As the seasons change to cooler temperatures and the indoor heating systems crank up, you may begin to notice changes in your skin. Sometime these changes include dry facial skin. You may be left wondering, “What causes dry skin on your face?”
Dry facial skin can be annoying to deal with. Dry skin on your face can be itchy, flaky, and show dehydration lines on your forehead. These skin issues may make you feel self-conscious.
But can dry skin cause wrinkles? First, let’s learn about what causes dry facial skin and some tips for dealing with dry skin on the face.
What causes dry skin on the face?
Dry facial skin can have many causes – dehydration, change in seasons, over-exfoliation, and even nutrient deficiencies in your diet.
Change in Seasons
With the change in seasons comes abrupt changes in temperatures and humidity levels – not to mention drastic changes between indoor and outdoor environments.
These changes in temperature and moisture levels can have a definite impact on the hydration of the skin on any part of the body including the face.
Dehydration
While the external environment can have a definite impact on dry facial skin, the body’s internal hydration levels also impact how much moisture the skin has.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Healthy skin relies on a variety of vitamins and minerals. The nutrients essential for skin health include Vitamin B, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, zinc, and iron.
If you want to learn more about the importance of vitamin D, check out this article.
Over-Exfoliation
Your whole body is capable of achieving homeostasis and the skin on your face is no different.
While a simple skincare routine will leave your skin glowing, you should take care to be gentle with the skin on your face.
Over-exfoliation breaks down the skin’s natural acid mantle – the skin’s protective layer that keeps moisture and hydration in and bacteria out.
Is dry facial skin bad?
Besides avoiding dehydration lines and striving to look and feel your best, dry facial skin may have other health risks and is something you want to take care to avoid.
Dry facial skin can be flaky and itchy, leaving your skin susceptible to increased exposure to environmental irritants including bacteria. You could be faced with dealing with acne, inflammation, and infections, on top of dry facial skin.
More sinister underlying health issues are also what may be causing dry skin on the face.
Dry facial skin can have many causes. The good news is that, unless you have an underlying medical condition, solving your dry facial skin problem may be relatively easy.
How to treat dry skin on the face?
1. Simplify your skincare routine
By nourishing your skin with just a few key products, your skin will balance itself. This is true for dry skin as well as oily skin.
Loading your skin down with tons of products may actually have the reverse effect that you are trying to achieve for hydrating dry facial skin.
For your daily skincare routine, use a gentle cleanser followed by a moisturizer, plus an SPF lotion during the day.
2. Use gentle skincare products
Once you’ve simplified your skincare routine to the bare essentials, make sure you’re using gentle products that work with your skin’s natural pH and protective barrier.
We love Frownies Skin Serum full of ten non-comedogenic face oils for dry skin that are easily absorbed into the deep layers of skin and won’t clog pores!
Skip strong astringents, soaps, and fragrances which can cause irritation to the skin on your face.
4. Drink more water!
Being well-hydrated from within, along with providing moisture through face creams and face lotions, is the one-two punch in having healthy, glowing, plump skin on your face.
Each individual’s water needs are different to achieve adequate hydration.
5. Eat fruits and veggies
Besides drinking plenty of water, the best thing you can do for your skin is provide it with healthy nutrients from within!
A diet full of a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables will provide your whole body with the essential vitamins and minerals for healthy, glowing facial skin.
Plus, fruits and vegetables are full of water which helps with hydration levels!
To learn about all the foods to eat your way to healthier skin, read this Frownies Blog article.
6. Use a humidifier
A humidifier can balance the external moisture levels in your home to make sure your environment is not drawing essential hydration out of your skin.
A humidifier can be especially impactful in your room while you sleep. A humidifier will create more moisture in a smaller, enclosed environment. And you will see improvements in your dry facial skin after six to eights hours of sleep.
7. Cut back on alcohol (and caffeine!)
Alcohol and caffeine are both dehydrating to the body – and therefore can leave the skin dehydrated as well. If you are struggling with dry facial skin, skip the alcohol and caffeine and chug more water (see #3)!
8. Use a silk or bamboo pillowcase
You are (hopefully) spending seven to nine hours with your head on a pillow each night. Unfortunately, cotton pillow cases can be tough on the skin of your face.
Cotton tends to be a little rougher textile and can create creases and lines on the facial skin. Plus, cotton pillowcases can actually draw moisture away from the skin and hair.
For better skin and hair – and a better night’s sleep – try a silk or bamboo pillowcase. We love the sheet sets from Simply Organic Bamboo, a family-owned and operated small business.
Use code “frownies” for 20% off your purchase at Simply Organic Bamboo!
Can dry skin cause wrinkles?
Dry skin may contribute to wrinkles in a few ways.
First, dry skin is dehydrated and shows finelines and dehydration lines. Think of hydrated skin like a plump grape versus dry skin like a dehydrated raisin.
Maintaining a healthy skin environment with appropriate hydration and moisture is the key to not letting dry skin cause wrinkles.
In addition, dry facial skin is really a symptom of poor hydration, a pH imbalance, and an insufficient acid mantle. These skin issues can leave the skin susceptible to environmental damage which can lead to fine lines and wrinkles.
Protect your skin from signs premature aging with a healthy skincare routine. We recommend Frownies full line of plant-based skincare products.
For a full morning and evening skincare routine, head over to Frownies Instagram highlights.