Moisturizer is a skincare product used to moisturize and improve skin hydration. However, some people still experience dry skin despite using moisturizers. What could be the reason?

Why Your Skin Stays Dry Despite Using Moisturizer

People generally use moisturizers to treat dry skin problems. However, for some dry skin owners, even though they have used moisturizer, it is not always effective in keeping the skin moisturized.

Dry skin is usually characterized by symptoms such as tightness, roughness, peeling, itching, or visible wrinkles or cracks in the skin that can bleed. When dry skin doesn't improve despite moisturizers, you should look at other factors that can affect skin health.

Your washing or showering habits, using products that are not suitable for your skin, living in a dry environment, your medical condition, and your genetics can all have an impact. Here are some of the reasons why your skin can remain dry despite your diligent skincare regimen:

Face care mistakes

Some facial mistakes can make your skin dry, such as:

• Not exfoliating

Skin always goes through a process of replacing dead skin cells with new skin cells. Sometimes, these dead skin cells can accumulate on the surface of the facial skin and make the skin look dry and flaky. If you don't exfoliate regularly, dead skin cells can continue to build up on the skin and make your skin feel rough, dry and dull. 

• Washing your face too often

Washing your face too often can also remove the natural oil content on the face that helps protect the skin barrier and keep the skin moisturized, causing dry facial skin. We recommend that you limit washing your face 1-2 times a day using a mild face soap that does not irritate the skin.

Read More: The Ideal Order for Skincare Products: Serum or Moisturizer First?

Malnutrition

When you don't get enough nutrients from your daily diet, your skin health can also suffer. Lack of fluids, vitamins, and minerals such as vitamins A, B, C, D, E, zinc, or iron can cause your skin to feel dry even when you use moisturizers.

In addition, 15-20% of the skin's outer layer is made up of water. Dehydrated skin loses its elasticity and is prone to dryness. To combat the above conditions, you can increase your fluid intake and eat a nutritionally balanced diet. 

Side effects of medication and certain medical conditions

Those of you who are undergoing treatment such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or using cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) may also experience dry skin due to the side effects of the treatment. Apart from these medications, the use of topical steroids, birth control pills, antihypertensives (beta-blockers), and the use of retinoids can also cause dry skin.

Apart from medications, some other skin conditions that can cause dry skin include psoriasis and eczema (atopic dermatitis). If you have any of these skin conditions, you should see your doctor. 

Dry weather

Being in dry weather can cause your skin to lose moisture. Cold air can naturally dry out the skin. In addition, prolonged exposure to the sun during hot weather can also cause dryness of the skin.

Hot showers and swimming

Prolonged exposure to hot showers or prolonged soaking in hot water can also damage the skin's outer layer and remove oils from the skin barrier. In addition, frequent swimming in highly chlorinated pools can also cause the skin to lose its natural oils.

How to treat dry skin

Dry skin treatment depends on the cause. If dry skin occurs due to side effects of medication, these effects will disappear after the treatment process is complete. To treat dry skin caused by lifestyle factors, some of the ways you can include:

• Apply a moisturizer after showering to lock in water from the skin's surface so that the skin stays moisturized, you can choose a moisturizer in the form of an ointment or cream that can hold water better than lotion products
• Use a hydrating toner and serum, you can use a serum that contains active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid or vitamin C to increase skin moisture
• Use a humidifier when the weather is dry
• Drink more to replenish body fluids
• Avoid taking long showers and washing your face too often
• Exfoliate your skin regularly

If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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