Dry and Oily Skin

Some people have dry skin, oily skin, or both. If you are lucky, you have neither. There are many reasons for dry skin as well as symptoms and effects. Here we will discuss both dry and oily skin and ways to combat them.

1. Dry Skin

Dry skin can be itchy, annoying, and often unsightly. Dry skin on your face is worse and harder to fix. Here are the causes and ways to help your dry skin.

Causes

Dry skin on your face can be minor, or a result of a skin condition. It is often caused by the weather. The air is much drier in the winter creating an ideal time of year for dry skin. Central heating and air conditioning can also cause dry skin because of the dry skin. If there’s less moisture in the air, there is less moisture for your skin causing it to dry out.

Taking hot baths and showers for too long and too often can also dry out the skin. These as well as harsh soaps and detergents can break down the lipids in your skin causing dehydration. Other causes of dry skin include drugs, alcohol, dehydration, psoriasis, and thyroid disorders.

All of these problems can cause your skin to feel tight, rough, itchy, flaky, and red.

Remedies

To help prevent dry skin, you can try to prevent some of the causes. It isn’t necessary to take extremely hot showers and baths, as this dries out the skin. Avoid harsh soaps and most of all moisturize!

One of my favorite facial moisturizers is Skinmilk facial moisturizer. It’s creamy and will leave your skin very soft.

If you want super moisturizing, check out Korres Watercress Potent Moisturizer. It is great for really dry skin and absorbs very well.

2. Oily Skin

Those with oily skin have shiny faces and usually acne as well. There oil glands over-produce which often come from enlarged pores that appear course. Oily skin is definitely not something you want.

Causes

Dry skin is caused by hormones, diet, cosmetics, humidity, and heredity. Mostly teenagers get oily skin and then skin begins to get dryer with age. Hormones can have a big effect on skin. More fluctuations in hormones can cause skin to become oily.

Remedies

To combat oily skin, use a good face wash that keeps your pores tight. Use make-up that will not clog your pores. Use light moisturizers.

3. Dry and Oily Skin

Dry or oily skin can seem bad enough, but it can be very hard to deal with both dry and oily skin. The key to treating dry and oily skin is to treat it like it’s both dry and oily. Use non-comodogenic make-up that won’t clog your pores. Use moisturizers often, but nothing that is too heavy or filled with oil.

Experiment with different products to find what works for you. If you have a lotion that works okay, try something new. Hopefully you can’t find something that works great!

Back to Science of Skin Homepage