Rough, flaking, scaly skin. Dry patches on your cheeks. Cracks in your hands. Chapped lips. Itching. None of the side effects your skin endures during frigid winter temperatures are pleasant, but there’s good news: dryness can be alleviated or even prevented with the proper dry skin regimen both day and night.
Although dry skin is genetically imposed for some, anyone can experience it—particularly when you’re faced with a drop in mercury or a windy season. These disruptive symptoms are generally caused by a decrease in water and/or oil in your skin’s uppermost layer, the stratum corneum. Oil (lipids) play a significant role in preventing evaporation of water by “holding it in,” while water is what helps your skin feel soft and flexible. Your skin’s outer layer also holds a group of substances called Natural Moisturizing Factors (NMF), which comprises elements like amino acids, peptides, sugars, lactic acid and urea.
So what exacerbates dry skin? We all know trekking through cold and windy mountains will probably do it, but here are other circumstances in which you might experience more dryness:
- Dry air (or on the flip side, low humidity), which causes a marked decrease in water content. This can be the weather, climate or overuse of indoor heating.
- Harsh skincare ingredients like soap, alcohol and fragrance, all of which can potentially irritate skin and zap essential moisture from the skin.
- Hard water, which contains a high concentration of minerals like magnesium and lead and zinc, can leave a film that essentially blocks moisture into the skin.
- Overzealous washing, which strips the skin of its natural moisture.
- Age is a natural part of life, and skin tends to get thinner and dry for all of us as we get older and wiser.
- Swimming often tends to dry out skin due to the chlorine in the pools.
- Skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis manifest as dry skin.
If you’re itchy and flaking, try your best to avoid these triggers. For both instant and long-term relief—and to reinstate soft, supple and healthy skin—always commit to a hydrating skincare regimen to feed your skin from the outside.
Below is an effective skincare routine for day and night to banish dryness and dehydration and reveal healthy, glowing, and dewy skin.
- CLEANSE
Day and Night
VITAL C hydrating facial cleanser: Use day and night to bathe your skin with rich moisture and sweep away pore-clogging impurities—all without disrupting your delicate skin barrier which needs to retain a perfect balance of oil and water.
Hydrating Superstar:
- Soapwart is botanically soothing and reduces itching.
- SPRITZ ON A HYDRATING MIST
Day and Night
VITAL C hydrating facial mist: This lightweight mist hydrates, leaving skin with a velvety soft, dewy finish. With antioxidant vitamin C and luxe gold sub-microparticles, it helps to shield the skin against daily environmental stressors. Not only that but damp skin is better suited to taking in following skincare treatments, so this will help keep your skin from drying out before the next step.
- Aloe barbadensis leaf juice adds intense moisture and nourishment.
- VEIL SKIN WITH A HYDRATING SHEET MASK
Day (optional) and Night
I MASK hydrating hydrogel sheet mask: This hydrogel mask delivers instant hydration to dry, dull or depleted skin. Cooling and soothing, it refreshes and revives thirsty skin with mineral-rich waters and hyaluronic acid.
Hydrating Superstars:
- Blend of amino acids to intensely moisturize.
- Aloe vera offers a rush of hydration and nourishment.
- Mineral-rich waters adds a splash of hydration.
- LAYER ON A CONCENTRATED SERUM
Day
VITAL C hydrating anti-aging serum or VITAL C hydrating A C E serum: After cleansing and toning, layer on one of these serums to infuse skin with age-defying ingredients and restore plumping moisture. After that has sunk in, you can also layer on ILUMA intense facial illuminator, which contains tranexamic acid, a potent brightening ingredient that helps to correct and prevent the appearance of skin discoloration, ascorbic acid, a stable vitamin C-derived agent that helps to boost luminosity, and niacinamide, a skin restorer that helps to visibly improve the appearance of dull, uneven skin.
Hydrating Superstar:
- Both these serums feature hyaluronic acid, which is a natural substance found in skin that can bind up to 1000 times its own weight in water, making it the ultimate hydration miracle for even the driest skin.
Night
AGELESS total pure hyaluronic 6 filler: In the evening, you can layer two serums as well, including one of the VITAL C options noted above. Because your skin tends to lose more water while you’re sleeping, first layer with this serum formulated with six unique forms of hyaluronic acid. It’s like giving your skin fresh glasses of water!
Hydrating Superstar:
- Time-released and cross-linked hyaluronic acid have water-binding properties, so they act like a magnet to draw hydration to the skin and help plump its appearance from within.
- MOISTURIZE YOUR EYES
Day and Night
VITAL C hydrating eye recovery gel: Dab and swipe on a small drop around each eye to keep your peepers free of fine lines and dryness.
Hydrating Superstars:
- Hyaluronic acid binds 1000 times its weight in water.
- Echinacea helps soothe irritation.
- Moist-24 (Imperata cylindrica root extract) reduces irritation.
- LOCK IN MOISTURE
Day
VITAL C offers various moisturizers in three different textures to suit your unique skin’s needs. If you feel that you need another layer, choose from one below. If you feel your skin is taken care of after layering on the serums, you can also choose to go straight to applying a moisturizer with SPF, such as PREVENTION+ daily hydrating moisturizer SPF 30+. This hydrating, all-mineral daily SPF moisturizer delivers broad-spectrum protection against the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. Formulated with Digital Aging Defense, it helps to protect against blue light from phones, devices and the sun.
VITAL C hydrating repair crème: rich, emollient cream
Hydrating Superstars:
- Hyaluronic acid binds 1000 times its weight in water.
- Ceramide 3 forms a protective barrier, reducing transepidermal water loss (evaporation of essential water content from the skin).
- Lady’s mantle helps protect skin.
- Linoleic acid improves moisture and hydration.
VITAL C hydrating intense moisturizer: lighter texture but luxuriously envelops skin with a veil of moisture
Hydrating Superstars:
- Aqualance™ improves skin hydration.
- Hyaluronic acid binds 1000 times its weight in water.
- Shea butter’s occlusive nature contains vital moisture levels in skin.
- VITAL C hydrating facial oil: pleasant, rich oil that’s absorbent and not greasy
Night
Layer on a richer moisturizer or facial oil over your serum to lock in the hydration and other active ingredients and quench your skin’s thirst while you sleep.
ORMEDIC balancing biopeptide crème: This luxurious cream balances moisture-depleted skin. A unique highlighter-effect peptide brings renewed clarity and uniformity to the skin. In a four-week clinical study and consumer panel of 30 female participants. 93% of participants reported that their skin felt more hydrated and moisturized.
Hydrating Superstars:
- Botanical butters provide intense moisture.
- Hyaluronic acid hydrates skin and plumps its appearance.
- Organic plant oils soften and adds rich moisture.
VITAL C hydrating facial oil: This pleasant, rich oil that’s absorbent and not greasy can be layered on over a cream or alone.
Hydrating Superstars:
- Moringa oleifera seed oil absorbs quickly and prevents water loss.
- Sea buckthorn oil contains rich amounts of essential fatty acids (EFAs), vitamins, phytosterols and flavonoids, which are anti-aging and incredibly moisturizing.
- Grape seed oil is deeply nourishing and quickly heals chapped, dry skin.
- provides defense against harsh environmental factors. Helps to strengthen
- Argan oil possesses hydrating, regenerating, restructuring, anti-aging and skin softening benefits.
- Avocado oil conditions skin and slows the loss of water from the skin’s surface.
- Squalane, a substance naturally present in skin’s lipid barrier, helps prevent moisture loss while restoring suppleness and flexibility.
- DON’T FORGET YOUR BODY
Day and Night
VITAL C hydrating hand and body lotion: Although your body isn’t as exposed as your face, it can still suffer from the dry air. Slather your body with this lotion right after you shower, as moisturizers absorb best when your skin is still damp.
Hydrating Superstars:
- Daymoist CLR is a natural plant complex that supports the Natural Moisturizing Factor, improving hydration by 40% in clinical studies.
- Hyaluronic acid binds 1000 times its weight in water.
- Grape Seed oil soothes and hydrates.
- Macadamia oil restores the barrier function of the skin.
- Jojoba oil, which mimics skin’s natural sebum closely, absorbs seamlessly into skin to hydrate.
- Shea Butter is moisturizing and nutrient rich.
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