Dry skin is a common problem, especially in the cooler months. Dr Anne-Marie Maryncyz, President of the Association of Professional Aestheticians of Australia, shares her advice on skin hydration and banishing dry skin for good.
Just about everyone has dry skin at some stage of their life but there are ways to ditch dull skin and reveal a healthy, glowing complexion.
The first priority is to establish your skin type and/or skin condition at your current age. This is best achieved by visiting a beauty therapist in your area who is renowned for providing excellent skin analysis and skin treatment. If you’re not trained in skin analysis then you will not be treating your skin with the correct active ingredients it needs for optimum health. Your beauty therapist will conduct a comprehensive skin evaluation that will determine a number of factors currently contributing to your dry skin.
Dry skin is a manifestation of the skin relating to both internal and external factors. External factors that may contribute to this skin type and/or condition are:
- Exposure to extremes in climate, either hot or cold environments
- Topical use of incorrect skin products
- UV damage on the skin
- Lifestyle.
Internal factors that may contribute to this skin type and/or condition are:
- Hormonal imbalance
- Intrinsic ageing contributing to natural loss of elastin and collagen in the skin
- Diminishing sebaceous glands (oil glands) in the facial area.
Armed with your professional skin analysis, the beauty therapist will recommend only those products that will aid in establishing optimum health for your skin.
The therapist’s aim for dry skin would be to:
- Prevent further dehydration of the skin
- Stimulate existing sebaceous glands to secrete sebum and prevent further moisture loss
- Stimulate collagen and elastin production
- Improve hydration of the tissues
- Protect skin from further UV damage
- Stimulate lymphatic system and improve toxin removal from the tissues.
The therapist will consult with you to determine the best course of treatment for your skin. This may involve in-salon treatments, high strength peels, masks and serums that will initiate the skin rejuvenation process.
Ageing, dehydrated skin can greatly benefit from a series of treatments incorporating a number of proven technologies to exfoliate the skin, improve blood and lymph circulation as well as support the integrity of collagen and elastin. A maintenance program will then be recommended so that you can use correct active ingredients at home to maintain optimum skin health.
There are a number of active ingredients which will work on skin that is feeling dry and dehydrated. Examples of some active ingredients that nourish the skin include avocado oil, jojoba oil, wheat germ, rosehip and emu oils. Essential oils such as frankincense, rose and chamomile are hydrating and prevent the loss of moisture from the skin.
Active ingredients which are able to draw and retain moisture include hyaluronic acid (a natural substance found in the skin that bathes each cell externally and prevents moisture loss), muccopolysaccharides (similar to hyaluronic acid in its behaviour), and alginates (a hydrating viscose gum). Essential oils that balance hormones include geranium, ylang ylang and evening primrose oils. Allantoin is an ingredient that stimulates cell metabolism and cell renewal, giving the skin a more youthful appearance. Serums may contain formualtions of vitamins A, C and E and B-carotene. Plant estrogens, marine lipids, Coenzyme Q10, copper peptides and protein extracts boost cell renewal, hydration and provide vitality and elasticity to the skin.
Homecare advice
Topically, use moisturisers containing ingredients that nourish the skin (see some examples above). An eye cream is a good investment to use daily as it will tone the skin around the eye area and minimise fine lines.
Internally, vitamins such as B, A C and E as well as zinc, calcium and evening primrose oil tablets are recommended for a skin that is ageing and dehydrated. Follow the recommended dosage for each vitamin to ensure maximum skin benefits.
A healthy lifestyle that encompasses food such as oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), sulphur-rich foods such as eggs, garlic, onion beans and sprouts as well as foods rich in vitamins A and C will assist in delaying skin ageing.
Remember to drink plenty of water and reduce the intake of alcohol. Smoking should be stopped – as well as the obvious detriment to overall health, it depletes collagen in the skin which leads to skin wrinkling.
