THE TRUTH ABOUT DRY SKIN
Dry skin can range from a minor annoyance to a full-blown skin disorder like eczema or psoriasis. It's not just a surface-level issue either, it can take a toll on your mental health too. So, let's find out what's causing your skin to misbehave and how to give it the TLC it needs for long-term health.
THE SYMPTOMS
When our skin loses water or oil, it can create a medley of irritating and uncomfortable symptoms: itching, tightness, roughness, and cracking. That's not all, folks! The poor skin will be red and angry, or look grey and sallow with scaly, leathery, or bumpy patches. Not a pretty sight, right? And let's not forget how unhappy and uncomfortable it can make you feel. A little TLC for our skin goes a long way!
THE CAUSES
The skin is an amazing organ, one that’s very good at caring for itself when given the right nourishment and conditions. When external factors aggravate the skin, this can cause an imbalance in the skin’s delicate microbiome, leading to those pesky symptoms and skin conditions we try to avoid.
Some of these factors include:
GENETICS - Whether you have an oily, normal, or dry skin type, this is usually down to our genes. Some skin conditions can also be a result of your genetic predisposition.
DIET - We know how important it is to feed our body a healthy diet for overall body function and health, but this can also translate onto our skin. Eating things like refined sugar or saturated fat has been shown to affect the function of the skin, leading to dryness.
MEDICATION - Many medications, particularly when you’re taking them long-term, can lead to side effects such as dry skin. If you think you’re experiencing major dryness due to your medication, try speaking with your doctor about alternative options.
TEMPERATURE CHANGES - Dry, cold weather can sap the moisture out of the air, making the water in your skin evaporate more quickly than usual. Heat can also cause issues for your skin. Long, hot baths and showers can strip away the skin’s natural oils and moisture, causing your skin to dry out and become flaky. Be careful not to expose your skin to extreme temperature changes where possible.
AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING - Your A/C unit gets to work pulling moisture from the outer layers of the skin, before getting started on the inner layers. Just like before, heat also dries the air, which leads to moisture loss in the skin.
ALLERGIES - Be mindful of potential allergens in your food and skincare products, as these can cause atopic dermatitis which appears as bumpy, dry patches. For people with an existing skin condition, such as eczema, allergens can trigger the body's immune response, causing a flare up.
AGE - It’s a fact of life that skin becomes drier as you age. Your skin becomes thinner and stops producing as much of the oil that helps your skin retain moisture. As a result, you’ll find that your skin will become more prone to dryness as you get older.
HARSH INGREDIENTS - Keep a look out for ingredients such as parabens, SLS/SLES, petrochemicals, lanolin, PEGs and synthetic fragrances in the products you’re using. These skincare nasties can all cause dryness and flare ups.
AIR POLLUTION - Tiny particles of pollution floating around in the air can infiltrate the skin through pores, causing inflammation and dehydration.
WATER INTAKE - Those all important 8 cups a day aren’t just to benefit your body, it also makes a big difference to your skin. Getting enough water can improve blood flow to the skin, meaning more nutrients being fed to the skin from the inside.
SUN EXPOSURE - Don’t leave your skin unprotected. When skin is exposed to UV rays for too long, this can cause damage to skin cells and lead to skin dryness. Layer up on the SPF to avoid unwanted damage.
MICROBIOME DISTURBANCE - An imbalanced microbiome is associated with many skin concerns, including psoriasis, allergies, eczema, contact dermatitis, acne, poor healing, yeast and fungal infections, rosacea, and accelerated skin ageing.
HAPPY SKIN STARTS WITH A HEALTHY MICROBIOME
The microbiome is a layer of trillions of good bacteria that live on the skin’s surface, acting as a protective barrier to balance the epidermis (It’s not as gross as it sounds, we promise). This keeps you free from problems like eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, psoriasis, dryness and other common skin conditions.
Feeding the skin with prebiotic ingredients helps the good bacteria thrive, providing all the natural minerals, vitamins and nutrients your skin needs to take care of itself. This is where we come in! The Sorted Skin range is packed with these all important prebiotics, providing a balanced diet for your skin.
Meet your dry skin saviours; Sorted Skin Intensive Rescue range.
Our dry skin heroes feed your skin nourishing, naturally-active ingredients like anti-irritant oat extract, ceramide-rich jojoba, omega-rich sea buckthorn extract and soothing Aloe Vera. We give your skin the support it needs to boost its microbiome and instantly break the itch-scratch cycle. Once the scratch stops, this allows skin to heal and look after itself from the outside, in. It helps to protect cells on AND beneath the surface of the skin, to provide complete restorative care.
LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS FOR AVOIDING DRY SKIN - A CHECKLIST:
Prebiotic skincare
Nourishing ingredients
Regular moisturisation
Stay hydrated
Always use a high SPF
Avoid low humidity
Less time in hot baths and showers
A healthy diet with less refined sugar and saturated fat