Help For Your Dry Skin | The Products I Use & Love

On January 1, I decided that this would be the year I would get serious about tackling my dry skin! The first thing I did was visit my dermatologist. I told her I was sick of the dry skin that had come with aging, and I was ready to go all-in on it! I asked for product recommendations, and she said she would be happy to give me those.

Then I sat with my pen poised, ready to write down lots of creamy, softening, and maybe even slimy lotions and potions. What she said next almost made me fall off the exam table.

She said, “Healthy skin is thinner skin.”

I was all, “WHAT???” ????

She explained to me that smooth skin starts with eliminating dead cells. That means incorporating products into your skincare regimen that contain ingredients like Vitamin C, retinol, and salicylic acid. Once the dead skin is replaced by healthy, fresh skin cells, you need to use powerful ingredients like naturally-derived oils, hyaluronic and lactic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides to help your skin retain moisture.

While my skin is definitely not perfect (mostly due to my application inconsistency!), it is a whole lot better! Today, I’m sharing the products she recommended, and I’m telling you how I use them. Let’s get you some dry skin help, shall we? ????

Click any of the images (including the items in the collage) or the pink text links to learn more about each product.

L’Occitaine Cleansing Shower Oil | Mini Humidifier | Biossance Clean Beauty Hyaluronic Toning Mist | Glycolix Eye Serum | L’Occitaine Shea Butter Hand Cream | Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Oil | Advanced Clinicals Body & Face Retinol Cream | Physician’s Choice Collagen Powder | CeraVe Salicylic Acid Cream

 

Dry Skin Help: The Products I Use

L’Occitaine Cleansing Shower Oil

My friend, Susan, gave me this cleansing oil, and (as you probably know) I can’t stop talking about how much I love it! ???? It’s appeared on the “For Her” section of my Holiday Gift Guide and a past SO in the KNOW as well! Made with both almond and grape seed oil, this shower oil is full of Omega 6 & 9. When it comes in contact with water, it transforms into a foam that gently cleanses and leaves my body soft, nourished, and moisturized (but not greasy). It respects the hydrolipidic film and doesn’t strip the skin of moisture. (The hydrolipidic film is a protective film—consisting of perspiration, water, sebum, and lipids—that covers your skin. It protects your skin against bacteria.) L’Occitaine Cleansing Shower Oil has made a huge difference in my skin! (Not to mention the fact that it puts me in a good mood because it smells delicious! ????)

 

Suzy’s Tip: When I use it, I scrunch up an exfoliating bath cloth and use it as a pouf, or spread it out (which is excellent for getting my back!). I know a lot of people love bath poufs, but they can harbor bacteria because they may not dry off enough between uses. I put my bath cloth in a lingerie bag and wash it in hot water every time I do our towels. I’ve linked to a three-pack of the exact one I use. (Bob uses one too, BTW!)

 

Mini Humidifier

More than anything else I’ve done to help with facial dryness, I think this mini humidifier has made the most significant difference! (Hey, at just $11.99, it was a cheap fix! ????) I put it right on my bedside table at night, and it continuously sprays for 5 hours or intermittently sprays for 10 hours, depending on which mode I choose. I aim it right at my face, and it sends a cooling mist that moisturizes my skin all night long. There’s a noticeable difference in the morning!

Suzy’s Tip: As an unexpected bonus, it’s helped with the sore throat and dry eyes I was waking up with every day! ???????? And on an unrelated note, you should know that, despite the first line of the description on the product page, it’s not meant to be used with essential oils.

 

Biossance Clean Beauty Hyaluronic Toning Mist

This refreshing face mist is what my face needs about mid-afternoon after being exposed to the cold (if I’m out doing errands), or the dry, heated air (if I’m inside). The spray is so fine, it won’t even mess up your makeup. (Unless you over-do it!) I love this product! ????

Suzy’s Tip: All facial mists are not created equal! Some can actually dry out the skin as they evaporate. This is because, when you mist your skin with a water-based product and don’t apply moisturizer on top (to seal in the hydrating ingredients), it actually draws moisture out of your skin as it evaporates. The drier the air, the more quickly the evaporation process will occur. So misting your skin with the wrong kind of facial mist will leave your skin tight, dry, and dehydrated.

But this clean beauty product is full of plant-derived squalane and two types of hyaluronic acid to provide a moisturizing boost. Hyaluronic acid molecules occur naturally in the skin’s structure and can retain up to 1000 times their weight in water, thus helping the skin retain moisture and collagen. They plump, lift, firm, and moisturize skin.

 

Glycolix Eye Serum

I love the creamy, moisturizing feel of Glycolix Eye Serum. I first purchased it from my dermatologist’s office (????), but I soon found my own source in an effort to save a little money! This rejuvenating serum contains hyaluronic acid to help the delicate under-eye skin retain water, which in turn creates a plumping effect to minimize fine lines, wrinkles, and crow’s feet. ???? It also contains Vitamin C to encourage skin cell turnover and improve dark, under-eye circles. It keeps the undereye area soft and pliable, which relaxes all of those lines!

 

L’Occitaine Shea Butter Hand Cream

About a month ago, I took to my Instastory and asked my followers to recommend their favorite hand creams! With the fluctuating weather we have in Dallas, when it’s nice out, I tend to forget how miserably dry my hands get when it’s cold outside. I knew my followers up north where it’s frigid for prolonged periods would have some great suggestions! Boy, was I right! I got so many suggestions; I had to create an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of them all!

The winner was L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Hand Cream! (Which was one that my dermatologist had also mentioned.) After researching it further, I found out that it’s one of the world’s best-selling hand creams, with one sold every two seconds! I ordered it immediately! My favorite thing about it is that it penetrates quickly and doesn’t leave your hands slimy.

It’s loaded with 20% organic Shea Butter, which is a naturally-derived oil extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. It’s blended with honey, almond extract, and coconut oil. (Read that: it smells so good, I remember to use it!) #yummy

 

Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Oil

This facial cleansing oil has been a game-changer for my face! I use it at night to gently remove my makeup. It’s made with naturally-derived coconut and argon oils to moisturize, and it’s 100% natural. It leaves my skin soft, moisturized, and clean!

Suzy’s Tip: I use one pump on dry hands and massage it onto my dry face. Then I wet my hands and massage some more. Then I rinse my face well. I’ve even used it with my Clarisonic cleansing brush! (To read more about how I use my Clarisonic cleansing brush, click HERE.)

 

Advanced Clinicals Body & Face Retinol Cream

I use prescription strength retinol on my face, but I use this Body & Face Retinol Cream on my body every morning (in conjunction with CeraVe SA cream every night). It’s made with pure retinol, which renews skin by increasing cell turnover, thus reducing the appearance of fine lines. It also helps with skin discoloration, uneven skin tone, and age spots. It restores skin firmness and shrinks the appearance of enlarged pores. Retinol provides all of these benefits by converting to retinoic acid (its active form) after being absorbed into the skin. Retinoic acid also functions as an antioxidant and helps the skin combat free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin. #powerfulstuff

I especially like this company, started by chemists who wanted to create effective formulations at attainable prices. All Advanced Clinicals skincare products retail for under $20! Their products are cost-effective, large-sized, and in easy-to-dispense packaging. Advanced Clinicals products are formulated in their own lab and manufactured in their own FDA-inspected facility in Chicago. To see the entire line of (well-reviewed) products on Amazon, click HERE.

Suzy’s Tip: Age spots run in my family, and I have pronounced dark spots on my legs. Since I started using this little combo, I’ve seen a lot of fading, and some of my age spots have even disappeared! In terms of my dry skin, I like this product because it keeps my skin soft, and it speeds cell renewal. I buy this product in a dual set, which I’ve linked below.

 

Physician’s Choice Collagen Powder

I don’t want to risk boring you by talking yet again about this product that I adore! Suffice it to say, if you want to combat your dry skin from the inside out, I highly recommend you get on a high-quality collagen powder! When collagen first came on the beauty scene a couple of years ago, I decided to try it (on your behalf!). I was intrigued by all of the claims about what collagen could do for everything from joints to skin. To read my research, what happened when I tried collagen, and why I opted for this particular brand (Brand matters!), you can read the post I wrote HERE.

 

CeraVe Salicylic Acid Cream

This cream is full of both salicylic acid and ceramides. Salicylic acid is a gentle ingredient that improves skin texture by exfoliating, softening, and smoothing dehydrated skin. It’s often used in conjunction with Lactic Acid, which is also in this product. Ceramides are one of nine lipids that are naturally present in the top layer of the skin. It prevents the skin from losing moisture and restores and maintains the skin’s natural barrier.

If your skin is so dry it’s rough and scaly, or you have things like bumps on the backs of your arms, remember what my dermatologist said: “Smooth skin starts with eliminating dead cells.” This cream does that, It also hydrates with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide (a calming ingredient that helps a compromised skin barrier and improves the appearance of the skin) and restores the skin’s natural barrier with ceramides.

Suzy’s Tip: I use this salicylic acid cream all over my body at night right before bed. After I work out in the morning, I take a shower, use L’Occitaine Cleansing Shower Oil with the exfoliating bath cloth I mentioned above, and then I slather on Advanced Clinicals Body & Face Retinol Cream before I get dressed.

 

All of the items I shared today (except the Biossance Clean Beauty Hyaluronic Toning Mist) are also available on Amazon! For your convenience, I’ve linked them on the “Beauty Products I Love” section of the Empty Nest Blessed Amazon page. (Every time I mention Amazon, I’m required to state that as an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from any qualifying purchases you might make as a result of this post. ????)

What products have helped you with dry skin? I’d love your recommendations!

Blessings,

 

 

 

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