If your skin is looking a little ‘meh’ during the coldest winter months, it’s probably due to the combination of cold weather and warm central heating. This combination of atmospheres is moisture sapping, leading to skin dehydration. With the escaping moisture, you will likely be experiencing escaping oil, leading to skin dryness. Because of this combination, you may also experience higher colour (redness) than usual. This is tissue sensitivity. Often the result of a damaged skin barrier. The 3 (dehydration, dryness and sensitivity) often go hand-in-hand, but it’s an easy skincare fix with the correct prescription.
Why is a dry, dehydrated skin at risk of becoming sensitive?
On your skin’s surface, you have a protective barrier (we skin geeks know it as the hydrolipidic film, you may know it as your skin barrier). When this barrier becomes damaged through harsh weather conditions, your skin will become dry and dehydrated. Dryness is the loss of your skin's oil and dehydration is the loss of your skin's water. You will be able to feel the lost oil and water on your skin’s surface and this light fluid is seen as a sheen, throughout the day.
The loss of natural oil and water levels allows your skin to become vulnerable. This is because your skin is now dry and dehydrated. Your damaged skin barrier allows potential irritants into your skin. (Soap, water and pollution). Once sensitised, your skin will become less tolerant and redness appears. Your skin may sting or feel hot when confronted with elements that shouldn’t normally trigger irritation.
How to reduce symptoms and prevent dry, dehydrated, sensitive skin from becoming a problem?
It’s an easy fix. We need to consider all 3 symptoms of your skin. With prescribed Katherine Daniels products, we can correct all 3 issues at the same time.
Dry skin - can be uncomfortable or tight. It often feels rough and can look flaky. Milia is a characteristic of a dry skin and can be an occasional or constant bother for you.
Dehydrated skin – can look like fine lines or superficial wrinkles on your skin. Parched/dehydrated skin will make your skin look older than it is. Skin pores are often open and look grey in colour. Your skin may take on a sallow appearance in areas. Because of the lack of water in your skin cells, toxins become trapped. This leads to congestion, often around the lower half of your face.
Sensitive skin - often red, especially on the cheek area. It may be uncomfortable or become intolerant and reactive to things that have never been a problem for your skin before. This is usually the start of skin sensitivity problems.
Look at your current skincare regime. Are you treating all symptoms together?
You can treat all the symptoms, either at home or with salon treatments. (Or a combination of both).
Treat dehydration with Rehydrating Concentrate. It does what it says on the bottle! An instant dose of hydration and then a ‘drip feed’ effect to keep your skin hydrated over the coming 8-hours. It’s light weight, oil free and leaves a beautiful silky finish. It protects from urban pollutants too. It’s soothing for sensitive skin.
Our test panel shows that it will rehydrate your skin by 73% in 30 minutes. Your skin will still be 32% more hydrated 8 hours later. Hydration levels will be sustained for 48 hours after 1 application.
Treat dryness and sensitivity with Sensitive Skin Rich Cream. You’ll love the immediate comforting, soothing sensation that this cream brings. Our products are all salon strength. The ingredients are delivered to the deeper layers of your skin, to heal and restore. No heavy, greasy texture going on here! Just soothing, calming and skin barrier rebuilding.
Also, to repair your skin barrier, use our Repairing Nourishing Mask. Skin nourishing avocado oil and shea butter nurture your dry skin. Seaweed and algae hydrate, adding a youthful density.
No time for masks? Think again… use this as a sleep mask. Apply over your Rehydrating Concentrate 10 minutes before bed. It works while you sleep. Use it on the backs of your hands too – it’s a game changer!
For very dry skin you may prefer our Nurturing Night Balm. A dual textured balm-oil which offers overnight recovery to your dry or very dry skin. Our salon strength balm combines the nutritive power of an oil along with the deep penetration of a serum. Packed with Omega Oils and Vitamins A, C, E and B help to defend skin against oxidative stress and environmental damage.
Don’t get caught out. Your dry, dehydrated skin will become sensitive if you don’t take care of it.
Genetics define your skin type. However, your skin condition comes from your lifestyle, environment and climate. In this instance, your skin type is dry (or prone to dryness) and your skin condition is dehydrated and sensitive. Using products to treat these conditions will give you ‘Better Skin for Life.’
If you’re still unsure of which skin type you have, or which condition is stopping your products from giving you the results they promise, you must book an appointment at our Virtual Skin Bar. This is a 1-2-1 personal skin consultation, hosted by a skin expert. A human, not a machine!
It’s the closest you’ll get to having an industry expert in your home. During your 20-minute appointment they will help you understand your skin and how to treat it. You will leave with a regime which fits your lifestyle and a prescription to help you choose the products you need to give you the results you deserve.
Book your complimentary appointment here. All you need is 20 minutes, a phone, tablet or computer.
