Does your skin often feel tight, so it would be too tight for your face? You are not alone in this. Dry skin is widespread – and it cries out for care and attention. Find out here what causes this and what you can do to feel good in your skin every day again.
When we talk about dry skin, we mean a condition in which the skin lacks essential oils and moisture. As a result, it begins to tighten, perhaps also to flake or itch. What’s more, it can no longer fulfill its natural function as a protective barrier as well.
Dry skin – or xerosis cutis, as it is medically known – is very common. Around one in three people are prone to this and there is often a genetic predisposition behind it. Environmental factors such as cold, UV radiation or too frequent washing can exacerbate the problem. And importantly, normal skin ageing also promotes dry skin.
If you have dry skin, you may notice that it looks rough, flaky and dull, sometimes even slightly grayish. The skin relief often appears coarser. This means that you can see the fine skin lines, which are not wrinkles, particularly clearly, so that the image is reminiscent of a cobblestone pavement. But small dryness wrinkles are also common, especially around the eyes and mouth.
Or is your skin prone to redness? This can also indicate dry skin. If the skin is extremely dry, unpleasant skin cracks can sometimes form, especially on the heels or corners of the mouth.
The basic problem with dry skin is the lack of important fats (skin lipids). These normally ensure that our skin forms a robust protective layer on the outside, also known as the skin barrier. The skin barrier is therefore often weakened in dry skin.
In very simple terms, you can imagine the skin barrier as a kind of wall: The horny cells of your epidermis lie next to and on top of each other like small bricks. They are held together by a mortar-like substance consisting of skin oils and other substances. This also includes various water-binding substances called “natural moisturizing factors”. Some of these substances are secreted by your skin cells, others are produced by your sebaceous glands.
But what happens if there is too little of this greasy binding agent? You guessed it: your skin then becomes leaky and the trapped moisture can evaporate much more easily to the outside. Conversely, substances that do not belong there may penetrate the skin: Chemicals, germs or pollutants of all kinds. This is why dry skin often reacts very
sensitive
to environmental influences.
Now you may be wondering why your skin produces too little “mortar”. There may be various reasons for this:
Genes: Do your parents or siblings also suffer from dry skin? Then there is probably a genetic predisposition behind it.
Age: With increasing age, the quantity and quality of skin lipids decrease in almost all people. This is why mature skin is particularly prone to dryness.
Environmental factors: For example, cold and dry heating air can promote skin dryness. Excessive UV radiation also exacerbates the problem.
Pre-existing conditions: Skin dryness is a typical symptom of skin diseases such as psoriasis or neurodermatitis (atopic eczema). Other diseases and metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus or hypothyroidism can also contribute to dry skin.
Dry and dehydrated – that sounds like one and the same problem. But there is an important difference: while dry skin lacks oils, dehydrated skin is thirsty and needs water.
Dry skin is often dehydrated at the same time because it loses too much moisture due to the weakened skin barrier. But even normal or oily skin can be dehydrated at times – for example, if you have just had a long-haul flight or generally drink too little.
Important: Dehydrated, oily skin is often confused with dry skin, but has completely different care needs! You can find out more in our guide to dehydrated skin.
Dry skin is a skin type and not yet a disease. However, very dry skin can cause an unpleasant feeling of tightness. Visually, you may be bothered by the chafed skin on your shins or the small flakes that trickle to the ground.
Skin dryness becomes a medical problem when your skin starts to itch. This is because the almost unavoidable scratching causes tiny injuries and inflammations, which intensify the itching – a vicious circle. In general, the weakened skin barrier increases the risk of allergic reactions, eczema and other skin diseases.
If your skin
you should therefore always have this checked out by a doctor.
Dry skin is sensitive and doesn’t like it at all when you treat it with fragrant soaps and colorful bubble baths. Now you’ll say: hygiene is a must. True, but we often mean it too well and flush valuable skin oils down the drain along with dirt and sweat. This only weakens the skin barrier all the more.
You should therefore exercise restraint if you have dry skin. In concrete terms, this means:
When caring for dry skin, it is important not only to provide the skin with moisture and lipids, but also to improve its barrier function. The best way to achieve this is through consistent care with products that meet the special requirements of your skin.
A distinction is made between oil-in-water emulsions and water-in-oil emulsions. The former contain more water, the latter more oil. The basic rule is: the drier your skin is at the moment, the oilier your skin cream or lotion should be. Dry skin therefore often benefits from products based on a water-in-oil emulsion.
For facial care, it has proven effective to apply a moisturizing day cream in the morning and a richer night cream in the evening. This will help you avoid annoying greasy shine on your face during the day.
Caution: In the case of acute inflammation or itching, care products with a higher water content are better, as heat often builds up under oily creams. Generally speaking, pure oils such as olive, almond or argan oil are unsuitable for long-term body care and can even further weaken your skin barrier.
Cosmetics manufacturers have developed numerous ingredients to make dry skin velvety soft again. This effect has been scientifically proven for one substance in particular: urea. This is nothing other than urea. Urea occurs naturally in the skin as a so-called “moisturizing factor”, but dry skin often lacks it.
Urea is considered highly effective against dry skin because the substance binds water in the skin very well, strengthens its barrier function and relieves itching. In higher concentrations, urea also softens calluses on the feet very effectively.
Urea works even better in combination with moisturizing substances. The so-called ceramides should be mentioned here in particular. They are also actually a natural component of your skin’s protective barrier. A major advantage is that ceramides are non-comedogenic, i.e. they do not promote skin blemishes or acne.
Other useful ingredients are, for example
On the other hand, you should avoid fragrances, colorants and preservatives, alcohol and fruit acids.
Last updated: 16.05.2024
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