Why do I have dry skin?

As the seasons start to change, so do our skin needs!

The transition to Fall and Winter is by far the most wonderful time of the year for me. It’s the time of year to pull out all my favorite things… cozy sweaters, leggings, and chunky knits!…all the coziest things we have tucked away come out! Just as your wardrobe changes around this time of year so should your skincare. Think of it as your skincare wardrobe. We protect the skin on our body with layers of clothes and body lotion, why not our face and neck? A lot of people skip this part because they think it’s not important but in fact, it is the most important! You want your face and neck protected just as you would your hands and feet in a cold storm.

During the summer and spring, you don’t need as many “heavy layers” so a lightweight moisturizer and SPF will do but during the fall and winter, we have to pull out our “heavy layers” to keep our skin protected.

There are many reasons for dry skin. It could be your medications, your lack of hydration, using the wrong skincare products for your skin type, or even your harsh soaps or detergents. The most common reason for dry skin this time of year is the weather. We turn up our heaters and start pouring ourselves more yummy coffee & hot cocoa!

All that yummy coffee and sitting by the fireplace is wonderful, just make sure to add a couple of extra glasses of water and a nice rich moisturizer before bed and when you get up in the morning!

Everyone’s skincare needs very and so skincare companies have come up with several different formulas for moisturizers and night creams to make sure we all have plenty to choose from! Think of it like this: If you have oily skin – your skin still needs moisture but from the correct products. A lot of times your skin is overproducing oil because you are using the wrong products and you are stripping the natural oils from your skin that your skin needs. So for oily skin, I would go with a nice lightweight water-based moisturizer. This will hydrate your skin with the proper ingredients and will help balance your skin’s natural oils. Now if you have normal to combination skin there are a couple of things I would ask you first before recommending specific products but for a general rule of thumb, I would recommend a lightweight water-based moisturizer in the morning before makeup and a nice rich moisturizer ( night cream) at night before bed.

Remember that at night your body is working on repairing any damage from the day! Thats why it is the most crucial time to cleanse your skin and apply your serums and top it with your rich vitamin and mineral packed night creams/moisturizers.

Now Dry skin is fun ( for me as an esthetician ) because you can layer multiple products and your skin just drinks them in! Dry skin can be tricky tho. If not taken care of properly it can lead to premature skin damage and age you dramatically. Dry skin is a lack of the skin’s natural oils created to protect your skin. For dry skin my favorite go-to products are oils. Oil cleansers, oil-based serums, and oil-based moisturizers… there are so many great products on the market that will help improve your skin almost immediately when used. Now not all oils work on everyone! Some ingredients may be an irritant and so I would say, try some first! Try before you buy! I know Sephora has a great team that will help guide you to your specific skincare needs and wants AND will give you samples of anything! I love going in and spending an hour just going through the skincare isles and reading all the ingredients and benefits! Sampling products is free and fun. It led me to find half the skincare in my skincare wardrobe!

Because I know how important it is to find the correct skincare for each individual person I won’t link specific products but I will link to you my favorite skincare brands right now. I use multiple products from each of these lines and I have used them with clients as well and they have been amazing. Listed below will be my 3 favorite skincare companies at the moment:

1. Dermalogica – https://www.dermalogica.com – I have used this product line exclusively for a year and I am dermalogica certified. It 100% has been a huge game-changer for me. My skin went from being dull and lackluster to glowing and me receiving continual compliments on how youthful it looks. I have not tried a product in the dermalogica brand that I have not loved.
2. Elemis – https://www.elemis.com/us – I love this brand and what they stand for, I have tried several of their products and love each one. The line I am currently using is the Superfood line. It is full of nutrients and makes the skin soft and plump.
3. Kate Somerville – https://www.katesomerville.com/ – I have been using the Goat milk line from this company and it is lovely! Super lightweight and great under makeup! It will definitely be a product line I will keep in my makeup artist bridal kit.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out! I know finding the right skincare can be difficult but I am here to tell you, you’re not alone! We have all been there and I would love to help any way I can! Nowwww….. on to my favorite portion of the blog: Exfoliation!

One of the biggest secrets to keeping your skin glowing no matter what time of year is an exfoliator! It’s an estheticians favorite part of any facial! It takes off all that dry, dehydrated skin and leaves you looking fresh and glowing. One of the best benefits of exfoliation is that after you remove all that dry flaky skin, you’re left with the new fresh skin underneath which is the best time to apply your favorite skincare products. Your skin will absorb all of your serums and facial treatments filled with botanical extracts and vitamins without any barriers. This will allow the nutrients to penetrate deeper and last longer.

If exfoliation is not apart of your weekly skincare routine now, I would highly recommend it. As an esthetician I would also recommend exfoliating 2x a week, Just add it to your skincare routine Monday and Thursday – or whenever best fits your busy schedule! Just give it a couple of days in between for your skin healing process. Here is a small list of my personal favorite exfoliators:

1. Dermalogica has a great exfoliator called the Daily Microfoliant, a little pricey but will last you forever. You only need to use a little. They also sell a travel size which is great so you can try it before you make an investment in the full size. Link to Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
2. Fresh also has a great lightweight exfoliator called Sugar Face Polish Exfoliator. Link to Fresh sugar face polish
3. Elemis has my favorite, super easy Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads! All you have to do is pull them out of the container and you’re ready to go! Super great for those who don’t have a lot of time or those who are a little lazier ( like me ) and like something super quick! Link to dynamic resurfacing facial pads

I hope this was helpful for you girls! If you have any questions feel free to contact me, as always, I love to help!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!