What it is
Dry skin produces fewer lipids and loses water easily: it feels tight after washing, flakes and feels rough. It gets worse with cold, central heating, hot water and harsh cleansers.
The routine has one goal: repairing the skin barrier. That means cleansing without stripping lipids, adding humectants that hold water (glycerin, hyaluronic acid, low-strength urea) and emollients that seal it in (ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids, squalane).
What it needs
Three things:
- Cleansing that does not strip lipids: cream, milk or oil cleanser, with lukewarm water
- Humectants that attract and hold water in the outermost layer of the skin
- Emollients and barrier lipids, such as ceramides, that reduce water loss
At the counter
When to recommend it
- Tightness after washing the face
- Fine flaking and roughness
- Worsening in winter or with central heating
- As a base before introducing any irritating active
When not to
- Red, very itchy or weeping patches: may be eczema a doctor should assess
- Flaking in specific areas (eyebrows, sides of the nose) with redness: may be seborrhoeic dermatitis
- Exfoliants and retinol on skin that already stings
- Very hot water and harsh gel cleansers
Warnings
- Important Red, very itchy or weeping patches, or ones that do not improve with moisturising: refer, it may be eczema.
- Important Irritating actives (retinol, exfoliating acids) on dry, tight skin usually make it worse: barrier first.
- Caution High-strength urea can sting on the face; on the face it is used at low strength.
- Caution Hot water and long showers worsen dryness.
- Worth knowing Dry skin (lacking lipids) and dehydrated skin (lacking water) are not the same. In pregnancy this routine, without actives, can be kept up.
The routine, step by step
Morning
- Cleanse. Milk or cream cleanser, or just lukewarm waterNothing more is needed in the morning: lipids are preserved.
- Moisturise. Cream with ceramides, glycerin or hyaluronic acidHolds water and repairs the barrier.
- Sunscreen. Cream, SPF 30 or higherA creamy texture can double as a moisturiser.
Evening
- Cleanse. Cleansing oil or balm if wearing make-up, then a gentle milkRemoves make-up without stripping lipids.
- Rich moisturiser. Nourishing cream with ceramides, squalane or shea butterNight is a good time for a richer texture.
- Extra (optional). A few drops of facial oil over the cream on the driest areasHelps reduce water loss.
Humectant vs emollient
| Aspect | Humectant | Emollient |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Attracts and holds water | Fills in and seals the barrier |
| Examples | Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, urea | Ceramides, squalane, shea butter |
| Feel | Light | More nourishing |
| On its own, on very dry skin | Not enough | Useful |
| Ideal | Combined | Combined |
Dry skin needs both: humectants that add water and emollients that stop it escaping.
Self-assessment
Three questions. When you check your answers you will see the explanation for each one.
-
It cleans without stripping the lipids dry skin already has little of.
-
They are lipids that belong to the skin barrier.
-
It is not just dryness: it needs a medical assessment.
Training content. It does not replace the summary of product characteristics or clinical judgement.