Get Rid of Dry Skin on Face

The skin on your face is sensitive, and it can dry out faster than the rest of your skin. This article will offer a few helpful tricks and techniques to make dry, itching, and flaky facial skin go away for good.

10 Second Summary

1. Use warm water and mild facial cleansers. Pat your skin dry.
2. Use moisturizers daily, especially after washing.
3. Exfoliate your skin with a washcloth.
4. Consider applying an aloe vera face mask.
5. Avoid irritating your skin further. Don't shave or wear too much mascara.
6. Add moisture to you environment. Consider using a humidifier.

Steps

Following a good dry skin routine

1. Use mild, warm water instead of hot water. Warm water relaxes your pores and makes it easier to wash your face, but hot water can cause your skin to dry out faster.
   • The ideal water temperature when washing your face would be just a fraction warmer than lukewarm. Heat is a natural exfoliator, so hot water is great when you want to strip your skin of dead skin cells and oils, but if the skin on your face has been suffering a dry spell, you will need to stay away from hot temperatures.
   • If you do need to use hot water on your face, quickly rinse your face with cold water afterward to reduce the amount of time heat lingers on your face.
   • Similarly, on very hot days, you should come inside your home and quickly splash cold water on your face to cool the skin down. The humidity in the air will usually help your skin retain some of its natural moisture, but you will be able to keep even more of it if you can cool your skin down regularly.
2. Only use mild facial cleansers. Body soaps are too harsh for the skin on your face, so you should look for a cleanser specifically meant for your face.
   • Many soap-based cleansers contain sodium lauryl sulfate, a surfactant known to steal away moisture. For your face, non-soap cleansers or non-sudsy cleansers are a safer way to go.
   • You should also avoid cleansers with added fragrances, since these often include some form of alcohol, which is an astringent that can severely dry your skin out.
   • Also consider using a cleanser that contains ceramides, a type of fatty molecule usually found on the outer layer of your skin. Synthetic ceramides can help your skin retain more moisture.
3. Pat your skin dry. Never rub a dry towel over your skin after washing your face. Instead, gently pat your face dry with a dry, soft towel.
   • In order to minimize potential irritation as much as possible, you should only pat your skin dry for about 20 seconds or less.
   • Use a soft cloth but make sure that it is made from fibers that can actually absorb water. A soft terry cloth works well.
   • Ideally, you should dry your face so that it is slightly moist to the touch but not dripping wet. However, if you know you're going to be using certain creams (such as Hydrocortisone) then make sure your skin is 100% dry before applying to the dry areas. This will avoid watering down the cream and having a lower concentration of medicine in the bit you apply
4. Apply a moisturizer after washing your face. A moisturizing lotion or cream should be applied generously over your face right after you wash it. Preferably, the skin should still retain a little moisture, as well, since applying moisturizer on wet skin can trap more of that moisture on your skin for a longer period.
   • Any moisturizing cream or lotion meant for your face is worth a shot if you do not know what to look for, but if you already use a moisturizer and need something a little stronger, look for one with shea butter, ceramides, stearic acid, or glycerin listed somewhere in the ingredients. These are moisturizers that help you replace the outer protective layer on your skin responsible for keeping moisture inside.

Specialized help for dry skin

1. Trade an exfoliating scrub for a baby's washcloth. Instead of using a harsh scrub to strip your skin of excess oil and dead skin, wipe them away with a soft baby's washcloth, which will get the job done while causing less irritation to your face.
   • Your skin needs to be exfoliated from time to time so that dead skin cells can be stripped away, but if you exfoliate too roughly, you can cause even more damage to the outer layer of your skin and make dryness even worse.
   • A baby's washcloth is softer than a standard washcloth, and some are even made from smooth, plush materials like satin. In order to use this washcloth to exfoliate your skin, splash a bit of water on your face and slowly massage your face in small, circular patterns.
2. Protect your skin with petroleum jelly. Occasionally apply a thin coating of petroleum jelly over areas of your face that dry out easily to lock in your skin's natural moisture.
   • This can be especially helpful during the winter, when the skin of your face is frequently exposed to harsh, drying air. For winter use, apply the petroleum jelly before stepping outside, especially if you plan to be out for quite some time.
   • For year-round use, apply a little petroleum jelly over notably dry areas of your skin. Let it sit for 10 minutes before gently washing it off. You can repeat this procedure twice a week.
3. Wash your skin with milk. Strange as it may seem, milk is both a natural cleanser and a natural moisturizer.
   • Soak a soft baby washcloth in ice cold water, wringing out any excess over the skin to reduce the overall mess. Drape the cloth over your face and let it sit there for 10 minutes.
   • The lactic acid in milk is a natural yet gentle cleanser. It can reduce redness and remove dead skin.
   • The lipids in the milk can infuse the skin with additional moisture, causing the skin on your face to look re-hydrated, plump, and soft.
   • Note that skim milk will not moisturize very well, so you should use 2 percent or whole milk.
   • If you suspect that your nightly facial cleanser is a little rougher on your skin than it should be, you do not have to toss it out just yet. Swapping your usual cleanser out for milk two to three times a week can give your skin the break it needs.
   • Milk cannot strip away makeup, however, so you should remove any cosmetics on your face before applying the milk.
4. Apply an aloe mask. The aloe plant contains properties which can soothe red, irritated skin and re-hydrated dry, flaking skin.
   • The best way to go about this is by going straight to the source. Break a fresh aloe leaf open and gently massage the sap that leaks out onto your face after washing your skin. Let it sit on your skin for 15 minutes before you rinse it off.
   • This mask can be applied as often as once a week.
   • If you cannot find fresh aloe plants, you can use a commercial aloe vera gel or a commercial mask with aloe vera as an ingredient.
5. Use a very small amount of hydrocortisone cream on your eyelids. The eyelids are especially likely to dry out. If the skin there becomes dry and itchy, carefully apply a light layer of hydrocortisone cream over the eyelids to reduce itchiness and re-hydrate the skin.
   • The reason the skin on your eyelids dries out so easily is that it is especially thin has almost no callus layer. This also puts eyelids at risk of further thinning if hydrocortisone creams are overused or used for extended periods of time.
   • Remove any eye makeup before you apply it and make sure that the hydrocortisone cream does not get into your eyes when you apply it. Be aware, too, that the cream migrates and can get onto your eyeball surface no matter how carefully you apply it. (At least one doctor suspects that chronic hydrocortisone cream contact with the eyeball might trigger glaucoma.)
   • You can use this treatment twice daily, but be leery of long term, continued use.
6. Try an occasional egg facial. Separate an egg; whip the egg whites. Spread it all over your face. Wait 10 minutes, then wash it off. Repeat with egg yolk. Pat your face down. Moisturize face with lotion. Enjoy your soft, smooth skin.

Avoiding irritants

1. Avoid irritating your face if shaving facial hair. Men have an extra concern when it comes to dry skin on the face. Poor shaving habits can actually result in drier skin, so guys should take note and shave carefully to avoid making matters worse.
   • The shaving process removes both hair and oil from your skin, and the removal of natural oil can cause your skin to dry out.
   • To reduce the damage done by shaving, shave after you wash your face, when hairs are softer and easier to remove. Always use a sharp razor blade, as well, which can cut individual hairs more readily than a dull blade.
   • Always use shaving cream or gel to protect your skin while shaving and drag the razor in the direction the hair is growing.
2. Avoid irritating your eyelids with too much mascara. For women, cosmetics can be another cause for concern when trying to get rid of dry skin on the face. Mascara, in particular, can have a damaging effect on the eyelids.
   • Use an actual makeup remover instead of a standard facial cleanser for best results. Oftentimes, standard cleansers do not remove every last trace of makeup, and some may still linger on your skin even after you wash it. Makeup removers do a much more thorough job.
   • Try to give your skin a break from mascara and other cosmetics at least a couple of days each week.
3. Keep your face covered when needed. Use sunscreen to protect your face from harsh UV rays when going outside. In the winter, when the air is cold and dry, wrap a scarf around the lower half of your face before heading out.
   • Sun damage is one of the main culprits behind most skin problems, including dry skin on your face. Apply a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 year-round. If you are concerned about applying heavy sunscreens on your face, check out a facial lotion with its own SPF and apply that instead of standard sunscreen.
   • You should also protect the skin on your lips with a lip balm that has an SPF of at least 15.
   • During winter, the dry air naturally sucks moisture from your skin, especially from exposed skin. Wear a scarf or a hat with a mask to cover as much of your face as possible, thereby protecting the skin from harsh winter air.

Adding more moisture to your living environment

1. Run a humidifier. Dry air can dry your skin out as much as anything else. Running a humidifier in your bedroom at night can prevent the air from becoming too dry while infusing the skin on your face with more moisture.
   • Try to keep the humidity in your room at about 50 percent.
   • A humidifier is especially important at night since your resting hours are the time your body takes to repair your skin. Too much dryness in the air can cause your face to shed skin cells too quickly, which means you might wake up and find a layer of flaky skin over some areas of your face unless you make sure that the room you sleep in is somewhat humid.
   • As an alternative, you could also place a pot of water near your radiator or place a naturally humidifying plant, like a Boston palm, bamboo fern, or Ficus alii, in your bedroom.

Tips

• In order to maintain hydrated, healthy skin all over your body, including your face, you need to keep yourself hydrated on the inside as well as the outside. Drink six to eight 8-oz (250-ml) glasses of water each day to keep your body hydrated and in optimal functioning order. Avoid dehydrating drinks, like alcohol and caffeine, which can actually force more water out of your system then they put in.
• After every bath, put cream on straight away.
• Don't always use vaseline because it contains oil that can lead to unhealthy skin.

Things You'll Need

• Gentle facial cleanser
• Soft towel
• Moisturizer
• Sharp razor (as needed)
• Shaving cream or gel (as needed)
• Makeup remover (as needed)
• Sunscreen
• Scarf
• Humidifier
• Baby's washcloth
• Petroleum jelly
• Milk
• Aloe extract
• Hydrocortisone cream

Sources and Citations

See also

• Care for Your Face (Males)
• Heal Raw Skin
• Use a Glycolic Acid Peel
• Know if Sunscreen Has Expired
• Reduce Frown Lines
• Heal over Exfoliated Skin
• Wear a Face Shield
• Apply a TCA Peel
• Stop Hard Water from Ruining Your Skin
• Choose a Natural Sunscreen

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