Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Why a dry skin?

Here's something that I have a pretty hard time relating to personally. I've never experienced dry skin, unless it was caused by a topical prescription for controlling acne. Dry skin can be a huge hassle. Makeup doesn't sit well, it tends to look flaky and muddy as it sinks into flaky patches. It generally tends to age prematurely as the elasticity is affected by parched, dehydrated skin. It can feel itchy and uncomfortable, always tight.

Here are some things to consider:

  1. Do you have a thyroid condition? If not, have you been tested? Even if you're in the low end of the normal range, it can still affect the moisture levels in your skin. If you do have a thyroid condition, make sure you're taking thyroid medication. If you're at the low end of what's considered "normal" then you should definitely be taking this stuff, it can work miracles on skin and energy levels and overall metabolism.
  2. Are you getting enough EFAs? Essential fatty acids are pretty important for skin health, among other things. My favorite EFA for females: Krill oil. It helps regulate PMS and those pesky monthly breakouts. For men: get this one. Everyone should be taking a Primrose oil supplement, too.
  3. Drinking lots of water? If you are drinking plenty of plain water, yay! If it's a soda, tea, or has fresh lemon in it, consider switching to plain old water. Maybe pop a few EmergenC packets in your water now & then for electrolytes (which boost hydration levels).
  4. Here are a few supplements to take: Lecithin. Is. Awesome. Take it. You can take MSM to help build important skin proteins. Another good one: Mixed Carotenoids which is a great bioavailable vitamin A, which can help keep skin cells turning over at a brisk rate. My personal favorite is BioSil, which tastes pretty darn bad but it's incredible for rebuilding skin and connective tissues. If you're going to brave it, buy some empty gelatin capsules and drop the recommended dose into the capsule and take it immediately (so it doesn't melt). That makes a world of difference, and it only adds a second to your daily routine.
There are some topical ingredients that will mean the difference between dry and spry. That's really a pretty tragic attempt at rhyming. Ugh. Moving on to the good stuff! Hyaluronic Acid is an absolute miracle for dry skin. It's not an exfoliating acid or an irritating acid, it's just a thirst-quenching humectant (a humectant is a substance that draws moisture from the air to your skin) that holds a thousand times it's weight in water. It works best in serum form, slip a bit of Hyaluronic Acid serum under your moisturizer and it will make your skin smoother, more supple, and um... less dry. Yeah I'm really a wordsmith tonight.  So what else is there? Squalane, Ceramides, and Phospholipids. 

One particular product worth talking about for dry skin is the Hydramucine Optimal Cream from GM Collin. The pomegranate extract that they use is a pretty awesome way to stimulate hydration from the inside out. Another one I love, but it's sort of incredibly greasy, is the Calendula Sensitive Healing Cream from Nahla. And one last one that is another notch up the greasy ladder is Weleda Skin Food cream, which can transform the most Sahara-like skin into the most cuddly. 

One last tip: invest in a good humidifier and turn that sucker on every night before bed.