Friday, August 30, 2013

#TheSoProject: Skincare Tips for Dry Skin



You're probably wondering what #TheSoProject is. Let me introduce you! It's a new idea developed by Steph over at Stephsinsidevoice.blogspot.com to help introduce beginners to the world of beauty. Over the course of nine weeks, participating beauty bloggers will talk about their niche in the following topics: skincare, concealer, foundation, blusher, bronzer, lipstick, etc. This week the topic is Skincare. I've decided to talk about the topic that I know best- and that's Skincare for Dry Skin! This post will cover everything you need to know about dry skin and how to take care of it!



1.) Drink Plenty of Water
Dehydration is one of the most basic reasons why we have dry skin. Are you drinking enough water? To find out, this website has a Daily Hydration Calculator that you can use to find out just how much you should be drinking. Different factors such as climate, pregnancy, fever/diarrhea, exercise and weight affect the outcome. Also, if you're a big tea/coffee drinker, make sure to replace those as they contain caffeine which makes you urinate more. 

2.) Exfoliate
Since we have drier skin, it's harder for the dead skin cells to just slough themselves off. Be careful here, though, because some exfoliants may make your skin even drier. There are two types of exfoliants: Chemical and Mechanical. According to BellaSugar, "[Chemical exfoliants] use either an acid- or enzyme-based formula such as alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) such as glycolic acid or beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) such as salicylic acid." Mechanical exfoliants use motion in conjunction with abrasive-type material such a beads or oats to clear up dead skin cells. This is where scrubs come in. I personally love to exfoliate with LUSH's Angels on Bare Skin. It's great because it's super gentle, doesn't feel like you're scratching your skin! 

3.) Say No to Alcohol
Oh you thought I meant alcohol in beauty products? Well I meant that too, but more importantly, if you could cut down the liquor, you'd be doing your skin some good. Remember, you are what you eat. It may not seem like anything right now, but overtime, increased alcohol consumption will dehydrate your skin even further. So yeah, next time you're having that 4th cocktail, just remember to think about your skin! 

Now that my rant is done, let's talk about alcohol found in cosmetics. You're going to find that a lot, and I mean a lot of cosmetics contain alcohol. It's almost hard not to find one that doesn't contain alcohol. That's why its important to see just how much alcohol is in the product. To do this, just look at the ingredients list. If alcohol is closer to the top of the list, then it means that most of the product is alcohol. And the same vice versa.     

4.) Ditch that Foam Cleanser
For the longest time as a preteen, I wondered why cleansers always left my face feeling super tight! I ended up not using cleansers at all until later in life. The reason was that I was using really harsh cleansers. Even "gentle foam cleansers" were just too much. Foams contain soap that strips your face of its natural oils. That's a no-no. We only want the dirt, dead skin, and makeup off - not the oils. Try to look for non-soap cleansers. (Yes, they exist!) They are things like "cleansing balms," "cleansing oils," or even "milky" products. As a cleanser and makeup remover, I use Lush's Ultrabland. It's been doing a great job of removing makeup and excess dirt without stripping my face of its natural oils. Actually, I think it's even doing a good job of returning some moisture. 

5.) Say No to Perfumed Facial Skincare
If it's facial skincare, and it smells like you just spritz yourself with some Juicy Couture, then you need a different product. Don't get me wrong, I love scented things and I don't really mind a scented face cream. But sometimes, there are just some face creams that scream "smell me, smell me please." Stay away because those probably contain a lot of alcohol as well. 

6.) Look for the Good Stuff
I'm talking about ingredients that are generally well known to help hydrate the skin. These ingredients include, but are not limited to: Coconut oil, Aloe Vera, Honey, Olive Oil, Shea Butter, Vitamin E, etc. They natural ingredients have been known to increase moisture on the skin, so keep a look out!    

I hope you enjoyed my post. For more posts like these, just look up #TheSoProject on Twitter! (Please note that I am not a dermatologist. If you have any concerns about your skin, please see a professional.) Anyway, tune in next Tuesday at 6pm for the next topic: Concealer!

What type of skin do you have?
What kinds of tips do you have for others with your kind of skin?
What's your favorite skincare product right now? 

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16 comments:

  1. this is really helpful! i always forget to drink water during the day! xx


    www.oliviaroses.blogspot.com

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  2. Thanks Olivia! Yeah, it's really helpful to drink water throughout the day. I know I'm guilty of it it as well. Glad you found this helpful! :D

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  3. Thanks Raimar! I'm so glad you found my post helpful! :D I'm also really glad your giveaway is international! :D

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  4. OMG! I agree with you on the facial cleanser. I still haven't found a cleanser that I like and I end up scrubbing my face with my body loofa in the showerXD How to you like Lush's Ultrabland? Do you haven't any drugstore recommendations?

    As you know..because I'm slow..lol
    I nominated you for the Liebster Award :D

    You can view the questions I wrote for you on my post.

    http://ah-hadesigns.blogspot.com/2013/08/liebster-award.html

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  5. I'm guilty of buying to many scented facial creams. I just love all the sweet smells on all my lotions, but I have noticed that they don't help my skin at all. Great tips! <3 I also need to get better at drinking water!

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  6. Great post! Incredible tips! I do not use alcohol. Would you like to follow eachother?
    xx
    daniella
    simplybeautifulelegant.blogspot.com

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  7. Aww thanks so much Amy!! :D
    I'm very very much in love with Lush's Ultrabland. It's one of those things though that you either love it or hate it. I have to warn you that the scent is all flowers and pretty. But the way it works is why I keep using. It's the only one that will clear up my skin of any dirt and makeup without stripping it of oil.

    As for drugstore reccomendations, I've tried a couple, but none of them were ever really in the same consistency as Ultrabland. I think it was because I wasn't really looking for "cleansing balms." They have quite a few out now! I saw some at Target. You could try those. Or try any cream cleansers? I think Ponds has a cold cream cleanser too.

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  8. Aww, oh no! Yeah, it might be that they're too fragranced. It sucks that fragrance would contain alcohol. But maybe try looking for some a little more fragrance free? Yeah, I think drinking water is something we all forget about.

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  9. Yeah sure! :D I always follow my readers back.

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  10. Hello,

    I think these are very good tips for people with dry skin! I am in love with using creamy cleansers, I dislike gel and foaming cleansers just because they are drying on my skin. I think it is also important to treat yourself with a very nice exfoliator to slough off the dead skin cells.. and also a good DIY mask recipe using honey and coconut oil. I have been doing that with a dash of cinnamon or turmeric, it saved my dry skin! x

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  11. Oh thanks so much for the tips! I have heard very very great things about using honey and coconut oil. I remember using coconut oil once to take off my makeup. It was an interesting experience. I think I needed to improve on the removal process of the oils though. Do you know what cinnamon and turmeric do for you skin? :)

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  12. Honey and coconut oil are a dreamy duo, I love it. I sometimes use coconut oil too to take off my make-up, but I just can't be bothered to do a hot cleansing cloth method every time haha! It is an interesting experience though, do you like it?? I just bought avocado and castor oil to start experimenting with deep-cleansing 2x a week. It's a very good and inexpensive treatment to lift up blackheads and keep the pores clean.

    A dash of pure cinnamon is beneficial for acne-prone skin - it is anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and all that :)- and it is also stimulating and 'oxygenating' to the skin that makes your face plumped up and glowy. As for Turmeric, they are both equally good, a great anti-inflammatory ingredient and keeps the skin young and soft, there's a good article on it here http://www.crunchybetty.com/beauty-secrets-from-around-the-world-turmeric

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  13. That sounds amazing! (Honey and Coconut oil I mean.) When i used coconut oil as a makeup remover, I found that it thoroughly removed everything, but that it was also a little trickier to remover. I found out later that you could use rose water toner to help remove it. I've never used honey, but I'll definitely attempt to when I can!


    And that's pretty cool about the Cinnamon and Turmeric. I had never known about using them prior to this. Thanks for the article! I read it. I had no idea Turmeric has been used for such a long time!

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  14. Great Post! I have very dry skin and through trial and error I have found what works for me. I used all the wrong things at the beginning - a post like this would've been helpful :)

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  15. Thanks so much! I wish I knew all this stuff too when I was preteen. I'm so glad you found this post helfpul! :D

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