The skin on the face is one of our most important body parts. However, when facial skin becomes dry, it can feel rough and tight, even reddened, scaly and itchy. There are several causes for dry facial skin and understanding those will help to discover relevant solutions. Signs & Symptoms Skin dryness and the relation to facial skin typesDry facial skin is a common condition, although some people are more prone to it than others. The main facial skin types are normal, dry, oily or combination skin. As people get older they also have to consider how skin ageing affects their skin.
Signs & symptoms of dry and very dry skin Dry skin
Very dry skin
At this stage it is possible that dryness-induced fine lines develop, which contributes to premature skin ageing and wrinkle formation. Sensitive dry facial skin Dry facial skin and diseases
There is further information on dry skin, including tips on preventing dry skin, as well as information on other skin conditions such as Atopic Dermatitis, Psoriasis and diabetes, throughout our website. But if you are worried or unsure about your symptoms, or they are becoming worse, we recommend you see your doctor or dermatologist for a face-to-face diagnosis. Important InformationIf you need further information to help you identify the cause of your skin complaint, and which treatment route to take, the skin test may be a useful diagnostic tool. Causes & Triggers Understanding the causes of dry facial skinThere are many internal and external factors to dry facial skin, all of which contribute to the same skin dehydration process. The severity of the dry skin will depend on the number and intensity of these factors. External causes All the external causes of dry facial skin cause the natural lipid surface barrier to deteriorate. Once this lipid barrier is broken, moisture can evaporate and the vital moisture-binding substances are easily washed out. As these natural moisturising factors are missing, the skin cannot hold as much water and becomes dry until they are replenished, and the lipid barrier on the surface is repaired. If the dry skin is not treated with moisturisers that contain moisturising factors, the dryness can progress deeper into the facial skin and disrupt moisture networks in the deeper layers of the skin. The natural upward flow of moisture into the upper layers is reduced, resulting in very dry skin. External triggers The main external triggers are environmental triggers and inappropriate facial skin care routines. The face is generally exposed to these external causes of dry skin much more frequently than the rest of your body: Environmental
Skin care
Medication Internal factors Genetic influences
Hormonal influences Age Premature skin ageing Diet Contributing Factors Factors that can contribute to dry facial skinAdditional to the main causes of dry facial skin, several other factors also affect the severity of facial skin dryness. An awareness of these will help avoid them and thereby reduce their impact. Lack of effective treatment Sun exposure Occupational hazards Dehydration People who are prone to dehydration are elderly people, as the sensation of thirst diminishes with age, and people who do manual labour or a lot of exercise. Smoking Solutions What are the solutions for dry facial skin?Avoiding contributing factors In addition to having a good cleansing and moisturising routine, avoiding factors that contribute to dry skin is important. This will help to reduce the impact of dry skin and the need for treatment:
Dry and very dry facial skin needs a comprehensive skin care routine, including using appropriate skin cleansers, moisturisers and sunscreens. Water-based skin cleansers with added moisturising factors are suitable for dry to very dry facial skin, while oil-based cleansers are ideally suited for the skin care of very dry and extremely dry skin, including Atopic Dermatitis. Cleansing dry or very dry facial skin A mild but effective skin cleanser is an essential prerequisite to skin care for normal or dry skin, as well as for acne-prone skin, and Atopic Dermatitis. The importance of a well-aligned daily cleansing and moisturising routine for face care cannot be over-emphasised - well cleansed facial skin with a functioning surface barrier absorbs and retains moisture effectively. Extra mild Eucerin DermatoCLEAN Cleansing Milk with moisturising actives cleanses thoroughly, prevents the skin from drying out, and synergistically enhances the efficacy of facial moisturising creams to improve skin condition. It is suitable for dry and sensitive facial skin. Eucerin DermatoCLEAN Clarifying Toner instantly tones and moisturises the skin, and is suitable for all facial skin types. Moisturising facial skin
The key to moisturising dry or very dry facial skin is to replenish missing natural moisturising factors, which attract moisture towards, and bind moisture into the stratum corneum, or upper layer of the skin. This prevents the skin from becoming dry, and reduces roughness and alleviates tightness. Eucerin Smoothing Face Cremes contain the natural moisturising factors Urea and Lactate, which regulate moisture content by binding water water in the upper layers of the skin. Both Urea and Lactate are well-tolerated, non-toxic and non-allergenic natural skin compounds. Caring for dry ageing skin Caring for ageing skin requires addressing the common causes of skin ageing. As skin ages, skin dryness and UV damage contribute to the development of fine lines and wrinkles, loss of skin volume and density and radiance. This makes following an effective skin care routine, especially moisturising and protecting skin against UVA and UVB light even more important. Additionally, ageing skin often requires deep skin hydration to reduce the appearance of, and prevent the development of further wrinkles. Read more about age-induced dryness. Hyaluron, also known as Hyaluronic Acid, is an essential component of connective tissue. It has high water binding capacities, improving skin regeneration and enhancing the diffusion of nutrients. As facial skin ages, the amount of free Hyaluron decreases in the epidermis and, particularly, in the lower dermis skin layers. Hyaluronic Acid, applied topically, can slow down and revert wrinkle formation. Additionally, this may be further optimised by a suitable moisturising skin care routine. Eucerin Hyaluron-Filler + Urea Cremes are uniquely formulated with non-allergenic and non-irritating Hyaluron and Urea to provide anti-wrinkle and moisturising benefits. Related ArticlesOur brand values
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