The Ultimate Dry Skin Routine, According to Dermatologists

Is your skin feeling dry, flaky, itchy, and tight?

It’s important to protect your skin, to make sure that it can do its job of protecting everything underneath it.

So whether it’s genetic, environmental, from stress, or a result of your current skincare routine, we’ve got you covered.

Get Your Morning Skincare Routine in Check

We used to think breakfast was the most important meal of the day. While that may not be true, what you put on your face in the morning definitely is important. Set your tone for the whole day by making sure your skin is moist and protected with products that are good for you.

Hydrate Your Body

Your skin is the largest organ in your body. Put your health first and give your body what it needs by staying hydrated.

“Water can have a significant impact in skin health,”

says Dr. Steven Deliduka, board-certified dermatologist with Forefront Dermatology.

“Without adequate water intake, skin appears duller, and wrinkles and pores more prominent. Proper hydration levels help the skin to become plump and improves its elasticity meaning it’s less likely to crack and have irritations and blemishes."

You should drink at least half your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water everyday. For example, if you weigh 140 lbs., you should be drinking 70 oz. of water throughout the day.

The best dry skin skincare routine is one that nourishes your body. Drink water, eat well, and prioritize your well-being. Your skin—and the rest of your body—will thank you.

Skip the Facial Cleanser

Believe it or not, less can be more. Skip your stripping facial cleanser in the morning and give your pores a break. You and your skin could both use some #selfcare.

Our human bodies have been dealing with dry skin for tens of thousands of years. Some products can definitely help, but now dermatologists are saying that the astringents that were all the rage when everyone was singing along to "Ironic" can do more harm than good. More on the ingredients you should look for in your skincare routine later on.

Moisturize and Protect

Instead of lathering up with harsh chemicals and stripping soaps, you should be looking for ingredients that moisturize, nourish, and protect. Try finding moisturizer that works for you. While you're at it, make sure you're also finding products that give some SPF protection. Implement these into your morning routine and see your skin shine.

In addition to finding products that are kind to your skin, make sure you're using a sunscreen with at least 35 SPF every day. Wearing sunscreen keeps your skin from looking dry and prevents premature aging.

The best type of sunscreen is the one you will use again and again.

—The American Academy of Dermatology

Trust me, your face will thank you.

Clean Your Face Gently

Clean your face as gently as possible. While harsh products may make quick work of acne, they actually also make it easier for them to come back by damaging your skin.

Wash with Lukewarm Clean Water

The water that you wash your face with should be clean and lukewarm.

Use Better Water

You should make sure that the water that you wash your face with is clean with reduced contaminants, like excess chlorine and bacteria.

These can damage your skin and just make it more dry. With a Filterbaby 2.0 Skincare Water Filter you can get clean, filtered water straight from your bathroom sink.

Don’t Use Hot Water on Your Face

If your water is hot to the touch, it’s too hot for your face. The water that you use to wash your face should be comfortable and not too hot or too cold. If it feels good on your skin, then in this case it’s good for your skin.

"Any skin condition characterized by a defective skin barrier can be worsened by a hot shower,"

said board-certified New York City dermatologist Shari Marchbein.

"[It] strips the skin of sebum, the healthy fats and oils necessary for skin health, and dehydrates the skin."

Avoid Alcohol-Based Products

Alcohol-based cleansing products are bad for your skin and will undo all the hard work that you put into your routine. The alcohol in these products is too harsh for your skin, and could dry it out, or even damage it.

“In the long run, they (alcohol) can enlarge pores and increase greasiness, so avoid products containing any type of alcohol if you have an oily skin type or acne-prone skin… Ethanol in toners can also be quite drying for sensitive skin types, so watch out for that, too. The higher the alcohol is on the ingredients list, the higher the concentration and the stronger it will be on the skin." — Dr. Maryam Zamani

Instead of using alcohol-based products, you should try to look for products with gentle ingredients that moisturize.

Choose Non-Foaming Cleansers

Don’t use foaming cleansers on your face! They strip away too much of your skin’s natural oils.

Usually, the problem with foaming cleansers would be Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, or SLS. SLS acts as a surfactant and is often found in things like in shampoos, conditioners, facial cleansers. Extensive studies have been done on SLS. These studies have found SLS to be incredibly sensitizing to skin, and SLS has been linked to irritation numerous times.

Instead, you should use milk cleansers or gel based cleansers to clean your face while leaving the natural oils where they belong.

Moisturize Frequently

The secret to keeping your skin soft and youthful is moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Consider these ideas to help keep your skin healthy.

1. Moisturize at Every Step

Every step of your skincare routine should involve some kind of moisturizing product. This is to ensure that your skin is never being dried out by products that strip away oils and moisture.

2. Sleep with a Humidifier

Boost your efforts by sleeping with a humidifier on at night—especially if you live in a dry climate or have the heater on. Humidifiers add moisture to the air and lock in your hydrating moisturizer.

3. Protect Your Skin from the Sun

Be sure to wear sunscreen every day. Sunscreen will help shield your skin from harmful solar radiation and this will work to keep your skin moist and youthful. Soaking up too many rays outside while unprotected is just going to leave you with dry skin!

Your New Dry Skin Skincare Routine

If you have dry skin, don’t worry. You just have to love and respect it like a newborn baby.

One of the best ways to do that is with Filterbaby to make sure that the water you are using is cleaner as it hits your skin. Trapping tap water contaminants is what the Filterbaby does!

By installing a Filterbaby on your faucet, you will drastically improve the quality of your water.