RESCUE PLAN

Whether your lacklustre complexion is a temporary condition or your skin’s default setting, there are things you can do to treat and prevent dryness.

Learn how to layer products

It seems like a silly one, but if you put on a heavy face cream before applying your serum, the ingredients won’t penetrate the skin. The rule of thumb is: start with the thinnest consistency and work your way up to the heavier creams.

Check your diet

The first tip should be obvious: drink some water, for goodness’ sake.

‘Internal hydration is vital,’ says dermatologist Ross C Radusky. ‘Drink plenty of fluids, and eat water-rich fruits and vegetables [cucumber, lettuce, avocado and broccoli] and essential fatty acids.’ Keep in mind that tea and coffee don’t count – caffeine is a diuretic, so it will dehydrate you.

Also make sure you have enough vitamin A in your diet (think liver, butter, cream, milk and eggs) as well as healthy fatty acids and omega-3s (cold-water fatty fish, walnuts and chia seeds are good sources), which support the skin’s lipid barrier.

Invest in A humidifier

Your problem could also be purely environmental. If dry air wreaks havoc on your skin, it might be worth getting a humidifier for your bedroom.

Pick the right CleAnser

You know that squeaky-clean feeling you get after washing your face? That feeling is bad news if you’re prone to dryness – it means you’ve stripped your skin of its natural oils. Cream cleansers like Avène Gentle Milk Cleanser (R279), Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (R221.99) and La Roche-Posay Effaclar H Cleansing Cream (R246) have moisturising formulas that won’t disrupt the skin’s delicate pH. A gentle micellar water like Bioderma Hydrabio Micellar Water (R345) soothes and hydrates the skin while removing makeup. Alternatively, dissolve your makeup with a gentle cleansing oil like Clinique Take

The Day Off Cleansing Balm (R390), Skin Creamery Oil-Milk Cleanser (R413) or Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm (R1 090). Another good all-rounder is Lamelle Serra Cleansing Gel (R210), a gentle, soap-free cleanser that has been formulated for lipid-impaired skin but works on all skin types.

ExfoliAte

Dead skin cells can prevent products from penetrating the skin, so it’s important to exfoliate every so often – gently! Avoid nylon face brushes, abrasive scrubs and powerful acids like salicylic acid. Many a beauty aficionado swears by the silicone brush Foreo Luna 2 (R3 500, Skinmiles), which delivers T-Sonic pulsations that lift away dirt and dead skin cells. A soft muslin cloth – like the beautifully illustrated SKOON bamboo muslin face cloth (R99.95) – can also work wonders. For hydration and gentle exfoliation in one easy step, try COSRX One Step Moisture Up Pad (R365, Glow Theory) – the pads contain propolis extract and hyaluronic acid. Lactic acid, like that found in SKIN

Functional 10%

Lactic Acid and

3% B5 Exfoliating

Facial (R230,

Takealot) is also mild yet efficient.

Keep it Cool

As nice as a hot, steamy shower feels, especially in winter, it’s not doing you any favours. Keep your showers short, and wash your face with cool to lukewarm water at the sink instead.

Skip the hArsh ingredients

Retinol may well be an anti-aging powerhouse, but it’s also notoriously drying, often resulting in peeling, redness and dryness – at least until your skin acclimatises. Other culprits that could be causing dryness are retinoids, active forms of vitamin C such as L-ascorbic acid, and hydroquinone. Also keep an eye out for formulations with high concentrations of alcohol or witch hazel.

Add moisture

Leave your skin damp, or mist your face with Avène Thermal Spring Water (R180) before following up with a humectant. A humectant effectively ‘traps’ water, so there needs to be water to trap, otherwise it will draw water out of the deeper layers of your skin, dehydrating it even more. Add another layer of moisture with an essence – we love SkinRx Lab MadeCera Double Essence Toner (R510, Glow Theory), Too Cool For School Egg-ssential Fluid (R389, Superbalist) and Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Water Essence (R485, Glow Theory).

And now for the big guns: the humectants. We’re talking glycerine, hyaluronic acid, allantoin, panthenol, sodium PCA, sorbitol, urea, alphahydroxy acids and propylene glycol. Hyaluronic acid gets all the glory these days, for good reason: it can hold up to 1 000 times its weight in water. Apply a hydrating serum such as Lamelle Correctives HA + Serum (R680, Dermastore) or SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel (R1470, Dermastore), which is also enriched with vitamin B5. Or opt for Avène Hydrance Intense Rehydrating Serum (R370), which contains medical glycerine – ‘an unsung hero’, according to Idriss.

Don’ t dilly-dally

‘If you leave your skin bare for more than a minute, it will start to dehydrate,’ says aesthetician Renée Rouleau. ‘Perform your skincare routine quickly, and be sure to always leave your toner damp on the skin.’

Heal your skin barrier

‘The healthiest skin is made up of the correct balance of three key lipids: cholesterol, ceramides and free fatty acids,’ says aesthetic medical practitioner Dr Mervyn Patterson. ‘Ideally, they exist in a ratio of 1:1:1.’ SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore (R2 780) contains pure ceramides 1 and 3, cholesterol and fatty acids, a combo that helps to repair the skin barrier.

Layer on an occlusive

If you don’t add an occlusive after your humectants, all that hydration will evaporate. Occlusives like jojoba oil, shea butter, lanolin and cetyl alcohol don’t actually provide moisture – they seal in the moisture underneath. We love this explanation from an article in The Cut: ‘Moisturizing with an oil is like sitting in a car while it’s raining and expecting to get wet: It will never happen.’

‘They put a sealant on your skin by coating the top layer,’ says dermatologist Dr Elizabeth Tanzi. Three great moisturisers that contain both humectants and occlusives are La RochePosay Cicaplast Baume B5 (R345), Skin Creamery Facial Hydrating Oil (R325) and Huxley More

Than Moist

Cream (R640, Dermastore).