Dry, sensitive skin

Top 10 Skincare Tips for Dry Sensitive Skin

If you have dry sensitive skin, we don’t have to tell you that the struggle is real! For those on the dry end of the spectrum, changes in humidity and temperature can play havoc with your complexion, with autumn and winter being the most difficult seasons for dealing with dryness.

That’s the bad news. The good news, however, is that it doesn’t have to be impossible. To help you out, we’ve compiled some of our favourite skincare tips for dry skin to help you troubleshoot and keep your skin healthy, hydrated, and glowing all year round.

What is dry sensitive skin and what causes it?

Perhaps the most important thing to realise about dry sensitive skin is that it is a skin type that some people are born with, characterised by a complexion that produces very little in the way of oil or natural moisture and is susceptible to irritation. It is important to note that dry skin is different from dehydrated skin, which is a condition in which the skin lacks water.

Some symptoms of a dry sensitive skin type include feelings of tightness, rough texture, flakiness, itchiness, and redness. It can also appear dull and show more signs of ageing, such as fine lines and wrinkles. For this reason, proper care is essential to keep your skin healthy and prevent damage caused by excess dryness.

Beyond the basic genetic components of your skin type that cannot be controlled, there are a few things to be aware of that can be addressed or mitigated. Here’s what you need to know:

Our Top 10 Skincare Tips for Dry Sensitive Skin:

1. Cleanse correctly

We all know that washing your face is important, but for dry sensitive skin types, cleansing too often, or with the wrong type of cleanser, can do more harm than good. To get this step to work for you and not against you, you’ll want to choose gentle, creamy, or oil-based cleansers designed for dry sensitive skin that cleanse away dirt, debris, and bacteria without stripping the skin of its protective oils.

  • Scenturie Product Pick: Natural Creamy Cleanser – Formulated with nourishing botanical oils, including avocado, sweet almond, apricot, coconut, and grape seed oil, our gentle natural cleanser works to infuse your skin with all of the good stuff dry skin needs, and keep moisture levels intact.

2. Avoid products with drying ingredients

Besides harsh cleansers, certain toners can be problematic for dry skin as they tend to include drying or astringent ingredients, like alcohol. Instead, you will want to opt for alcohol-free formulas that are hydrating. Not only do these types of products help replace lost moisture after cleansing, but they can be used throughout the day to provide the skin with an added boost of H2O, any time you are feeling dry.

  • Scenturie Product Pick: Replenishing Natural Toner – A soothing and calming blend of aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, orange blossom water, and other plant-based extracts, our hydrating natural toner is the best toner for dry sensitive skin.

3. Exfoliate…but not too much

If you have dry, sensitive skin cellular turnover can sometimes become sluggish, contributing to a buildup of even more dead or dry skin on the surface. Exfoliating can be very beneficial, and will allow for better absorption of hydrating and moisturising products. The trick, however, is to use exfoliation in moderation. About 1-3x per week is ideal, and will help avoid over-drying or aggravating sensitive skin.

  • Scenturie Product Pick: Espresso Facial Scrub – finely ground coffee beans are suspended in a rich, thickly textured blend of argan, chia, grapeseed, sweet almond, and coconut oils, and New Zealand kanuka extract, to deliver optimal nourishment while deep cleansing your skin.
Espresso Facial Scrub

4. Reach for the right ingredients

As you’ve likely already gathered at this point, the best skincare routine for dry sensitive skin is one that is full of gentle, hydrating, and nourishing ingredients. What does that look like exactly? We’re glad you asked! Some of our favourites to seek out include: hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and plant-based oils including calming ones like aloe vera, green tea leaf, and rose. As much as possible, we incorporate these ingredients into our Scenturie formulas for dry sensitive skin types. 

Shea-butter

Unrefined Ghanian shea butter.

5. Add a targeted treatment serum

Though it’s great to moisturise, the truth is that sometimes your skin can benefit from just a bit more. During dry seasons, or anytime your skin is feeling in need of extra TLC, serums are a perfect solution for delivering more concentrated hydration and active ingredients – like hyaluronic acid – deep into the skin. For best results, try layering your favourite serum with your moisturiser. (You will love the enhanced benefit it provides.)

  • Scenturie Product Pick: Super Boost Bakuchiol Serum – A natural alternative to retinol, bakuchiol is a youth-boosting super ingredient that encourages cellular turnover and repair, and does not irritate sensitive skin types. Additionally, we’ve paired it with other skin-loving plant oils to create one deeply nourishing elixir.

6. Follow a consistent routine

While choosing the right skincare products is fundamental to treating dry, sensitive skin, it’s worth noting that no routine will work unless you actually use the products on a regular basis. Skipping a day, or even a step, can quickly contribute to dryness. So with this in mind, a best practice would be to cleanse 1-2x daily, follow with a hydrating toner, plus daily use of targeted serums, and moisturise both morning and night. This will ensure that your skin consistently receives the care that it needs to stay on track.

  • Scenturie Product Pick: The Ultra-Hydrating Skincare Set – For eliminating guesswork, we created this special skincare set with absolutely everything you need. This kit contains Natural Creamy Cleanser, Replenishing Natural Toner, Super Boost Bakuchiol Serum, Nourishing Natural Day Cream, and Ultra-rich Natural Night Cream, all of which were designed especially for dry, sensitive skin.

7. Steer clear of irritating ingredients

Because dry sensitive skin can be prone to additional issues such as rashes, flaky, itchy, patchy skin, inflammation, and exacerbation of allergic reactions, another way to help prevent these concerns is by avoiding certain chemical ingredients such as synthetic fragrances, parabens, sulphates, and silicones. These types of additives can be troublesome for all skin types, but are particularly irritating to dry sensitive skin. We recommend looking for formulas that omit these ingredients altogether.

8: Strive for balanced intake

Understanding that the state of your skin can be a reflection of your internal health, it is also important for dry sensitive skin types to seek balance when it comes to things like a healthy diet. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and limit diuretics such as caffeine and alcohol – which can lead to dehydration in the body and cause more dryness for your skin.

9. Commit to daily SPF and Sun Protection

A common mistake that many people make during colder months is believing that they don’t need to protect themselves against UV exposure. However, this simply isn’t the case. Even when the weather is cold or cloudy, your skin can still incur damage from the sun and this can be particularly hard on dry skin. Regardless of the weather, you should always wear protective clothing, apply sunscreen in the morning, and reapply throughout the day to stay properly safeguarded.

10. Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!

One last tip that may seem like a no-brainer: To make up for a lack of natural lipids and oils in the skin, you need to apply a good quality natural moisturiser daily. It’s one of the easiest ways to nurture your skin, and cultivate a radiant complexion. Apply twice daily after cleansing and toning, and follow with a suitable SPF in the morning. For additional hydration add a few drops of your favourite botanical face oil as well, it can be a game-changer!

  • Scenturie Product Picks: Revitalising Face Oil – featuring a luxe combination jojoba seed, grape seed, rosehip fruit, argan, pomegranate seed, sea buckthorn fruit oil, cacay seed, Cucumber seed, Raspberry seed, and Vitamin E oils, this incredible formula helps to balance, restore, rejuvenate, and improve overall skin health.
  • Nourishing Natural Day Cream – this super-gentle, ultra-hydrating, fragrance-free moisturiser is made with nutrient-rich premium plant oils and extracts to hydrate, strengthen, and nourish skin all day long, without leaving it feeling oily.
  • Ultra-Rich Natural Night Cream – featuring a luxurious blend of pure botanical plant oils carefully selected for their deeply moisturising, regenerative, and nourishing effect on ageing and dehydrated skin. Packed full of essential vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids this ultra-rich night cream is easily absorbed and works to soothe, repair, and regenerate the skin overnight.

By following a daily skincare routine designed to care for dry sensitive skin you should start noticing results almost straight away. Be consistent and you will be rewarded with a smooth, hydrated, healthy complexion.

skincare lady

All Scenturie natural skincare products are hand-crafted in small batches using pure, sustainable, plant-derived ingredients. All our products are proudly 100% vegan, cruelty-free, palm oil-free, eco-friendly, and backed by science.

Member of Cosmetics New Zealand

www.scenturie.co.nz

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