Natural Skincare Tips for Dry Skin

From experiencing regular soreness and irritation, to struggling to apply makeup, there are many ways that dry skin can impact your daily life. Whether you’re searching for a suitable solution to incorporate into your dry skincare routine, or you’ve just started your skincare journey, we would recommend taking the time to get to know your skin and find out what natural remedies work for you. 

A common issue that, according to the Dermatology & Mohs Surgery Institute can even persist during summer (despite the common belief that this only occurs during cold spells) dry skin can happen for a number of different reasons. In this blog, we’ll break down a number of potential causes, as well as discuss the various methods of treating dry skin naturally that can help to relieve your symptoms and boost your confidence. Join us as we discuss a number of tips for dry skin to help you find the most suitable solution.

What causes dry skin? 

Whether it’s a temporary or long-term occurrence, dry skin is a common and often troublesome issue that can affect any person of any age. Sufferers tend to lose more water or oil from their skin than normal, and, as a result, their skin doesn’t retain the moisture that it needs to stay hydrated. Varying from mild to more severe cases, this skin type, which can also be referred to as ‘xerosis’ or ‘xeroderma,’ has a wide variety of causes that can be difficult to identify. With the potential to impact sufferers in many ways, symptoms of dry skin can manifest themselves through a rough skin texture, excessive flaking, itchiness, redness, as well as skin tightness.

Whether you’ve had dry skin as long as you can remember, or this has only recently become an issue, the root causes of this tend to centre around anything from using harsh soaps on your skin to more natural reasons, including cold outdoor conditions or sun damage. Other causes include medical issues such as hormone changes, vitamin deficiencies, and some illnesses. If you’re worried about your dry skin, or have other unexplained symptoms that occur alongside this, we would recommend seeking further advice from your GP or dermatologist, who can advise on the suitable next steps.

How to get rid of dry skin

When searching for suitable skincare options to help treat your dry skin, we recommend using products that can effectively help to tackle dryness without causing further damage and irritation. After all, excessively using skincare products can mean that you may be adding more skin issues to the mix without even realising. Therefore, it’s important to experiment with your skincare routine without using too many products in order to avoid overwhelming your skin. With this in mind, we’ve listed some recommendations that may help you treat your dry skin naturally.

What helps dry skin naturally?

Cleanse regularly - Cleansing once in the morning and again before bed is one of the best ways to rid your skin of excess flaking. Due to its hydrating properties, hyaluronic acid is an essential ingredient to look out for in a cleanser. After cleansing, your skin should have a softer and smoother texture, while you should keep a lookout for further redness or itchiness. If this occurs, it could be a sign you’re using the wrong cleanser for your skin. We advise taking the time to experiment with different cleansers on small areas of your skin in case of a reaction, to help you find the most suitable solution for your level of dryness. These could include foaming cleansers, balms and more.

Regularly hydrate your skin with water - If you find that you don’t have time to cleanse, or wish to stay away from the chemicals these products contain, another alternative is to simply use water to wash your face. We recommend using cold water for this for a more refreshing feel. If you can, and if you haven’t already applied moisturiser, we would advise rinsing your face a few times or dabbing your skin with a damp cloth at certain points during the day to help keep your thirsty skin hydrated for longer periods.

Moisturise - Arguably one of the most important skincare steps for dry skin types, moisturing before you head outdoors creates a layer of protection between outdoor conditions and your skin. With weather and outdoor temperatures being one of the leading causes of this skin type, having this additional layer serves an important purpose in helping to protect and revive your dry skin. Particularly with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and dimethicone present, using a reliable moisturiser with the correct ingredients can help to give your dry skin the essential hydration it needs, helping to reduce flaking and other symptoms, while enhancing your skin's ability to hold water.

Avoid chemicals that could cause further irritation - While oily skin types may find products that contain salicylic acid a blessing in disguise, those with dry skin should avoid. This ingredient has the potential to make redness, flaking and other dry skin traits worse, as can other common skincare ingredients such as Benzoyl Peroxide and Retinols, which are otherwise helpful in treating various other skin types and conditions.

Use a silk pillowcase - An effective treatment that doesn’t contain chemicals, sleeping on a silk pillowcase can help to improve the condition of your dry skin for a variety of reasons. From allowing your skin to retain moisture, to reducing friction, find out how incorporating silk bedding into your dry skincare routine can help to make a difference.

Do silk pillowcases help dry skin? 

Suitable for using alongside your regular skincare routine, there are many benefits of switching to silk in your bedroom interiors. If you wish to add some glow to your skin and reduce the appearance of dry flakes, we would recommend using a silk pillowcase or silk accessory (or both!) to do this. Helping to restore your natural skin barrier while reducing any discomfort and irritation caused by your dry skin, silk pillowcases provide a viable long-term solution which, unlike skincare products, don’t require you to re-purchase once used up. With silk pillowcases, you also won’t have to worry about any chemicals interacting with your skin.

Tangleweed Pink Silk Pillowcase - from £114.00

Holding a number of properties that can help soothe and relieve your dry skin, one of the most noteworthy benefits of silk is the material’s non-absorbent properties. A common issue with most standard bedding, such as cotton, these fabrics can often contain absorbent features. As a result, their high water retention rate means they can rob your skin’s moisture, causing it to become dry and dehydrated. On the contrary, using a silk pillowcase as an alternative allows your skin to retain its moisture through the night due to the closely-weaved fibres in the material.

Another issue with some standard bedding materials is their rough texture, particularly when first purchased. Although this can alleviate with time, these fabrics can still have the potential to cause friction by rubbing on your skin while you sleep. In comparison, silk pillowcases are naturally friction resistant. With a soft texture, these won’t rub against your skin while you toss and turn in your sleep, resulting in less irritation and dry flakes. Featuring a wide range of additional benefits, silk also contains anti-aging properties to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.

Beauty Box - Mulberry Silk Pillowcase - £66.00

Whether you’re looking for a way to reduce the appearance of dry flakes on your skin and alleviate dullness, or you’re searching for an effective way of reducing that dry and irritated feel caused by dry skin, the Gingerlily Beauty Box is an essential addition to your beauty routine. Helping you achieve soft, smooth and youthful-looking skin when used as part of your wider skincare routine, choose from a variety of flattering colours to meet your interior taste, including ivory, silver grey, white and blush, and discover your favourite silk pillowcase from the collection.

Pillowcases for dry skin at Gingerlily

Whether you’re at the very start of your skincare journey, or you’re looking for a new way to help alleviate the symptoms of your dry skin, get one step closer to achieving healthy, smooth and glowing skin by browsing the collection of pure mulberry silk pillowcases from Gingerlily today.