Even though warmer weather is just around the corner, dry skin is still an annoyance for many people this time of year. Until at least early summer, people continually complain of dry skin on their face and body.
When your skin loses oil and water, it becomes dry. This can happen for a variety of reasons:
- Lack of adequate hydration
- Lack of omega-3 essential fatty acids
- Poor diet and food allergies
- Topical products that strip the natural oil barrier function of the skin especially those with heavy surfactants such as SLS (provides a foaming action but strips oil away from the skin).
- Overwashing the skin.
- Aging skin: As women age, hormonal changes such as declining estrogen lead to dry skin
- Environmental conditions: dry air or cold air
The challenge with resorting to prescription creams such as cortisone is that they don't address the root cause of your dry skin and make the skin worse by thinning the skin and altering the skin microbiome. They are not a long term solution.
I have compiled some tips that I know first hand work to help you combat the dryness and become a dewy glowy goddess.
5 Natural Solutions for Dry Skin
I know this is an obvious one, but hot water and soap strips away the lipid (oil) layer of your skin barrier.
Your skin maintains its strength and elasticity from its water and oil content. This is what keeps skin looking fresh and vibrant.
Strip away those natural oils and you are left with dull skin due to dry skin.
Add a harsh soap to hot water and you make matters worse. Don't let those well-marketed body washes fool you! Nearly all body washes that have foaming action are made with an industrial strength chemical that can clean machinery called SLS. Not so nice for keeping your glowing skin on your face and body.
Your outside (skin, nails, hair) is a reflection of the inside health of your body. Fat helps to provide moisture for the skin. Eat plenty of healthy fats such as salmon, avocado , nuts and seeds, nut butters, extra-virgin olive oil, flax oil and so on. BONUS: Many of these foods also help to reduce inflammation and this can be a root cause of dry skin as well. You may want to consider supplementation.
I personally take an omega 3 fish oil and GLA supplement every single day because it has far reaching benefits then just skin healthy. I highly recommend you do too!
You already know you need to drink water because your body's composition is mostly water, in fact up to 70%. However, with the changing of the seasons you may naturally eat less raw fruits and vegetables and more cooked or dehydrated food. This means less hydration for your cells.
Snack on some raw foods including pears and apples which are both in season and vegetables such as leafy greens. If you eat dried fruits, rehydrate them in water. Prunes are an excellent digestive-friendly food that can be super hydrating if you pop them in a mason jar filled with filtered water overnight. They will be plump and juicy by the morning! Here is a wonderful drink that is super hydrating and great for the skin because it also has collagen. (See my trick for helping you drink more water).
4. Forget Exfoliating in the shower, dry skin brush!
I've been talking about dry skin brushing here on Joyous Health since I graduated as a holistic nutritionist in 2009. Why? Because it works!
Dry skin brushing is an absolutely fantastic way to brush your skin to beauty.
Dead skin cells and poor circulation make your skin look drab and dull. Dry skin brushing sloughs off those deads skin cells and livens up your complexion by drawing circulation to the skin's surface. Your skin is your largest organ of detoxification making this daily joyous habit an essential detox habit.
5. Slather your Skin with Body Butter
It still shocks me the plethora of chemicals in personal care products on the market today. Many of them include ingredients that cause opposite of what you want -- moisturized, glowing skin (despite their marketing messages)! This is why we have a joyous line of clean and truly moisturizing products. Before I started using our Body Butter I had to moisturize mulitple times per day in the winter. I used plain coconut oil which is clean of course, but it does not deeply penetrate the skin to moisturize and pretty much sits on top till it rubs off.
I've been using our Body Butter for several years because it keeps my skin stay well moisturized and incredibly smooth and of course. I love it so very much, it's the only thing my whole family use. Plus, there's no ingredient you can't stick on a spoon, not that you want to eat it.
Have a joyous day!
Joy
Lovely article, I have been taking my omega-3 for just a few days and already notice a difference. No new acne (which I find gets worse with my dry winter skin) and I have really been focusing on reducing my coffee and loving mass amounts of water and herbal teas! Thanks, Joy!
ReplyReally happy to hear that Amanda. It's fantastic how quickly you can notice a difference. Glad to hear it!
Hi Joy, I'm wondering if you can recommend any face wash/face moisturiser that is good for colder months as well? I have sensitive skin that breaks out easily and also gets REALLY dry in the winter... I will definitely follow your tips above as well but appreciate your recos! Thanks :)
ReplyFor sure! I love Consonant's award winning foaming cleanser http://www.consonantskincare.com/products/organic-foaming-face-wash-125-ml and when my skin needs more moisture I really love how lush Eminence's Coconut Milk Cleanser feels on my skin.
Hi Joy! Thank-you for this posting! What brand of soap or body wash do you recommend for the shower?
ReplyI use a homemade soup -- my mom buys it for me all the time and I'm actually not sure where she gets it! However, when I'm out of stock I often buy my soap from a health food store. I think (if memory serves me correct) the brand is called soapworks.
Great tips :) I love dry brushing! It had made such a difference in my dry skin! You are such an inspiration<3 http://westingwellness.blogspot.ca
ReplyYou are beautiful and you inspired your readers with your article. Great post!
ReplyHi Joy, Is there a certain type or brand of fish oil you recommend? Thanks for the great article! Ken
ReplyHi Ken, We're big fans of Genuine Health's line of fish oils. They're high-quality and sustainably sourced. Kate - Joyous Health Team
Hey joy! I am wondering if you use a facial cleanser and what your nightime beauty routine is. I need help! Steph
ReplyHi Steph, I know that Joy's a big fan of Eminence and Consonant skincare products. My nighttime routine is pretty simple. Remove makeup, wash face, apply moisturizer, done. Kate - Joyous Health Team
Hi Joy, I try to drink more water and as a result, I have frequent urination and still notice that my skin is really dry. Any suggestions? Thank you, Sam
ReplyHow much fat are you eating? You need healthy fats to moisturize your skin from the inside out. Check out this post: https://www.joyoushealth.com/27292-blog-healthy-fats-i-stock-in-my-kitchen Also, vitamin D deficiency manifests as dry skin as well: https://www.joyoushealth.com/27111-blog-the-importance-of-vitamin-d And finally, if you don't have any sodium in your diet, you need salt to help your cells uptake the water. That may help you pee a little less. Urination is a good thing though! Pale yellow is the colour it should be. If it's clear, then you're probably drinking too much water.
Thank you so much for responding. I've been long concerned with the amount of EFAs I am getting. My main sources are from avocado, the occasional sardines, cashew nuts and fish along with my daily Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega supplements. But with having this dry skin, dry scalp and keratosis pilaris, I suspected I needed more. I had reduced my animal protein intake to fish only for a few years now but, recently I had a burger and I realized that I didn't have the frequent urination as I normally do. I figured there was something to note there. Maybe it had the sodium my body required as you suggested. I have taken note of the 2 posts you recommended and I will be incorporating more fats stat. Is there another supplement you would recommend in addition to the Vitamin D so I can maximize my intake? I ask because I really don't see a difference with the Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega that I have been taking for years now. Thank you, Sam
ReplyHi Joy, Can you recommend a face moisturizer for dry skin in the winter? Thank you kindly
ReplyHi Olivia! These days I only use Hella Hydrating but I also love Hydraextreme by Consonant. In the cold winter months if I really need extra I will mix the two. Also check out Iremia Skincare - she has rich moisturizers, they are just too rich for me but the ingredients are excellent.