Dry skin guide: How to identify and care for it

Dry skin needs daily TLC to help keep it feeling soft, supple and comfortable. A skincare routine specially tailored for dry skin that’s both effective and gentle can be a game-changer. Caring for dry skin requires a routine that can help protect and replenish your skin’s natural barrier.

In our guide, we’ll explain what dry skin is, what causes it, and provide you with a simple skincare routine that’ll get to work and leave you feeling confident and your skin beautifully nourished.

What is dry skin and what does it look like?

Dry skin is an extremely common skin type that doesn’t produce as much sebum (oil) as others, resulting in a rough texture and a feeling of tightness. While it can be easy to manage, it needs a little extra love, with daily care being essential.

Those with dry skin are often more prone to dehydration, sensitivity and, with a lack of natural oils, damage to the skin barrier, which is why understanding your skin type and learning how to care for it is so important. When it comes to choosing skincare for dry skin, products that are gentle, nourishing and hydrating are key.

Take a look at the table below to learn your skin type and whether it falls more into the dry skin category, or one of the others:

Characteristics of dry skin

The key characteristics of dry skin include a rough texture as well as dullness and tightness. Fine lines are also often more visible, along with flaky patches. 

Usually, symptoms can feel worse after showering or washing your face, or in cold, dry, windy weather. Many people with dry skin also experience skin sensitivity. This is because the lack of oils compromises your skin barrier, making it weaker and allowing irritants and bacteria to affect the skin more easily. So, it’s not uncommon to also feel like your skin is itchy and red.

What causes dry skin?

Dry skin is caused by a lack of moisture and sebum production. While your skin type is largely determined by genetics, other factors can play a big role. Colder weather, wind and even air conditioning can dry your skin out as the moisture in the air is removed. Taking long, hot baths or showers or using harsh products can also strip natural oils, making your skin feel dry. As you age, your skin will naturally produce less oil, so while someone may not have dry skin now, they may do in the future.

Dry skin shouldn’t be confused with dehydrated skin, which is a temporary skin issue rather than a skin type. Dehydrated skin is caused when your body lacks water rather than oil, and can affect all skin types. Environmental factors like harsh weather, UV rays and inadequate hydration can all lead to dehydrated skin but can be easily resolved. 

Remember, your skin type isn’t a problem that needs fixing. It's simply part of your unique genetic makeup, and applying skincare products that work well with your skin type can help keep it looking healthy and radiant.

How to care for dry skin

To care for dry skin, you’ll need to choose specially-formulated dry skin products that can help hydrate, nourish and support your skin and its barrier. The best ingredients for dry skin include vitamin E, as it’s gentle yet can lock in much-needed hydration while strengthening the skin’s barrier. Edelweiss and hyaluronic acid are also excellent for dry skin, providing powerful, deep hydration that helps nourish, moisturise and brighten.

Ingredients you’ll want to avoid include ones that strip the natural oils, cause irritation or are too harsh for dry, sensitive skin, like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, glycolic acid and any alcohol-based products. These can all be too drying and may lead to dehydrated, irritated skin. 

What’s a good skincare routine for dry skin?

When building a skincare routine for dry skin, and all skin types, it’s essential to at least include cleansing, moisturising and targeted treatments to quickly, simply and effectively manage your skin type. Our step-by-step guide below will give you an idea of what products to use and in which order for the best dry skin routine.

Step 1: Cleanse

Cleansing twice a day with a gentle cleanser is crucial for dry skin to help remove dirt and impurities without stripping natural oils. Choose a lightweight cream or even jelly-based cleanser with hydrating ingredients to leave your skin feeling fresh and clean without being too tight. Our top pick for dry skin is our Vitamin E Cream Cleanser. Suitable for all skin types, this cleanser is enriched with vitamin E and raspberry seed oil and leaves your skin feeling soft and comforted.

Step 2: Exfoliate

Exfoliating once or twice a week is super important for those with dry skin, as it helps remove the buildup of dead skin cells which often causes a rough, flaky texture. Exfoliating also allows other products like serums to work their magic and lock in moisture. 

Avoid harsh scrubs and over-exfoliating, as this can cause further irritation. Instead, go for exfoliators and peels that use gentle ingredients like leontopodic acid. We recommend our Edelweiss Liquid Peel, which gently lifts away pollutants and impurities, leaving your skin looking smoother and more luminous.

Step 3: Target

Serums are lightweight, highly concentrated products that can target specific skin concerns and work deeper to deliver intense hydration, while reducing the appearance of fine lines. If you have very dry skin, serums with hyaluronic acid can help give skin an extra moisture boost, making it look plump and smooth. A great choice? Our Vitamin E Bi-Phase Serum, which helps provide intense hydration that’ll absorb quickly and help improve your skin’s texture.

Step 4: Moisturise

Moisturisers are no stranger to dry skin. They can be applied twice a day, or sometimes even more for those with very dry skin, to help restore hydration, prevent water loss and create a protective seal that locks in the product’s nourishing formula. Thicker creams may be best for very dry skin, with soothing ingredients like shea butter. There’s also our Edelweiss Soothing Day Cream, which can help support your natural moisture barrier while leaving your skin looking more luminous. 

Step 5: SPF

SPF is essential for every skin type, but for dry skin, where UV rays can weaken an already damaged moisture barrier and lead to increased dryness, this step is extra-crucial. Even on a cloudy day, applying a hydrating SPF can protect skin, prevent dehydration, and lock in moisture. Our Skin Defence Multi-Protection SPF 50 is suitable for all skin types and contains hyaluronic acid to help dry skin retain its moisture, all while protecting against UV rays and pollution.

Dry skin is one of the most common skin types and can be easily managed with the right routine. Discover the best skincare for dry skin, designed to lock in hydration while supporting your skin’s natural barrier.