Dry. Drier. Driest.

As a skin therapist I see TONS of different skin types and concerns. The most thrilling part of my job is that I get to know my client's skin and recognize when it is changing. During the winter months, the biggest complaint I hear is about how DRY their skin is. I always ask for an explanation...dry can mean a thousand different things. Tight. Itchy. Flaky. Sensitive. Burning. The list goes on.

I am hear to tell you, THERE IS A CURE!! But, you must promise to listen and trust what I am about to tell you....ready?

Dry skin can be a type or a condition. A skin type is the skin you are genetically given. In the perfect world, in the perfect climate, this would be the skin you deal with. Your skin condition is something that has been effected by outside elements, be it the weather, sun exposure, your diet, stress and so forth. A person with a dry skin type is going to be dry all year, possibly getting worse in the winter. A person with a dry skin condition is going to be dry when these harsh winter months come. Now determining which category your dry skin falls under will help in your quest for the cure...

The first, and largest, misconception about 'dry skin' is the struggle between lack of oil and lack of water. Lack of oil means you are dry and in need of moisture. Lack of water means you are dehydrated and in need of hydration. The tricky part is that the symptoms of these 2 concerns are very similar. It is near impossible for me to tell you how to determine which you are struggling with because it is something that needs to be visually determined, but the education alone might help some of you....For example. If you are a person who tends to get oily during the day, especially in the summer, and can't wear anything heavy because it makes this worse, then you do not have an oil production issue, you have a lack of water issue. BUT if you are someone who can slather on the thickest of creams and still feel tight, then you do have an oil production issue.

NOW FOR THE RULES! Ahhh...yes rules. You hate them. I hate them. But they are proven.
The words that make me cringe the most in the winter is when I hear a client tell me "I am sooooo dry, I have been slathering vaseline/baby oil/ jergens /etc on my skin but nothing is working".
These words are fighting words in my dictionary. Products like these only make dry skin worse. I am not telling you this to convince you to purchase some uber expensive product. I am telling you this because it is 100% true. And here is why....
Jojoba oil is the closest to skins natural sebum. If you have felt jojoba oil you know it feels light and absorbs rather well. The molecular weight of products that use petroleum (vaseline), mineral oil (baby oil), or glycerin is SO much larger than what our skins natural sebum is. Therefore, our skin cannot absorb it because it is too large of a molecule to penetrate our skin. So, instead, it sits on top of the skin (or absorbs into the first couple layers, which will shed in a matter of days). When it sits on the top of your skin it tricks the sebaceous glands into thinking they are overproducing oil, because to them, there is an excess. So they slow down, and as soon as that low quality product is wiped away, which happens very fast (you wonder why you have to apply carmex 10 thousand times a day? Same concept.) you lose not only the 'pretend' moisture you had but your skin is no longer producing its natural moisture barrier. Which then leads to drier skin and, even worse, NO PROTECTION! (which is one reason some skin gets sensitive when dry).
So Rule One...please, pleasepleaseplease, put down the tub of vaseline.

Rule Two. DRINK WATER. During the cold months, it is so easy for everyone to forget to drink water because we are constantly drinking warm beverages to keep ourselves from freezing. I admit, I can easily sit and drink 8 glasses of hot tea at night (really...I am not joking). Before I know it, my skin is tight, I am cranky, my joints are stiff and I feel awful. The best way to hydrate your skin is from within. Only pure water will do this, so drink plenty of it (and I am sorry to say but, the bottle of water with the flavor packet added does not count :( )

Rule Three. Treat your skin. Go out and get a mask that you can use 2-3 times a week. Make it a ritual. Throw it on, light some candles and meditate in your bathroom for the 10 minutes it needs to set. Dermalogica and Aveda have my favorite masks. Dermalogica has a the most perfect one for dry skin and Aveda for dehydrated. I am a firm believer in treating your skin year around, but during the winter it is crucial.

Rule Four. Watch what you eat. Again, this time of year is awful for our sodium intake. Soups being the biggest culprit. If you can, make homemade soups, if you can't, buy the best possible canned. Look for low sodium options. Taste everything before you salt it and try to eat as many fresh fruits and veggies as possible. Can't do fresh?? Frozen conquers canned any day. Sodium will make dehydration and dryness so much worse. Even if you are packing yourself full of H2O, that sodium is just sucking it all up.

Rule Five. Use a facial wash that is pH balanced to the skin. Creamy cleansers are going to be best for drier skin but can be too much for dehydrated, so look for a gel cleanser that is suitable for combination skin. And please, don't use bar soap on your face! It is the worst (even worse than vaseline) thing you can put on your skin!

Need more? I have TONS of options for you :) Dermalogica and Aveda have some great options for both dry and dehydrated skin conditions, and if you aren't sure which condition you are dealing with a quick 5 minute skin analysis can tell you (and did I mention those are freBe?).
AND, best of all, if you mention you read this post you can receive 15% OFF your skincare purchase at The Spa! If you want a time that I am available to talk with you about your concerns, call 249-1772 and schedule a 30 minute FREE skin consultation.

If you have any more questions about this, or any other topic, feel free to comment or email me! h_wilson18@yahoo.com

I hope 2010 has been good so far!