By Product Specialist, Kleoni Venter
Whether you have a naturally dry skin or seasonal dryness, a lack of moisture in the skin is something that we all experience at some point in our lives.
Reason for Dryness
Firstly, it is important to understand why dryness occurs – in some cases the dehydration in our skin is caused by our own doings like incorrect product usage that strips the skin of its natural lipids, over exfoliating or certain medication that are often linked to causing dehydration.
Alternatively, environmental factors play a very big role in dehydration. Most of us experience a bit of dryness in the colder & more windy months. Seasonal dehydration can easily be combated with home care products that consist of more moisturising & hydrating ingredients than products used in the warmer months.
Lastly, some patients are naturally born with less natural lipids than others & have struggled with dryness their whole lives. They often need more intervention than self induced or seasonal dehydration. We refer to these skins as Alipidic.
Alipidic Skins vs Dehydration
It it also very important to understand that there’s a difference between alipidic(dry) skins & dehydration. Dehydration is linked to a lack of water in the skin often caused by environmental factors. Alipidic skins have a lack of natural oils & have minimal sebum production, the acid mantel and barrier function is not considered healthy due to the lack of lipids.
Prevention & Treatment
Products for dry & dehydrated skins:
Cleansing Complex: The first step to a healthy skin is a cleanser that does not strip the skin of its natural protective barrier (made of lipids). iS Clinical’s Cleansing Complex serves as an anti-oxidant rich, mild resurfacing, gentle yet powerful cleansing gel for dry & sensitive skin types. With a pH of 5.6, the Cleansing Complex does not strip the skin of it’s natural barrier, but very effectively removes impurities & make-up. The mild resurfacing ingredients are perfect for giving the appearance of smaller pores.
Sheald Recovery Balm: This is a moisture-rich formula that dramatically replenishes hydration to dry, sensitive or compromised skin. Sheald Recovery Balm provides an anti-oxidant rich barrier and is excellent for protective moisture in harsh, cold and dry climates.
Hydra-Cool Serum: The perfect add-on to your current skin care regime. This serum contains 25% Hyaluronic Acid that serves as a humectant combined with a 5.5% Pantothenic Acid (B5) which is an essential element to restore the enzymatic functions to all cells.
Dermafrac with Hydrating Infusion: This treatment combines a gentle form of microdermabrasion & infused micro-channeling. The microdermabrasion is perfect for removing the superficial layer of dead skin cells often built up in dry skins to give a smoother appearance & to help combat any flaking often associated with extreme dryness. Step 2 would include a superficial form of needling whilst releasing a potent topical solutions according the patients concern. In dry & dehydrated skins the Hydrating solution is very beneficial, because of the HylaSponge System technology (Hyaluronic Acid forms a “second-skin” and moisturises the dermal layer throughout the day).
Foaming Enzyme Facial is perfect for patients who are experiencing dehydration or dryness, but want a smooth & glowing skin. The Foaming Enzyme Masque System combines potent Papain enzymes with a powerful pharmaceutical-grade Glycolic Acid. This professional treatment produces a luxurious foaming activity while the bioactive ingredients exfoliate and deep cleanse the pores, revealing the polished, healthy and radiant complexion. There after a range of hydrating products are applied to saturate the dry skin with moisturising ingredients.
Dryness & dehydration is definitely an uncomfortable skin concern that most of us come face-to-face with at least once a year, but with proper home care & help from the professionals it does not need to form part of our everyday lives.
-Product Specialist, Kleoni Venter-