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Rich, heavy moisturizers not your jam? Us neither. But skin often requires more than what your lightweight lotion can offer. And that’s when other moisturizing tactics are called for…

It’s that age-old beauty conundrum: your skin needs extra hydration and moisturization, yet heavy moisturizers are too much, making your skin feel like its suffocating and look like it’s been dipped in a bowl of olive oil.

We’ve all been there. Maybe a big night out has given your skin a major hangover, making it feel parched and in desperate need of moisture. Or perhaps a week in the Caribbean has dried out your skin more than you intended. But reaching for thick moisturizer that relies on heavy occlusives to restore moisture to your skin isn’t always the answer.

Don’t get us wrong, occlusive moisturizers that contain heavy oils and butters are excellent for the right skin types. In fact, they’re extremely effective at trapping moisture into the skin, forming a physical barrier over the surface so that water literally cannot escape. And this can be an extremely useful tool if you have extreme dryness or sensitivities.

However, occlusives are not for everyone as they can also clog up your pores, triggering breakouts and leaving you with super greasy skin.

Thankfully, occlusive moisturizers aren’t the only solution to thirsty skin. On the contrary, there’s a whole world of lightweight hydrating options out there, as well as some moisture-boosting lifestyle habits you can get on board with.

Read on for some tried and tested ways to deliver moisture to your skin without having to call in the heavies.

1. Choose Gentle Cleansers

Our number one cleansing rule – whatever your skin type – is to choose the gentlest cleanser you possibly can. And this is especially crucial when your skin is feeling dry and dehydrated.

To ensure you’re treating your skin with cleansing kindness, avoid formulas that contain SLS or SLES. These are the harsh sulfates you often hear about. And don’t get us wrong, they’re amazing at deep cleansing the skin down to its last drop of oil. But… well, you can probably guess where we’re going here. Sulfates that are too good are actually no good for the skin because they strip it dry, compromising the skin’s protective barrier and causing unwanted irritation. 

Instead, start your routine off on the right foot by searching out cleansers that contain ingredients that help draw water to the skin’s surface. These are called humectants and include the likes of aloe vera, glycerin and hyaluronic acid.

Try Soothing Cleansing Milk, a rice and oat milk-based cleanser that leaves your skin feeling soft and healthy from the get go.

2. Buy A Humidifier

Sebum production generally slows down overnight which can make your skin feel drier and more dehydrated as moisture escapes more readily from its surface. Of course, you can counteract this by applying a fabulous night cream before bed. But to amp it up even further, treat yourself to a humidifier.

As well as helping you to sleep better, humidifiers provide extra moisture for your skin to lap up, making them fantastic at hydrating your skin without you lifting a finger.

Invest in one for your bedroom and dial it up to somewhere between the expert recommended sweet spot of 40 and 50 percent.

3. Apply Serum Under Moisturizer 

One of our favorite ways to really amp up moisture in your skin is to apply it in lightweight, hydrating layers. This doesn’t mean piling on lots of heavy moisturizers, however. It’s all about the mighty facial serum.

Serums are concentrated little gems of skin-loving goodness. Because they’re made of smaller molecules than creams and lotions they’re able to penetrate the skin more effectively, delivering effective, active ingredients exactly where you need them, whilst leaving your skin feeling as if you’ve not applied anything at all. Sure, call it skincare sorcery if you like.

Facial serums come in many different guises but if moisture is your goal try Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum or Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum which is chock full of vitamins, minerals and electrolytes to deeply hydrate the skin and help it retain moisture.

4. Moisturize Immediately After Cleansing

Whatever product you apply after cleansing, do it with speed. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) this helps to seal in any droplets of water that may be left on the surface of your skin after washing your face. It’s free moisture; use it!

5. Drink Your Fluids… Just Don’t Rely On Them

Full disclosure, drinking water and eating water-rich foods isn’t the most effective way to keep the surface of your skin hydrated and young-looking. Gasp. The truth is that most of the water you consume goes straight to other essential organs to help them function and, well, keep you alive. Very little, if any, reaches the surface of your skin.

That being said, the deeper layers of your skin will certainly feel the benefits of proper internal hydration because water balances your body’s essential fluids and helps to eliminate toxins. This works hard to improve the overall tone and texture of your skin, for sure… it just won’t moisturize the surface of your skin, get rid of your wrinkles or make you look ten years younger. That's what skincare is for.

6. Get Rid Of Moisture-Repelling Dead Skin

It may feel all sorts of wrong to exfoliate your skin when it’s crying out for moisture, but hear us out.

Exfoliation helps to slough away dead skin cells from the surface of the skin right? Then it makes sense that if you leave these dead skin cells to outstay their welcome, they will form a physical barrier that the rest of your skincare routine will find difficult to penetrate. Moisturizer basically stands no chance.

The key to exfoliating correctly and effectively is not to overdo it, or you’ll upset your barrier function and end up with even drier, more dehydrated skin than you started with. Go super gentle and stick with once or twice a week depending on the tolerance of your skin. We love our Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub which really does live up to its gentle name. If you’re not a scrub kinda person, however, try 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant which uses gentle exfoliating acids to remove dead skin cells and give your skin the best chance to readily accept moisture. 

7. Limit Hot Showers

Hot water can strip away important lipids from your skin, depleting moisture from the skin’s barrier function and leaving it open to all sorts of dehydrating trouble. But more than that, scorching water can also cause inflammation and flare-ups in existing skin conditions. Which is uncool to say the least.

The ideal temperature, according to dermatologists, is somewhere between 98 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit. But hey, who takes a thermometer into the shower with them? Answer: nobody. So our advice? Just make sure your water doesn’t feel hot. Tepid, or lukewarm is the best way to go.

It’s time to break free from the irritating cycle that is itchy, persistently dry skin. And we’re here to help.

Similar to how oily skin is often plagued with acne breakouts, dryness and itchy skin frequently go hand in hand. And while we’re sure anyone who has to deal with oily skin on the reg would happily trade places with their dry skin friends, it works both ways with dry skin sufferers being prepared to give anything to swap a little extra oil for a lot less itch. 

The grass is always greener and all that.

The unfortunate thing is that the amount of sebum (oil) your skin produces is not something of which you have complete control. Yes, you can help balance things out with better skincare and smart lifestyle choices, but your overriding skin type is the one you were born with. Annoying? Maybe. But the good news is that it's usually pretty manageable. 

Extreme dryness that’s coupled with dehydration, tightness and makes you want to scratch away at your poor, delicate skin 24/7? Well, that’s a whole other issue.

Why Is Your Skin So Itchy?

Itchy skin (aka pruritus) is basically the evil partner to skin dryness. And while the amount of sebum your skin produces is an important player, there’s also another factor at work. And that’s your skin’s barrier function which is its outermost layer, aka the stratum corneum. 

If itchy skin is not the norm for you, this is a red flag that something’s going on with this important protective layer which acts like your skin’s very own personal bodyguard, keeping moisture in and toxins, allergens and irritants out. When this barrier function becomes compromised thanks to things like extreme weather, harsh cleansing, overly active skincare products or even a lack of sleep, it weakens, becomes unable to do its job efficiently and cries out for help. Moisture, oils and important nutrients start to escape way too easily. Not to mention the free rein given to external irritants to do their worst on your skin. 

All this can result in serious bad news for your poor skin. Dryness and dehydration are the first signs of a weakened barrier – all thanks to the skin’s inability to retain moisture. Then there’s the redness, sensitivities and inevitable itch. Itching, in particular is all thanks to your nervous system being activated by irritants that have made their way through the weakened barrier. 

What To Do About Dry, Itchy Skin: Your Barrier Function Rescue Plan

The most common triggers of a compromised barrier function will come as no surprise. Emotional stress, insufficient sleep, extreme weather, overbathing and environmental pollution are all major contenders, so it's important to avoid these by working on the following things…

* Look after your mental health. Breathing exercises, yoga, even brisk walks are great ways to help reduce anxiety and stress.

* Go to bed at a decent hour and try to stick with a regular sleep routine. It’s also smart to invest in a bedroom humidifier to reduce overnight dehydration.

* Increase your intake of omega-3s and vitamin-rich foods to ‘feed’ your skin from the inside out.

* Stick with lukewarm, rather than hot showers and baths. And don't wallow for too long!

* Keep your air conditioning and indoor heating at reasonable, rather than extreme temperatures – sudden changes in temperature are a killer on dry skin.

Your skincare routine also deserves your undivided attention.

Gentle cleansing is crucial because certain ingredients like harsh alcohol, synthetic fragrance, strong sulfates and unnecessary fillers can really screw with your barrier function. Instead, look for cleansers that are non-stripping and nourishing with ingredients like hydrating hyaluronic acid, soothing oat milk and gentle, skin-friendly oils like sweet almond. Our Soothing Cleansing Milk is a total winner in our eyes.

You should also dial back on exfoliation and reduce your use of active ingredients like retinol and glycolic acid – at least temporarily. Pause them for a week or two until, fingers crossed, your skin recovers. Then you can slowly introduce them back if your skin is up to the job. If not? Well, maybe it’s time to rethink your routine. You could always switch out potent retinol for bakuchiol or niacinamide which both thrive on sensitive skin. Try Rejuvenating Longevity Serum or Niacinamide (B3) Facial Serum.

Then there's the most important step of all: moisturization. 

The Best 3-Step Moisturization Regime

Keeping your skin hydrated and moisturized is everything. But it doesn’t begin and end with face cream. To truly ensure your skin has all the moisture it needs, you have to think outside the box and treat it on three different levels.

1. Start With A Soothing Toner

Toner might not be front of mind for dry, itchy skin, but if you steer clear of alcohol-heavy, pore-stripping formulations, the right toner can bring a lot of benefits to the table. Our Rose Water Refreshing Facial Toner, for example, contains only pure Moroccan Rose water (honestly, that’s it!) and is a great way to kick off the ultimate hydration plan, gently toning, refreshing and calming inflammation. 

2. Sandwich With A Hydrating Serum

After toning, don’t reach straight for the face cream. Layer up with a facial serum to lavish your skin with a quenching hit of moisture. Serums contain smaller molecules than moisturizers which means they’re able to penetrate the skin at a deeper level, thus tapping concerns that a face cream might otherwise not reach.

Our Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum is a fabulous choice here, but we also love Smoothing Collagen Serum which simultaneously helps to strengthen the skin barrier with peptides, ceramides and superfruit extracts.

3. Finish With The Best Moisturizer For Dry Skin

Your choice of moisturizer is important. Go too light and you risk not bringing enough moisture to the skin. But go too heavy and you could potentially clog your pores and exacerbate breakouts and itching. The key is to look for creamy emollients that replace lost lipids, seal in water and help replenish your barrier function.

Our favorite moisturizers for dry, itchy skin are Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream in the morning and Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream before bed. Of course, UV protection is also non-negotiable so always finish your morning routine with a broad-spectrum sunscreen like SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C.

Finally, Know When To Call In The Heavies

Most dryness and itching issues can be dealt with at home, but if your symptoms persist longer than a few weeks, or they get worse despite doing everything you can to keep them under control, it may be worth seeking professional help from a dermatologist. Underlying chronic skin conditions like eczema and rosacea are major culprits for causing dryness, flaking and itchiness, and oftentimes these need more than at-home TLC can offer.