Hello, my name is Rachel and I’m a (former) Dry Skin Gal.
I've battled with dry, flaky skin for 10 years until I finally decided to do something about it. With just a couple of tweaks to my existing routine, I can happily say my skin is looking much healthier; I don't have redness, my texture has improved, and I've been wearing less makeup!
Since I was so happy with my results I wanted to jump on here and share the tips I learned for transforming my dry, dull complexion into radiant, healthy-looking skin.
Skincare
1. Girl, Wash Your Face....Less
Yes, you read that correctly. If you wear makeup during the day then I recommend double cleansing at night, making sure you’re removing all of your makeup, gunk, and grime from the day.
However, when it comes to your morning routine you should skip the cleanser and just rinse with water. As soon as I stopped cleansing in the morning I saw a noticeable difference in my skin; It was less red and way less irritated.
2. Add Niacinimide Serum To Your Routine
Niacinamide is the new holy grail of serums, and for a good reason.
It has anti-inflammatory properties which help repair and strengthen the outer layer of skin. Not only is Niacinimide known for helping with pigmentation and wrinkles, but it can also rebalance your oil levels and is touted as an effective rosacea treatment.
Seriously, if there's anything you take away from this article it's the Niacinimide. Like, go order it right now. I've been using the Instanatural Niacinimide Serum, it lasts a long time, and it's very reasonably priced.
3. Choose Moisturizers With Hyaluronic Acid
Niacinimide, like most ingredients, takes a few months to kick in (see below) but one hydrating BFF actually gives you instantaneous results and that ingredient is hyaluronic acid. Be sure to choose a moisturizer that contains hyaluronic acid as it helps your skin better absorb your moisturizer and locks in the moisture.
I've been using the Knours One Perfect Cream. It is great for women who suffer from hormonal acne but it's also fantastic for dry skin. I've been using it, day and night, since August and now I'm a customer for life. This stuff is great.
4. Be Consistent
Most ingredients (think vitamin c, retinol, etc.) take at least 8-12 weeks for you to actually start seeing results, including niacinamide. Most people give up on products well before they give them a chance to actually work.
My #1 tip here is to be consistent with your skincare rituals and give it time to actually work. This brings me to my makeup tips….
Makeup
While your skin is taking the necessary time to rebalance, there are some makeup tips you can use to help give your skin the appearance of a healthy glow.
5. Opt For A Hydrating Primer
Primers are great for keeping flaky skin at bay. I recommend grabbing a hydrating primer that can work double-duty throughout the day like the e.l.f hydrating primer.
6. Use Makeup For Dry Skin
I recommend looking for makeup products that are designed for dry skin. Since I, myself, suffer from dry skin, I was biased when developing our products for Subtl Beauty. I prioritized skin-nourishing ingredients that I knew my skin needed.
For example, our Lip and Cheek blush product is a balm that gives a naturally glowy finish on the cheeks. Not only does it give the appearance of a glow but it’s infused with Jojoba-oil which aids in your skin's ability to form a healthy glow of its own. Double-duty!
Our Subtl Beauty Concealer was also developed with dry skin in mind. Thick, matte concealers are a dry skin’s enemy so when developing the Subtl Beauty concealer, we wanted it to be a thinner, buildable consistency that gives a glow finish without causing flakiness.
For women who like to set their makeup, our Shine Control Powder is perfect for keeping everything in place without sucking all of the moisture out of your skin. I never used to use a powder out of fear that it would make my skin worse but I’ve happily added the Subtl Beauty Shine Control Powder to my daily makeup routine.
All three of these makeup products are included in the Subtl Beauty Starter Stack.
Lifestyle
7. Invest in a Humidifier
If your dry skin tends to be seasonal, I would recommend investing in a humidifier for your bedroom. Humidifiers fill the air with moisture which your skin can absorb as you sleep. Fun fact: the hyaluronic acid in your moisturizer will attract the moisture in the air and actually help it absorb into the skin. Very cool.
8. Ditch Your Makeup Wipes
I cannot stress this point enough. Wipes are way too harsh on your skin and the actual remover ingredients contain ingredients like alcohol which, I mean, do I need to explain further? I'm so passionate about it that I wrote a whole other blog post about it but the cliff notes version is to swap your wipes for micellar water and cotton pads.
For tips on how to prep your dry skin for makeup application, check out this video.
I hope this guide helps! Be sure to share it with your fellow dry skin friends.