DRY SKIN

WHAT + HOW

Dry skin is something that the majority of us try to combat daily. After many trials and errors, usually we find that “special” moisturizer that seems to get rid of the dryness and gives our skin the moist and dewy appearance we crave. Those who suffer with dry skin need moisturizers and should apply them immediately after bathing and cleansing skin in order to lock in moisture. But do moisturizers actually prevent lines and wrinkles?

The answer is, unfortunately, no. Overwhelming evidence shows that while moisturizers do help prevent dryness, bruising, and tearing of the skin, they have absolutely no effect on wrinkles.

Wrinkles are caused by a breakdown in collagen production. Collagen is the protein that gives your skin its plumpness and firmness. When collagen breaks down, we begin to see wrinkles. The only way to stop this from happening is to increase the production of collagen.

Cosmetics manufacturers make tons of money with their “dry skin” product lines by largely claiming that when dry skin is left untreated, it leads to wrinkles. Only extremely superficial lines are caused by lack of skin hydration and moisturizer is only a temporary fix. The reason it appears to work is because it plumps up the stratum corneum.

Wrinkles are also caused by sun damage, sugary diets and menopause. The only proven way to improve and prevent wrinkles is with the use of prescription retinoids, RCC complex, alpha-hydroxy acids, beta-hydroxy acids, peptides, growth factors and hormonal supplementation.

  • MOISTURIZERS + DRY SKIN

Moisturizer treats the outermost layer of the skin—the stratum corneum, which is the dead and hardened cell layer visible to the eye. The moisture content in the stratum corneum is only about 15 percent. The water content inside the skin is much higher than it is in the very top layer that is exposed to the air (in the dermis it is approximately 80 percent). Therefore, in the absence of a barrier (like the one created when you apply moisturizer), water is much more likely to leave the skin. In a perfect world, skin produces enough lipids to maintain an effective barrier, prevent water loss and thus stay hydrated. In reality, everyday irritants like soaps and cleansers which contain sulfates can and often do upset the skin’s natural balance by removing the protective lipids.

Another problem with dryness is that it impairs desquamation, which is the skin’s built-in mechanism for renewing itself. Desquamation occurs when dead and hardened skin cells break their glue-like bonds and are easily sloughed off. Think of a snake who sheds its skin! Through this process younger cells migrate to the surface of the skin. Our skin has a built-in enzyme system that makes the desquamation process possible. The catch is that these enzymes need natural lipids in order to survive and do their work.

Dry skin self-perpetuates as a hardened blanket of very old cells that build up on the surface of the skin, making it even more difficult for moisturizers to do their work. Moisturizers help keep these processes moving and healthy, but they will not prevent or repair wrinkles.

  • REACTIVE SKIN

While many people do need moisturizer for dry skin, there are groups of people who need it for other reasons. Those from Asian, African American, and East Indian descent often have skin that is extremely reactive and inflammatory. Reactive, inflammatory skin may easily become hyperpigmented (discolored). Squeezing a blackhead or a light scrape or bump, may send the melanin-producing cells into overdrive in a person with reactive skin. Maintaining a healthy barrier is vital for people with reactive skin to avoid hyperpigmentation. Using a good moisturizer is key!

Those with dark skin have a tendency to develop an ashy complexion. There are numerous studies showing that dark skin has a more compact outer layer. This is both a blessing and a curse. Having a more compact outer layer gives a person with dark skin a beautiful luminous quality, allowing light to reflect off the skin beautifully. The curse— dark skin can almost overnight appear ashy. This appearance is caused by a buildup of dehydrated and dead skin cells. Cells build up because dryness causes a breakdown in the natural desquamation, or exfoliation, process.

PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Advanced Recovery Complex – for dry skin with sensitivity
  • Beyond the C Stimulating Moisturizer – for dry skin that needs firming
  • Go Glow Moisturizer – for dry skin that fades dark spots
  • Super Strengthener Hydra Veil – an anti-pollution moisturizer for dry skin
  • Youth Intense Stimulating Complex – an intense night time moisturizer

TREATMENT

  • CONSISTENT exfoliation is the key to eliminating the dead cell build up that creates the self-perpetuating cycle of dry skin.
  • For severely dry skin, use a “barrier repair” moisturizer daily.
  • Use a nighttime moisturizer or any “heavier” moisturizer.