Want Your Skin To Be Soft, Smooth and Healthy? Keep On Reading - Part II

by Olga Tsiba of Glamorized Skin

After discussing oily/combination skin care in Part I of this topic, let me proceed to dry/sensitive skin type and its care. If you are just joining us and not sure what skin type you have or if you already know you have oily/combination skin type, please, read Want Your Skin To Be Soft, Smooth and Healthy? Keep On Reading - Part I. I previously described dry/sensitive skin type as one with sallow tone, with fine lines, fine pores and prone to irritation. It may also become tight and inflamed. Let us review the routine for this type of skin.

THE ROUTINE

Dry/Sensitive Skin Daily Routine Summary (bold items are required; non-bolded are optional depending on skin condition and may be required if acne or other skin conditions are present)

AM: Cleanse, Exfoliate (not for sensitive skin), Additional Products, Moisturize with SPF

PM: Cleanse, Exfoliate (not for sensitive skin), Additional Products, Moisturize without SPF

CLEANSE - for dry/sensitive skin type, you still need to clean your face both AM and PM in order to remove all traces of make up and dirt that you gather throughout the day and dead skin cells and products that have not been absorbed in the morning. Your cleanser should be extra GENTLE, moisturizing, and not contain any harsh ingredients (i.e. sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate). Some of the cleansers recommended for dry skin may not dissolve make up completely and thus, a soft washcloth will come to the rescue. Just make sure you do not rub too harshly, pull or apply too much pressure when using one. As with other skin types, avoid bar soaps at all costs.

Recommended cleansers: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, Kiehl's Washable Cleansing Milk

EXFOLIATE – Although dry skin is less likely to have acne, we still recommend gentle exfoliation. This will help to slough off dead skin cells, uncover smoother skin and improve absorption of all the products you will use afterward. There are two methods of exfoliation: chemical and manual (discussed in detail here). For dry skin type, chemical exfoliation using alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) is recommended. AHA is different from BHA (discussed here), because it exfoliates only at the surface of the skin. AHA is generally available for home use in concentrations of 5%-10%. Higher concentrations are usually used at the dermatologist's office for chemical peels. My recommendation is to start applying AHA with the lowest available concentration in the PM and pay attention to how your skin reacts. If flakes or irritation develop, reduce use to every other day. Otherwise, if your observe no negative reaction, you may increase the use to AM and PM. The real benefit will be visible after several weeks of use, when your skin will become smoother. Do not apply AHA to irritated skin or wounds that are healing from skin picking as long as there is a scab. Similarly to BHA, AHA is an acid and can damage the healing process.

Recommended chemical exfoliants: Any of the AHA products from Paula's Choice available at www.paulaschoice.com and Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic Acid 10% Moisturizer. Again, I want to emphasize that I highly recommend starting with products I list here because the pH factor is extremely important for AHA products and these products have been tested for effectiveness.


MOISTURIZE - Dry/sensitive skin cannot survive without AM moisturizing. Ideally, your moisturizer SHOULD include a lotion with sunscreen SPF 15 or higher. There are different views on when moisturizers with SPF should be used and you can read about them in the first part of our discussion about skin care here.

Recommended AM moisturizers: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Visibly Even Daily SPF 15 Moisturizer, Clinique City Block Sheer Oil-Free Daily Face Protector SPF 25 or Clinique Redness Solution Daily Protective Base SPF 15

MOISTURIZE - PM moisturizing is also a must for dry/sensitive skin. As we discussed previously, the night is when your skin absorbs nutrients most effectively. This is when you want to have the good stuff on your face to make you look radiant in the morning.

Recommended PM moisturizers: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, Clinique Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturizer for Dry Combination Skin, Olay Total Effects Mature Skin Therapy, 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Moisturizer

ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS - You can use additional skin products such as skin lightening products, retinol serums and etc., right before you moisturize and better at night than in the morning. At night, various healing processes take place in your body and your skin absorption is best. However, try to avoid using multiple exfoliants on dry skin at the same time. For example, if you already use AHA in the evening, do not add retinol into the mix as it may lead to additional irritation and extra dryness. However, you can try adding it to your morning routine or vice versa.

Recommended Retinol Products (OTC): Olay Pro-X Deep Wrinkle Treatment, Paula's Choice Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer, Skin Remodeling Complex available at www.paulaschoice.com, Philosophy Eye Believe.

Recommended Skin Lightening Products: Alpha Hydrox Spot Light Targeted Skin Lightener, Paula's Choice Resist Clearly Remarkable Skin Lightening Gel, for All Skin Types available at www.paulaschoice.com.

Read Additional Tips and Nutrition for more information on beautifying your skin.