DRY + DEHYDRATED SKIN

What is Dry skin and who gets it

Dry skin can often be temporary i.e. you get it only in winter, but it may be a lifelong condition. Signs and symptoms of dry skin depend on your age, your health, where you live, time spent outdoors and the cause of the problem.  

Dry skin can be described as:

·        A feeling of skin tightness, especially after showering, bathing or swimming

·        Skin that feels and looks rough

·        Itching (pruritus)

·        Slight to severe flaking, scaling or peeling

·        Fine lines or cracks

·        Grey, ashy skin

·        Redness

·        Deep cracks that may bleed

The primary reason your skin becomes dry is all about impairment. What happens is that the outer layers of skin lose their ability to maintain normal moisture levels? For the most part, this is due to sun damage and, to some extent, the use of skin-care products that contain irritating or drying ingredients.

Have you ever noticed that the parts of your body that don't have sun damage (the parts of your body that are not routinely exposed to the sun) are rarely, if ever, dry (just look at the inside part of your arm or your derriere)? That's because areas with little to no sun damage don't suffer the range of problems that stem from cumulative sun exposure.

What can cause Dry skin & what can make it worse?

Normal, healthy skin is coated in a thin layer of natural lipids, or fatty substances. They keep in moisture, leaving the skin soft and supple.  When the skin has lost it moisture it can be flaky in places. If dry skin is not treated it will not only become drier, but can lead to sensitivity as well.

What causes dry skin? Usually, something like change in environment, air-conditioning and flying or something you're doing to your skin - is stripping away these fatty oils, leaving your skin unprotected. Less often, the cause is internal - a health condition, menopause or genetic predisposition is making your skin dry out. 

While patches of dry, itchy skin can appear anywhere, it's most common on the arms, hands, lower legs and abdomen. Dry skin is often felt more than it's seen, on some people it can be noticeable and embarrassing.  

Without care, dry skin can sometimes lead to dermatitis - inflammation of the skin - swelling, and infection. The good news is that just as most causes of dry skin are external, most treatments for dry skin are external. With careful dry skin care, you can usually solve the problem.

Myths about Dry skin

You shouldn’t exfoliate dry skin.

When skin is dry and flaky, creams and moisturisers are not able to penetrate it to deliver hydration where it needs most. Gentle exfoliation will buff away dead skin cells and make it easier for skin to soak up nourishing ingredients from your skincare regimen.

The more you moisturise, the better.

Dehydrated skin often experiences dry patches and flakes, which can end up clogging pores. When you apply excess moisturiser, these dead skin cells end up sticking to the skin instead of falling off naturally, increasing the chances of pimple outbreaks and clogged pores.

The thicker the cream, the more hydrating it is.

While it seems like dry skin may crave a thicker and heavier cream, light creams that are formulated correctly actually do better at hydrating skin. These moisturisers can penetrate skin faster, and are more comfortable for use in our humid weather.

Hot showers are good for dry skin.

Blood vessels dilate during a hot shower and strips skin of its natural oils, which can lead to even drier skin. Keep the water lukewarm, and limit the time spent in the shower to avoid scaly skin.

Solutions for Dry + Dehydrated Skin

-        Creamy, hydrating cleanser that protects the natural skin barrier   

The Moisturising Cleanser hydrates the skin while gentle cleansing the skin. The Moisturising Cleanser is a gentle cleanser which does not wash away the skins barrier, this is important for dry skin conditions, as dry skin is mostly caused by the disruption of the skins barrier function. And by having a cleanser full of hydration and oil properties which does not wash away the skins natural barrier is essential to management of dry skin.

The ingredients that maintain the barrier function (protective layer) included Hyaluronic Acid for hydration, Jojoba Oil and Macadamia Oil to replace oil in the barrier function (protective layer) and Kakadu Plum and Vitamin E for antioxidants properties.

-        Removes dead skin cells and allows for deeper product penetration

The Walnut Pearl Exfoliator encourages the natural process of Desquamation (cell turnover) through physical particles of walnut and pearl and Salicylic Acid in White Willow Bark. This natural process of cell turnover is aided by this exfoliation process with the removal of the dead cells build up, and allowing the replacement of these cells with younger and revitalised cells.

The Walnut Pearls exfoliation is also aided by the ingredient White Willow Bark and its natural concentration of salicylic acid. Salicylic acid has been shown to dissolve the glue like structures holding the dead cells together and also to unclog pores to always for oil build up to be removed. The process of exfoliation with Walnut particles and Salicylic Acid allows the removal of excess dead skin cells without over irritating the skin.

-        Hydrating cream base that exfoliates to revitalise skin cells

The Brightening Mask contains Glycolic Acid which behaviours differently when encouraging desquamation (cell turnover) then the Bamboo Pearl Exfoliator.  The Glycolic Acid dissolves the glue like structures which hold together the dead cells built up on the skin, this allows the old cells to be removed and be replaced with younger and revitalised cells.  It’s important in dry skin types to encourage cell turn over, as it allows a greater penetration of the nourishing ingredients which provide hydration and oils that contribute to the skins barrier function, which when impaired is the most common cause of dry skin.

The Brightening Mask also contains ingredients with potent antioxidant, brightening and cell renewal properties for a soothing and revitalising healthy skin, these include Glycolic Acid, Vitamin E and A, sea buckthorn and Green Tea.  These ingredients in combination with the exfoliation factor of the mask are a key element in helping dry skin conditions.

-        Increases moisture by infusing natural rich oils into the skin

The Deep Moisturising Mask contains nutrient rich oils of Sea Buckthorn, Avocado, Macadamia, Rosehip and evening primrose oils to increase the oils in the barrier function (protective layer) of the skin which may have been depleted from internal or external factors. This addition of oils in the Deep Moisturising Mask allows for an infusion of oils and hydration into the skin to return the skin barrier function (protective layer) to optimal conditions.

-        Hydrates and restores moisture and prevents further moisture loss

The most common cause of dryness is the impairment of the barrier function (protective layer) and although this can also be caused from the depletion of lipids in the barrier, water content is also a factor in barrier function (protective layer) optimisation.  Hyaluronic Acid and its unique ability to hold 1000 times its weight in water which directly hydrates the skin, is critical in the management of dry skin.

-        Nourishing, repairing, balances and protects

The Mystique Serum is of oil nature (hydrophobic) and therefore works on the cell membranes and the fatty acid extra cellular matrix’s which all contribute to the barrier function (protective layer) of the skin. The barrier function (protective layer) of the skin when impaired is one of the most common causes of dry skin, therefore the Mystique Serum and its oils components are specifically design to improve the barrier function (protective layer) of the skin and therefore aid in dry skin types. 

The ingredients which provide the oil content include CQ10, Jojoba Oil, Rosehip Oil and sweet almond oil. These ingredients also bring attributes of highly moisturising and antioxidants and still remain breathable to the skin.

-        Hydrates, tones and refines open pores

The soul 20% Vitamin C contains the purest and most active form of Vitamin C called Ascorbic Acid. And the Soul 20% Vitamin C serum is the best way and most stable way to transfer the benefits of Vitamin C into the skin.

The application of The Soul 20% Vitamin C serum should start at the earliest age possible and is also never too late to start, for reducing premature aging.  This is because Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant for protection against free radical damage, natural tyrosine inhibitor for the brightening of the skin (hyperpigmentation) and an essential part of collagen formation. 

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) is a key component in the collagen synthesis and when is not present, strong collagen fibres (helix structures of collagen bundles) cannot form properly.  This is imperative to apply topical Vitamin C as Ascorbic Acid as an insurance policy to ensure that enough Vitamin C is being delivered to the skin on the face for collagen production, as collagen production and stability is an essential step in anti-ageing.

The Vitamin C also provides enormous antioxidant capabilities, which if antioxidants are not present free radicals can damage cells and collagen and elastin fibres and lead to premature aging. It is extremely important in the Australian environment to have a potent antioxidant like Vitamin C to neutralise free radicals. 

-        Improves collagen production and hydrates delicate eye area

The Enhance Eye Repair is utilised in dry skin types as dry skin can exaggerate the appearance of wrinkles in sensitive areas like around the eyes.  Enhance Eye Repair aids in the management of dry skin by Hyaluronic Acid for its unique direct hydration into the skin, and the silk peptide which provides moisture and a light weigh breathable film which prevents water loss. These two aspects are both imperative in maintaining the barrier function (protective layer) of the skin which in most cases is impaired in dry skin types.

The Enhance Eye Repair also contains a plentiful supply of oils in the rose hip, apricot kernel and Macadamia Oils which are also an important aspect of restoring and maintain a healthy barrier function (protective layer) of the skin, and thus curving dry skin. The enhance eye also contains anti-aging properties to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, particularly crow’s feet, with the peptides of Argireline and tripeptide 5.

-        Prevents Moisture Loss and provides a healthy barrier protection  

The Daily Essence Moisturiser is formulated for dry skin by providing the elements needed to maintain a health barrier function (protective layer) of the skin, this is critical because in most cases of dry skin conditions is the result of impaired barrier function.  The Moisturiser provides both hydration through Hyaluronic Acid which holds 100 times it weight in water to hydrate the skin and the oils of Macadamia, Sunflower and almond oils which have a role in the maintaining the barrier function (protective layer) in the prevention of water loss.

The Daily Essence also contains a variety of potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory in Kakadu plum, Vitamin E, Beta Glucan and Green Tea. These ingredients provide the soothing and nourishing ingredients to protect and maintain health skin.

-        A concentrated blend of nutrients and vitamins delivering moisture into the skin

The Silk and Velvet Moisturiser is formulated to aid in the management of dry skin by the addition of the Silk peptide. The silk peptide has been shown to moisturisers by acting like a sponge and delivering moisture into the skin, also by adding to the skins barrier function. The silk fibres make a light weight breathable film on the surface of the skin creating protection from the elements.  Hyaluronic Acid in the cream also provides additional direct hydration onto the skin.

The Silk and Velvet Moisturiser also contains a potent mixture of Vitamins and oils, to provide a rich addition for managing dry skin. These antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and healing ingredients include Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Kakadu Plum, Beta Glucan, Macadamia Oil, Almond oil, Avocado and Rosehip Oil, which all provide a nutrient rich cream to combat dry skin and its causes.