Dry skin
Dry skin, about 29.4% suffer from it, both men and women. Even though you naturally have ‘oily’ skin, you can get dry skin from time to time.
What can you find on this page about dry skin
- What is Dry Skin?
- What are the causes of dry skin?
- What happens in the skin?
- How can you recognize dry skin?
- Do I have dry skin or eczema, what’s the difference?
- How do you care for dry skin?
- Facial dry skin care
- Care dry skin around the eyes
- What should you avoid if you have dry skin?
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Do supplements still add value?
- Drinking extra water against dry skin, does it help?
- The best products to take care of your dry skin?
Dr Francis Wu on dry skin
Dr. Francis Wu briefly explains the complaints, causes and solutions for dry skin
Dry skin is a common problem, with as many as 29.4% of the population suffering from it. It affects both men and women, and it is essential to understand what is really going on. When the top layer of your skin, the epidermis, contains less than 10% water, it is considered dry. This condition can lead to a range of discomforts and often requires special care and attention to keep the skin healthy and hydrated.
The causes vary from external influences such as weather conditions, low humidity due to air conditioning or heating, frequent showering and soap use. Internal physical causes such as kidney function problems, underactive thyroid, heredity (such as atopy and ichthyosis vulgaris) and certain acne medications such as isotretinoin also cause dry skin. Complaints are white dry flakes on the skin, possibly accompanied by itching complaints, without skin abnormalities. Most common dry patches are forearms and lower legs.
For skin to look and feel good, it is essential that it is sufficiently hydrated. The optimal water balance in the skin varies between 10-15%. Once this percentage drops below 10%, dry skin begins to manifest itself in the form of flakiness. But if the top layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, dries out even further, rough spots can develop, as well as small cracks that can be painful and damage the skin barrier. Maintaining this optimal water content is vital to keeping your skin healthy and in top condition.
Dry skin is flaky white and can be accompanied by local itching.
Difference between dry skin and eczema is the presence of inflammation (inflammation). In eczema, the skin barrier does not work properly, which leads to moisture loss from the skin and disturbances in the top layer of skin (epidermis). If your skin is red, itchy, and flaky, it’s probably more than just dry skin and you probably have eczema.
Another important clue between eczema and dry skin is that eczema gets worse if not treated properly. It can then lead to other complaints such as tears, cracks, skin thickening and intense itching. People with eczema are also more prone to skin infections due to a disrupted skin barrier.
If areas such as elbow creases, knee hollows are also affected. So red, scaly and itchy then chances are it is eczema.
Here are some important tips to keep your skin optimally hydrated:
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Drink water: Hydration starts from within. Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day to help your body stay hydrated.
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Use a suitable moisturizer: Choose a quality moisturizer that suits your skin type. A good moisturizer helps retain moisture in your skin.
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Avoid long, hot showers: Although it may be tempting, avoid long, hot showers. Hot water can dry out your skin. Choose lukewarm water and limit your shower time.
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Humidify the air: When humidity is low, a humidifier in your home can help add moisture to the air, which benefits your skin.
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Gentle cleansing: Use mild cleansing products that do not strip your skin of natural oils.
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Daily hydration routine: Have a daily skin care routine with moisturizing products such as creams or ointments to keep your skin healthy and hydrated.
When it comes to caring for your skin, there are some important considerations to keep in mind, especially if you have dry skin. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
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Soap use: Using soap products can be a double-edged sword. While soap helps remove dirt and impurities, it can also wash away your skin’s own oils, which is essential for maintaining a healthy skin barrier. Try to choose mild, moisturizing soaps and avoid harsh soaps that strip your skin too much.
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Lotion for dry skin: If you suffer from dry skin, think twice before using just any lotion. Many lotions contain a high water content, which can lead to evaporation on the skin. This actually removes more moisture from your skin, resulting in even drier skin. Instead, consider moisturizers rich in hydrating ingredients to care for your skin without further drying.
It’s essential to be aware of the products you use on your skin and how they can affect your skin condition. With the right choices, you can help your skin stay hydrated and healthy.
Few supplements are known to hydrate the skin. But one of them is hyaluronic acid, part of the glucosaminoglycans (GAG). Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in the second layer of the skin (dermis) and has, among other things, a water-attracting function that makes the skin feel supple and hydrated.
Hyaluronic acid: Various studies have shown that a hyaluronic acid supplement of 37.5 mg – 240 mg daily provided smoother and significant skin hydration after 4 to 6 weeks.
Collagen Peptide: Another supplement is collagen peptide. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. Collagen type 1 and lesser type 3 and GAG are both responsible for firmness and retain moisture in the skin. Two small placebo-controlled studies showed improved skin hydration with the use of a collagen peptide supplement. Both the collagen and GAG had increased in the skin after 8 weeks.
How the ingested hyaluronic acid and peptide supplements enter the skin is unknown.
Tips when you have dry skin
Below you will find tips from Dr. Francis Wu when you have dry skin
Tip #1 - if you swim often
Before swimming, apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly. This thin layer provides a temporary protective skin layer, so that your skin does not dry out too much.
Tip #2 - drinking extra water, does it help?
A review publication from 2018 concluded that the epidermis is better hydrated by drinking extra water.
So:extra drinking such as water or herbal tea can extra hydrate the epidermis. Drink 2-3 glasses more per day than what you are used to.
Tip 3 - the correct moisturizer
There are many moisturizers on the market and can actually be divided into 3 different categories, each with its own function.
Emollentia (space fillers) Are mainly lipids and oils and fill the space between the keratinocytes in the upper layers of the skin. Compare it to cement between bricks. Emollentia also have a light barrier function to prevent water loss in the skin, leaving a supple, hydrated and softer skin. Well-known examples of this are ceramide, squalene, canola, olive, palm and coconut oil. Our skin’s own ceramide and squalene play an important role in the skin barrier. Advantage it feels light on the skin, does not stick. Apply disadvantage more often
Humectants (water attractants) are substances that attract water, which improves the hydration of the stratum corneum, better cohesion of the keratinocytes and reduction of flaking. Typical humectants are hyaluronic acid, glycerin, sorbitol, urea, honey and alpha hydroxy acids (AHA). Advantage: it does not feel too heavy on the skin, is absorbed well and can be combined with other skin care products (layering). Disadvantage: humectants extract moisture from the skin and not from moisture in the environment.
Occlusives (barrier) Retains the moisture in the skin by physically blocking it. The TEWL is stopped by this. Examples of occlusives are Vaseline, lanolin, silicones, and waxes. 5% Vaseline reduces TEWL by 98% followed by lanolin, mineral oil (paraffin) and silicone which only gives a 20-30% TEWL reduction. Benefit holds moisture well in the skin. Disadvantage, on the skin occlusives can shine, feel heavy and sticky.
Iconic Elements Natural Moisturizer cream, has a triple effect and combines these three categories.
Tip 4 - The best products to care for your dry skin.
Natural Moisturizer Cream has a 3-fold action. The combination of glycerin, ceramide, squalane and an Iconic natural balm ensure that the moisture remains in your skin. This unique composition ensures that the skin remains hydrated without feeling heavy.
Sensitive cream is suitable for people with sensitive skin or a tendency to develop skin irritation. The Sensitive cream is suitable for this group of people to keep the fragile skin optimal.
Calming cream is there for when skin irritation, flakes, red areas are present. It is one phase further, it calms irritated skin, itching, redness.
Tip 5 - water softener
Hard water is known to cause skin problems. These arise because soap residues cannot dissolve properly in hard water. This mixture consisting of soap, calcium and magnesium then remains on your skin. Which can lead to drier skin or a worsening of eczema. A water softener can help make the water softer. A water softener with an ion exchanger converts calcium into sodium (part of table salt), making the water ‘softer’. What is the ideal soft water against dry skin is not known because everyone is different. Click here how hard is your water?
Suffering from dry skin on the face or around the eyes?
Below you will find tips from Dr. Francis Wu if you suffer from drier skin on the face or around the eyes.
Dry skin on the face?
Unlike your torso and limbs, your face is constantly exposed to the elements. Weather, air conditioning, heating air pollution, hormonal and possibly certain medications can affect your facial skin, including dehydration.
Dry skin occurs when the skin barrier in the epidermis is disrupted. Simply put, your skin loses more moisture than what is left behind. So net there is less moisture in the skin. In the beginning you don’t notice anything about it, little flaky. Afterwards, your face feels tight and slightly burning. Right now, your skin is “Sensitive,” without seeing anything abnormal. When the sensitivity continues, it becomes redder, flaky and itchy, which we call eczema.
What can you do about dry skin in face?
If you have dry skin, identifying the cause is the first step. Certain medications such as acne remedy roaccutane, antihistamine against hay fever, water tablets and also cholesterol medications can dry out your skin, but so can environmental factors. Is the air conditioning on and in the winter period the heating is high. Finally, menopause also affects skin hydration.
To address dry skin, repairing your skin barrier is important. Lubricating with a skin care product is a logical step. But there are some factors what is important to know. One product is not the other. There is a big difference between a lotion, cream and an ointment. An ointment contains relatively little water and more oils, compared to a lotion. The oilier the product, the more water is ‘trapped’ in the skin and the better against dry skin. Vaseline is again too thick and sticky for some. So an oily cream or ointment is more appropriate.
An ideal cream contains a mix of ingredients that have some properties. The following explains the three different properties.
Some ingredients such as Vaseline lie on top of the skin and close the skin, we call this an occlusive ingredient. Others attract water (humectant) such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, urea and honey. The third property is an emollient. Emollients are located in the epidermis between the skin cells, examples of which are skin oils, ceramide and squalene.
Learn more about the differences between lotion, cream and ointment here
Does skin acidity (pH) also affect your skin barrier?
The pH of the skin is important to maintain optimal protection of the skin barrier. When the pH of the skin is compromised, this can subsequently cause skin barrier disruption. Which can lead to moisture loss and increased sensitivity or irritation from external factors.”
The pH of the skin is slightly acidic. The ideal skin pH is generally considered to be 5.5, but can range from 4.5-5.5. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Seven is considered neutral. What you put on your skin and outside influences can change its pH. Soap use is one of the pH disruptors.
According to research, an acidic skin pH (4-4.5) retains the natural bacterial flora on the skin, while an alkaline pH (8-9) disrupts the skin flora. Dry skin has a pH higher than 5.5.
Do you suffer from dry skin on your face?
Suffering from dry skin on the face and want to do something about it? Then use:
All three ingredients contain properties against dry skin without feeling heavy.
All products are natural, Zero Plastic Inside, pH 5, Vegan and Iconic Elements has been named The Best Holistic Skincare line 2022.
Dry skin around the eyes?
The skin around eyes is thin, the epidermis of your eyelid 0.05 mm. Compared to your palm or sole of the foot, the epidermis is even 30x thinner. This makes the skin more vulnerable to dehydration and certain irritating ingredients such as retinol and fruit acids. The weather can also have an influence, a harsh cold wind can irritate the thin eyelids.
What can you do about dry skin around your eyes?
Make sure that your make-up is properly removed with a mild skin cleanser and apply a nourishing skin care product. A combination of products, also called layering, with, for example, a serum is also possible. First apply a serum, let it soak in and then apply a skin care cream.
Do you suffer from dry skin around your eyes?
Suffering from dry skin around your eyes and want to do something about it? Then use:
All three ingredients contain properties against dry skin without feeling heavy.
All products are natural, Zero Plastic Inside, pH 5, Vegan and Iconic Elements has been named The Best Holistic Skincare line 2022.
Iconic Elements video on dry skin
The best products against dry skin
Below you will find some products that can help you reduce the burden of dry skin.
- All products have the ideal pH 5 acidity – for good skin resistance and skin barrier.
- Vegan, Zero Plastic inside
- Iconic Elements skincare has been named the Best Holistic skincare line 2022 by EU Business News.
What our customers think of our dry skin products
Frequently asked questions about dry skin
Vitamin A: stimulates your skin's own collagen, reduces skin pigment and ensures faster skin renewal. An alternative is Bakuchiol, which causes less skin irritation and has a similar effect to vitamin A.
Vitamin B3: reduces pigment spots by inhibiting the release of melanin from pigment cells to skin cells. Stimulates your skin's own resistance, improves skin barrier by stimulating ceramide production.
Vitamin C: reduces pigment spots, stimulates collagen production in the skin
It depends what you want to use it for.
For irritated skin are: aloe vera, avena sativa (wheat extract), Ectoine, panthenol, bisabolol from chamomile.
Pigment spots: Arbutin, niacinamide, vitamin C, resveratrol, kojic acid, retinol, bakuchiol.
Fine lines and wrinkles: Vitamin A, C, B3 (niacinamide), peptide, bakuchiol, Coenzyme Q10
There are several ways to moisturize dry skin.
Group 1: Occlusives, retains moisture in the skin by physically blocking it. Examples include bee or vegetable waxes, cocoa butter, wool fat. Disadvantage: sticky and shiny
Group 2: humectants, draw moisture from the deep layer of skin to your epidermis. Examples: hyaluronic acid, honey, glycerin. Disadvantage: skin feels tight.
Group 3: emollients, fill the space between the keratinocytes in the upper skin layers. Examples are skin oils, ceramide, squalene. Disadvantage: does not hydrate enough.
A mix of these 3 groups is ideal.
Articles by Francis Wu on dry skin
Below you will find some articles by Francis Wu specifically about dry skin.
