One other problem with scrubs: “It’s laborious to regulate the diploma of exfoliation and most of the people find yourself utilizing an excessive amount of or scrubbing with an excessive amount of drive,” she provides, all of which might do further harm to your pores and skin barrier (and, once more, make it much less efficient at holding onto water).
As a substitute, do that: The answer isn’t to keep away from exfoliating altogether—you’d be lacking out on some fairly cool advantages like eradicating useless pores and skin cells and unclogging pores. Quite than reaching for the walnut or sugar scrub, although, Kally Papantoniou, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York Metropolis, recommends chemical exfoliants—particularly, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like glycolic acid or lactic acid. Briefly, AHAs work by loosening up the bonds (or “glue”) holding useless pores and skin cells collectively, making it simpler to shed them off.5
Simply be sure to patch take a look at earlier than making use of any acids throughout your face, suggests the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA), in an effort to keep away from irritation or a possible allergic response. Some merchandise to attempt:
CosRx AHA 7 Whitehead Energy Liquid Therapy
Krave Magnificence Kale-Lalu-yAHA
The Peculiar Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% Exfoliating Serum
Tatcha The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder
4. You’re eradicating make-up with wipes.
On lazy Sunday evenings (or busy Monday nights), washing your face or double cleaning can really feel like an actual chore. As tempting as it's to seize a disposable wipe to swiftly take away mascara, basis, and sunscreen, although, this handy behavior could possibly be the rationale your pores and skin feels so dry, in keeping with Dr. Hu.
First, a cleaning fabric alone isn’t all the time sufficient to do away with make-up or filth, which, if left behind, can clog your pores and result in breakouts.6 Plus, the friction from rubbing something throughout your cheeks, brow, and delicate eye space can harm your pores and skin barrier and yep, dry it out, Dr. Hu says. (To not point out the truth that wipes usually include these doubtlessly problematic added fragrances we already warned you about.)
As a substitute, do that: Utilizing a mild face wash with soothing components (niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin are good selections) is essential to avoiding additional dehydration, Dr. Papantoniou says. Ideally, your cleanser of selection ought to say issues like “light,” “creamy,” or “moisturizing” on the label.
For extra-dry pores and skin varieties, oil-based cleansers would be the method to go since they sometimes don’t include surfactants (harsh chemical compounds usually present in detergents or foaming merchandise). Nonetheless, it’s value noting that oils may clog your pores. So, particularly if you happen to’re acne-prone, contemplate holding it easy with a gentle wash—ideally one that claims “noncomedogenic” on the label, Dr. Hu advises.
Lastly, when a cleanser alone isn’t sufficient to take away persistent or waterproof make-up, Dr. Kirkorian suggests massaging your face with Vaseline, a product with just one ingredient (petrolatum), earlier than cleaning. This technique, she says, is much less aggressive than utilizing wipes. We completely get it if Vaseline is simply too greasy for you, although, so one other nice and mild possibility is micellar water, which accommodates purified water and hydrating micelles (clusters of molecules that bind to grease).7
Drunk Elephant E-Rase Milki Micellar Water
Native Unscented Delicate Facial Cleanser
Period Organics Facial Cleaning Oil Make-up Remover
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Light Face Cleanser
5. You’re over-cleansing your face.
Wait—earlier than you proceed together with your face wash or micellar water, simply know that there is such a factor as an excessive amount of cleaning in relation to dry and itchy pores and skin. “There’s this false impression that it's essential to wash your face intensely and incessantly to maintain it clear, and doing so too usually may take away the pores and skin’s pure moisturizing oils,” Dr. Kirkorian says.8