. Hot water can also be very harmful to dry skin, especially if you expose your body to high temperatures every day. 

Does dry skin make my wrinkles more apparent?

Truth. Dry skin makes expression marks more visible. Thus, wrinkles also appear more. Try moisturizing creams that naturally return water to this skin type.

If I don't properly remove makeup, my skin will get unhealthy.

Truth. The use of makeup remover is essential for healthy skin. Leaving residue from the day on your face can clog your pores, which leads to breakouts.

But makeup removers can be harsh. Bet on gentle products. This reduces the risk of leaving your skin even drier.

Can I use the same moisturizer for both face and body?

Myth. Body moisturizers tend to be very heavy on the face. They can leave the skin oily and cause breakouts. Be very mindful of the products you are putting on your skin and how appropriate they are for your demands. 

Sleeping well helps my skin to be healthier.

Truth. During sleep, skin cells regenerate, restoring their ph. People should respect their body needs, but, ideally, you should get six to eight hours of sleep for good body rest. In addition to keeping your skin hydrated, this will prevent dark circles, making your face look healthier and brighter.

During winter, should I worry even more about skin hydration?

Truth. Cold wind and exposure to indoor heating contribute to skin dehydration. You need to take even more care of your skin hydration during cold weather. 

Does healthy eating help with skin hydration?

Truth. The better and healthier your diet is, the more beautiful your skin will be. By consuming fried and fatty foods, your skin can become oily. And, increased oil production can cause breakouts.

For instance, fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water and nutrients, which nourish your skin from the inside out. Food like avocados and walnuts possess healthy fats that could also help you take care of dry skin. 

Besides your eating habits, drinking water is also a very important factor. Even the best products in the market and the best skincare routine for dry skin are not enough if you are not giving enough water for your whole body to work properly. Drinking enough water can help you clear and hydrate your skin on a daily basis. 

Chronos Aqua Auto-Replenish Gel Hydrator 

Natura has a super concentrated product perfect for skin hydration, suitable for women with dehydrated skin and signs of dryness. It is the Chronos Aqua Auto-Replenish Gel Hydrator, which promotes an instant hydration recharge and stimulates the skin to self-hydrate intelligently.

This product contains humectant ingredients, which help attract water into the skin, immediately increasing the hydration level of the skin surface. Due to its intelligent technology, combined with hyaluronic acid-BT, and our unique Amazonian active Fevillea, this product activates the five self-hydrating mechanisms: 

• Hyaluronic acid stimulation;
• Stimulation of natural skin moisturizing factors (MFN);
• Stimulation of essential proteins;
• Renewal of skin barrier cells;
• Skin barrier lipid stimulation;

This gel repairs hydration levels according to the needs of each region of the face (see below how it acts). Results are long-lasting and keep the skin healthy even when the product is removed. In addition, this formula is light and refreshing.

How it works

• Immediately: Instant recharge of hydration with up to 84% increase in water levels on the skin.
• 7 days: Soft and hydrated skin, free of signs of dryness.
• 15 days: Activates the 5 mechanisms of auto-hydration of the skin and stimulates the production of hyaluronic acid 
• 30 days: skin rebalanced and strengthened. It maintains the balance of the microbiota - micro-organisms that protect the skin - and strengthens the skin barrier.

For best results, apply the product all over the face and neck to clean skin by gently massaging it. Use the product at least once a day, at your preferred time, before applying antiseptic cream, sunscreen or makeup.

Now that you have seen how to adopt a healthier skincare routine, just put the learning into practice. You will notice how every minute dedicated to caring for your skin will further enhance your unique beauty.