Dry skin is a very common complaint that many of my clients struggle with, especially this time of year. But sometimes the things you are using to help (cough, cough conventional moisturizers) are really making things worse. Let’s dig in deeper to understand the difference between hydration and moisturizing, and I’ll tell you my favorite products and treatments to battle the dryness!

“Why am I still dry? I MOISTURIZE!”

If we have ever discussed dry skin or moisturizers in person, you know that this is a soap box of mine. Since this is a blog you can totally stop reading and skip to the products now but if you stick with me, I’m about to blow your mind…

Conventional moisturizers are probably drying out your skin. What?! Read it again… that heavy cream you are piling on is probably causing more dryness and triggering you to apply even more of that heavy cream. Is your mind blown? You may be thinking, “But Katie, when I apply my thick moisturizer my skin feels instantly better”. And you’re right, it probably does. But the problem with conventional moisturizers is that they are a quick fix that can cause more harm than good.

The outer layer of the skin is primarily made up of water, lipids, and protein. Most conventional moisturizers mimic this, so when you put that layer of moisturizer on top of your skin it just sits there on top. There are three problems with this:

1.     It falsely suppresses your skin’s natural hydration. The skin is fooled to think it is hydrated and stops producing its own natural hydration. This leads to dryer skin and needing to apply more moisturizer. 

2.     Using moisturizer on top of the skin traps old skin cells contributing to the look of dull and dry skin. The lack of natural hydration can also contribute to the dull appearance.

3.     Since you are fooling the skin’s barrier into thinking it is appropriately hydrated, the skin can become weaker and more sensitive over time. This prompts you to think you need to apply more moisturizer, but you are really making the problem worse!

“So, how am I supposed to handle my dry skin?”

 When I explain this concept to my clients, many have a hard time giving up the idea of their conventional moisturizer. After all, we have been told these products are necessities for decades! Don’t worry, I have a 21st century solution to this age old problem:

· Ditch conventional moisturizers:

As I explained above, these are probably contributing to your skin dryness and dullness. Just say NO! There may be a short adjustment period where your skin feels dry, but the majority of my clients find that they don’t need any additional hydration once they stop using heavy moisturizers!

· Get started on a proper skincare routine:

Let your friendly neighborhood skincare expert make some suggestions for your skin. You can book a complimentary skincare consult at Even Esthetics™ and receive specialized recommendations to solve your skin concerns. Getting on the right exfoliating and cleansing products can make a huge difference in your skin! Often, I find that with a proper skin routine, your skin isn’t dry at all- you won’t miss that moisturizer anyway.

· Embrace a functional hydrator:

A functional hydrator is the modern moisturizer. These hydrators are scientifically formulated to encourage your skin to hydrate itself. Instead of masking a problem like moisturizers do, functional hydrators are a building block to healthy, hydrated, and glowing skin!  They are designed to go deeper into the skin and accelerate the skin’s natural hydration process. 

I carry a few different functional hydrators to choose from:

Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment: $140

This is my favorite choice for clients who need daily moisture support. Trio targets the balance of skin hydration while promoting the skin’s natural hydration process and strengthening the skin barrier.

ZO Hydrating Crème: $106

This is my favorite product for extremely inflamed, irritated, or post procedure skin. ZO Hydrating Crème is my go-to for severe dry skin as well as eczema. I tend to favor this product as a “bridge” to bring your skin barrier back to health rather than a long term maintenance product.

ZO Renewal Crème and ZO Recovery Crème $106

These are ideal if you just want a bump of hydration to add to your daily skin routine. Both of these products contain a whisper of retinol, which will help boost your skin cell turnover rates and lead to glowing skin. 

• Come in for a ZO Deep Hydrating Peel

If you need a quick fix to a dryness problem, or are just looking to reboot your skin, the ZO Deep Hydrating Peel is the way to go! I will customize the treatment to your skin needs and allow for an infusion of hydrating products to get your skin feeling better immediately.

To book this service, choose ZO Custom No Downtime Peel from the service menu here! This peel is offered at HALF OFF in the month of December, so come get your glow on for the holidays!

If you want to read more about the ZO Custom No Downtime Peel, check out this blog!

If you’ve stuck with me this far, I hope your mind is blown by my soap box on conventional moisturizers. Using high quality, medical grade products on your skin (aka the largest organ in your body) will promote overall skin health and let your skin glow in the way it is supposed to!