How should I care for my dry and sensitive skin?

The skin which is prone to becoming very dry and irritated requires unique care throughout a year. What should we pay attention to in order to avoid the feeling of tightness, roughness and redness of our skin?

Gentle cleansing

Dry and sensitive skin requires gentle care and cleansing as it lacks both water and proper protection in the form of sebum. Therefore it should be cleansed not more than twice daily, with the use of micellar solutions. Soaps and products containing antibacterial ingredients should be definitely avoided as they remove the skin’s natural protective barrier. Facial skin should be dried gently, without rubbing, as it leads to skin irritation despite the fact that rubbing can provide transient relief when the dry skin itches.

What should be used to remove the make-up from dry and sensitive skin?

• Cleansing milks – they are available in versions for all skin types, but they can be especially useful for the dry skin. They contain oil substances which remove gently event the waterproof make-up, and their delicate acid pH interacts with the skin’s natural pH, calming irritations.
• Micellar solutions – they are perfect as make-up removers, but also as daily facial cleansers. They are very light, economic, they don’t contain dyes or fragrances, and don’t require rubbing, so that the risk of irritation is very low.

What should be the ingredients of the cosmetic products for dry and sensitive skin?

• Plant oils (e.g. argan, jojoba, rose oil) – they support the natural protective barrier of the skin and limit the transepidermal water loss.
• Panthenol (vitamin B5) – has regenerating effect on irritations and binds water in the skin thus improving its hydration.
• Hyaluronic acid – immediately hydrates and has skin smoothing effect
• Vitamin E – the so-called youth vitamin; it fights skin ageing and oxidation of vitamin A which is responsible for skin hydration.

Daily skin care routine for dry and sensitive skin

Naturally, the basis of this care are the appropriate creams – one for day and another one for night. A cream to be used during the day should have a light, non-greasy texture and contain moisturizing and calming agents, e.g. Soraya IDEAL BEAUTY Light Hydro-Cream While buying a night cream we should choose the one which has regenerating and nourishing effect. Their texture is usually thicker and more oily, but we can also find creams like Soraya MAGIC of OILS Regenerating Cream, which get absorbed quickly and do not leave the oily film.

Treatments for dry and sensitive skin

Dry and sensitive skin also needs exfoliation in order to be protected from the bacteria which accumulate in the dead epidermis. However, the exfoliation should not be performed with the use of peelings, in particular the coarse-grain ones - instead of them we can reach for gentle enzymatic peels which act on the skin surface and do not damage the deeper skin layers. The skin cleansed this way is ready for other treatments like serum or masks. In the case of masks, it is best to use those with hydrating, regenerating and nourishing properties. In turn, we should avoid masks with astringent effect as they would only aggravate the unpleasant tightness of dry skin.

The same for the face and the body

Although usually when we talk about the skin type we focus on the facial area, it is worth remembering that the skin of the whole body behaves in the same way. If we have the tendency to irritations and sensitization on the forehead and cheeks, we can expect them also on our arms, thighs, etc. Therefore it is important to take comprehensive actions which take into account the needs of the whole body. The market offers myriads of hydrating balms, milks and creams which can help the skin of our body to deal with the feeling of tightness. Moreover we can rely on the products intended for our age group, like the Soraya ANTI-AGEING series. The body milks in this line are available in five variants - from 20+ to 60+ - and in addition to intensive hydration they offer also nourishment, regeneration or restoration, that is all that the skin in a given age needs.