How To Get Rid of Dry Skin on Your Face, According to Dermatologists

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We all know that dreaded feeling of dry skin on our face. That tightness you feel, the dry patches and flakiness that appear, or the pilling of our makeup, because our skin has lost its smooth texture—dry skin, is as much of a nuisance as it is a signal that our skin is in dire need of some T.L.C.

As David Kim, MD, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist at Idriss Dermatology, explains, dry skin occurs when your skin barrier is compromised and results in dull, flaky, and inflamed skin. Clinically known as xerosis, it is caused by a lack of moisture or oil in the skin.

“Dry skin can result from a multitude of factors that affect skin health and hydration,” adds New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Michelle Henry, MD. Environmental factors such as dry air exposure to the cold, lifestyle choices such as using harsh skincare ingredients, underlying medical conditions, and the natural aging process can all contribute to the dry skin on our faces and bodies.

It’s pretty easy to tell when you’re experiencing dryness. Daniel Belkin, MD, board-certified dermatologist at New York Dermatology Group, says symptoms of dry skin to look out for include dullness in your complexion, fine flaky skin, tightness, or an increase in fine wrinkling as signs that your skin is in fact dry. If it’s a more severe dryness, Belkin says you might deal with itchy skin.

Luckily, treating it is just as simple as spotting it. Below are seven easy simple tips to treat the dry skin on your face. As the temps start to cool, you’ll want to keep this guide handy.

Wash Face With Warm, Not Hot, WaterOne of the golden beauty rules we all know to live by is to never ever wash your face, hair, or body with hot water (no matter how soothing it may feel). When it comes to our skin, a hot shower or bath can cause inflammation and disrupt the skin barrier, making dry skin even worse.

Henry says it’s best that you cleanse with warm water. Follow up with a gentle cleanser that’s geared towards dry skin.

Apply Moisturizer While Skin Is DampHenry says it’s best to apply moisturizer when your skin is still damp, so be sure not to rub your skin immediately after you cleanse.

Look For Hydrating IngredientsThe best—and most obvious—tip is to find products with hydrating and moisturizing ingredients. Belkin says that moisturizers come in several forms, with some products utilizing more than one of these in a single formulation. The three most common forms are emollients, humectants, and occlusives.

Emollients aim to smooth and lubricate the outermost layer of our epidermis and include ingredients such as ceramides and silicones. Humectants, he says, are ingredients that absorb water, such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, honey, and lactic acid. And occlusives are ingredients that prevent your skin’s moisture loss and support the skin barrier, and those include waxes, petrolatum, and oils.

Henry says that you’ll want to look for something that rebuilds the skin barrier, relieves irritation, and prevents further damage, but also something that is gentle for even the most sensitive skin. She says something like Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream is suitable for all skin types and contains glycerin for deep long-lasting hydration. We also love the EltaMD Barrier Renewal Complex or the Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer.

Exfoliate With a HumectantExfoliating isn’t all that bad for dry skin—as long as you do it properly. Belkin recommends you consider gentle chemical exfoliators such as lactic acid (personal faves of ours include Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 6% Mandelic Acid + 2% Lactic Acid Liquid Exfoliant), which is both an alpha hydroxy acid and a humectant, which will absorb water and increase your skin’s natural ability to bind moisture.

But you’ll want to stay away from any forms of physical exfoliation, which he says will further disrupt the skin barrier, and products with glycolic and salicylic acid as those may cause more irritation to dry skin.

Avoid Alcohol, Fragrance, and Other Harsh Ingredients“Dry skin means the skin barrier is somewhat disrupted,” explains Belkin. “This means that environmental allergens and irritants can cause more damage and reaction. Therefore, known irritants should be avoided for sure.”

He lists tea tree oil, menthol, alcohol, acetone, fragrance, and botanical oils as some of the ingredients to be cautious of. Henry agrees and adds parabens, sulfates, any forms of retinoids or retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and other harsh exfoliants to the list of things to avoid.

Don’t Overwash Your FaceWhile Kim does say that the type of cleanser does matter more than the frequency of you washing your face (“I recommend using a gentle cleanser every night,” he says), you still need to be mindful of doing too much.

“You for sure can overwash your face,” says Belkin. He recommends avoiding harsh soaps, like foaming cleansers that tend to be more drying, and avoid any with strong actives like the ingredients listed above. You’ll want to stick to oil-, balm-, or cream-based cleansers that are also gentle on the skin.

In-Office TreatmentsAnd for when you’re looking for a stronger treatment option, there are in-office solutions you can turn to. Belkin says skin boosters, which are hyaluronic acid-based products injected directly into the dermis for hydration, will increase humectant levels in the dermis. These boosters won’t increase volume in your face like fillers, but they will give skin a dewy finish. But if you stick to the at-home tips above, you won’t really need this unless you want to try it out. “Treating dry skin is best done with gentle skincare habits at home,” he says.”