That flaky feeling

Dryness is a common skin woe and can spell itching, irritation and dullness. Rosie Green explains why we suffer and shares how to get glowing again

Dry. Good for white wine and wit. Not so much for skin. Bad news, then, that recent Dove research reveals 94 per cent of women have experienced a dry skin condition. And as we age our propensity for dry skin increases.

Dr Sam Bunting, dermatologist to famous faces and creator of Dr Sam’s skincare, says this is because, for women, getting older means a decline in oestrogen. ‘This profoundly affects our skin’s hydration and its decreasing levels lead to skin becoming thin, dry and more prone to wrinkling.’

Ageing also affects the function of the skin barrier – the outermost layer of our skin that keeps aggressors, such as pollution, out and the good stuff, including water, in. Once the barrier becomes compromised (through age or being treated too harshly) our faces look less healthy, hydrated and youthful.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are some surprisingly simple fixes.

1. Think more oil – not water

If every beauty therapist is to be believed, dry skin is down to not drinking enough water. ‘Not true,’ says Dr Bunting. ‘The issue is the quality of the skin barrier – if it’s defective, it won’t hold on to water effectively.’

Instead, she advises, focus on ‘ingesting good fats, which you can find in oily fish, nuts and avocados. If your diet is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, then there’s no need for supplementation.’ If yours isn’t, try Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Omegas+

(€41 for 60, theskinnerdcom).

2. Use targeted ingredients

To address dry skin, Dr Bunting says she’s ‘a big fan of ceramides, centella and Ectoin’, which she uses in combination to repair damaged barriers without them feeling heavy on the skin. She rates niacinamide, too, ‘which helps boost ceramides and is anti-inflammatory’. Hyaluronic acid and squalene are also good dry skin go-tos. Try The Ordinary

Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (€6, spacenk.com).

3. Investigate NAD+

‘NAD+ is a critical energy molecule that powers up skin to repair itself,’ says Dr Bunting. ‘Our levels of it fall to less than 50 per cent after the age of 40, and as a result skin can become dry and easily irritated. This is why

I’m excited about the ingredient sunflower shoot extract as it boosts NAD+ [it’s in her new Dr Sam’s Flawless Moisturiser Intense, see right].’ Brands like victoriahealth.com also sell NAD+ supplements, €42 for 30 capsules.

Think dry skin is due to not drinking water? Not true!