Dry Skin For Beginners – Products and Advice

It’s the time of year when your skin feels like it’s going to dry up and fall off you like a snake skin. Okay maybe that’s a little dramatic, but it is very common to have dry skin during the winter months. We all know to put lotion on when our skin feels or looks dry, but is it important to moisturize even when your skin looks/feels fine? The answer is yes! If you are not a person who usually moisturizes or doesn’t think it is important, this is the post for you! This is dry skin 101 where I talk about dry skin for beginners with products and advice.

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Why should I moisturize?

First of all, it’s important to moisturize your face, as well as your whole body. Usually there are different products for each, but there are also “body” lotions that can be used on your face. The reason it’s important to moisturize regularly is because it reduces the chances of your skin becoming extremely dry or extremely oily. It seems counterintuitive to put lotion on to prevent oiliness. However, when you don’t moisturize regularly, your skin produces more oil to keep it moist. The less you moisturize, the more oil your body produces. Nobody likes an oily face, so that’s why you need to moisturize!

Face Moisturizer

Moisturizers for the face tend to be more expensive than for the body. The ingredients are fancier and might contain oils or other expensive ingredients.  Some expensive face moisturizers are worth a higher price tag. Some others are not. The key to finding a good moisturizer is to check out the ingredients. Any type of alcohol will dry out your face and should be avoided – no matter your skin type. You should also pick a moisturizer that contains SPF in it. That being said, the ingredients you will want to look for will depend on your skin type.

Dry Skin

If you have dry skin, you will probably want a heavy moisturizer. Some ingredients to look for are hyaluronic acid, dimethicone, glycerin, lanolin, and mineral oil. These sound like big scary words, but you can find them right on the ingredients list. Some inexpensive options for dry skin face moisturizer are Nivea soft moisturizing creme, Eucerin smoothing face cream, and CeraVe moisturizing cream. Check out my post on the best affordable skin care brands here!

Oily Skin

Like I mentioned above, even if you have oily skin it is still important to moisturize. If you are oily and acne-prone, make sure you find a moisturizer that non-comedogenic, which means it won’t clog pores. Another ingredient you might enjoy in a moisturizer is alpha-hydroxy acids. Look for oil-free moisturizers like Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel. You might also like Cetaphil PRO Oil Absorbing Moisturizer SPF 30.

Applying Face Moisturizer

I recommend moisturizing twice a day – morning and evening. It’s best to do it right after you wash your face. There are different moisturizers that say they are for morning or night, but the difference is mostly in thickness. You’ll want a lighter moisturizer in the morning and a heavier one at night. When you are applying moisturizer, make sure not to pull your skin too hard. And, of course, don’t forget your neck! I also love using a jade roller all over my face after I’ve applied moisturizer. It’s so relaxing!

Body Moisturizer

For your body, since you have a lot more surface area to cover, you will want to look for larger, more inexpensive lotions. Again, you should avoid alcohol on the ingredients list. In my opinion, the other ingredients you will look for are ones that say they are moisturizing. It doesn’t matter exactly what they are. My favorite body lotion to use is Aveeno stress relief moisturizing body lotion. It has a lavender scent, which is calming, so it’s great to use at night. You only need to moisturize your body once a day. Doing it right after you shower will help your skin from drying out after being in hot water. In the summer where I live it gets pretty humid. As a result, sometimes I only moisturize every other day.

To wrap everything up, make sure you are moisturizing your face twice a day and your body once a day. Look for moisturizing ingredients and stay away from alcohol on the ingredients list. If you have any other advice related to dry skin, make sure to leave it in the comments!