Let’s be honest, dry skin is frustrating and uncomfortable, and if gone untreated can elevate your risk of skin infection[1]. The great news is that you can add a few steps into your daily routine to help you combat the dryness! In this article, we’re going to outline five tips you can add to your daily routine to get you on your way. Much like the rest of the content we write, take what you need and leave what you don’t. Depending on your skin, some of these suggestions may not work for you, so we recommend you have a chat with your dermatologist or primary care physician if you have further questions! Let’s get into it!
Why does skin dry out?
As the largest organ of our body, skin is the barrier that keeps environmental factors away from our inner workings. Our skin is regularly turning over and the dead skin cells typically leave us without any issue, but when the moisture barrier is threatened and turn over is interrupted – skin hardens itself as a protective measure and future turn over much more difficult. This interruption is what causes us to experience dry, flaky, and callousy skin we’ve come to loath.
5 Tips for Combating Dry Skin
1. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize
Keeping a moisturized skin barrier is going to lead to overall healthy skin, as it allows for the turn over process to proceed without interruption. Using products with minimal ingredients such as shea or coco butter are fantastic and while we here at archer+alex do not currently have a product in our line (yet), might we recommend a Body Butter by our friends a Gnome Bath and Body! They are a fellow LGBTQ-Owned Brand out of San Francisco, CA. Also look at reef-safe products that contain SPF to help protect your skin from harmful UV/A & UV/B rays, which can further age and dry out your skin!
2. Minimize Hot Showers
While they feel great (trust and believe it is my preferred shower temperature), the heat from a hot shower can strip your natural oils, leaving your skin feeling dryer and tighter. Taking more temperate “lukewarm” showers is better for your skin and environmental impact, as you are using less utilities to heat and reheat your water. The Mayo Clinic recommends keeping your showers to 10 minutes or less[1].
3. Use a gentle soap
Now this is something we can talk about! Commercially available “soaps” are chalked full of sulfates, parabens, and harsh fragrances. These sulfates in the forms of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSa), and others can dry out your skin big time. Using Cold Process Soap (oh hey we make that!) can be much gentler on your skin and contain ingredients like Olive, Coconut, Castor and Avocado Oils to name a few, and safe synthetics like Phalate-Free Fragrances and sodium hydroxide (lye) to bring the bar together and make them smell great! You can check out all of our soaps available, by checking out our shop!
4. Exfoliate regularly
Exfoliating regularly helps to remove the build up of dead skin cells and allows for products like moisturizer to penetrate deeper into the skin. We recommend sugar or sea salt scrubs as the exfoliant additive (in this case sugar and salt) begin to dissolve in the water as you use the product, making sure that you do now over exfoliate or rub your skin raw in the shower. We have a small quantity of Scrubs available at West Bottoms Plant Co, go and check them out and the rest of their cool store!
As a side note! We are actively looking at more sustainable packaging for our scrubs, eliminating single-use plastics from our brand completely! Keep your eyes peeled for more information as we get closer to announcing our new packaging!
5. Hydration starts from the inside out!
Drinking plenty of water, even in the cooler months can help to keep your skin hydrated. Drink at least 8 – 8oz glasses of water a day (make sure to check with your physician to make sure this is a healthy rate of consumption for you and your lifestyle) to stay hydrated and lay a foundation for hydrated and radiant skin! If you need a little extra flavor in your water, add fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants to your water, or eating them raw! Some of these fruits and veggies include watermelon and cucumbers!
Combat Dry Skin!
Incorporating these tips into your daily routine can help you achieve healthy and hydrated skin. And, of course, using high-quality bath and body products can make a big difference. At archer+alex we understand the importance of quality bath and body products which is why we offer a range of products for everyone to enjoy! Shop our full range now and fall back in love with your bath and body routine!
References
“Dry Skin – Symptoms and Causes.” Mayo Clinic, 25 Jan. 2022, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-skin/symptoms-causes/syc-20353885.
