Waging War On Dry Skin

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I’ve added a skin care routine as part of my Everyday Beauty efforts.

Since I hit 40, I’ve battled dry, itchy and flaky skin.

My biggest problem – not drinking enough water. When I finally got serious about weight loss, my water intake shot up. I’m drinking in about 2+ liters of water a day, keeping my skin hydrated.  Before the diet, you could find cracks on my feet, just like the ground during a drought.  Not pretty.

Thanks to that high quality H20 my skin isn’t that bad anymore. However smooth skin requires a balance between water and body oils.

Battle Plan For Silky, Smooth Skin
My skin battle is half way won thanks to my diet. To win the war, I have the following plan:

  • Apply a moisturizer 3 times a day (including immediately after a shower).
  • Ciao harsh soaps. They strip lipids and water from your skin. Now I’m only using soaps that moisturize.
  • Good-bye to steamy showers. Long, hot showers dry out the natural oils in your skin. So I’m dialing down the temp to lukewarm and keeping the shower to under 10 minutes.
  • Hello sunscreen. I’m Vitamin D deficient, so during my walks I forgo using any sunscreen. I just learned that while sun exposure dries skin, the big damage occurs in the dermis where collagen and elastin fibers break down rapidly, leading to deep wrinkles and sagging skin. My strategy now is to spend 15 minutes outside without any sunscreen to load up on Vitamin D. Then apply a sunscreen with moisturizer for the walks.

For my plan to come together, I needed a few items from Target to help keep my skin feeling smooth and silky.

  • Cetaphil Cream ($8.59 – on sale)
  • CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser ($11.99)
  • CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion ($12.99)
  • Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash ($7.49)
  • Yardley Oatmeal & Almond Moisturizing Soap ($1.99 – 2 bars)

Cetaphil is my new workhorse – applied 3 times a day, including right after a shower.  I’ll use the CeraVe products only on my face in the AM/PM.  Aveeno and Yardley are for showers.

As you can see, Everyday Beauty can be expensive. So depending on how well the above products work, I am considering making my own moisturizers and facial masks with natural ingredients. Ah, the power of the Web!

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Get Your Mask On!

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Do you mask? Everyday beauty includes a skin regimen.

Do you mask? Everyday beauty includes a skin regimen.

Mud masks are magical!

I stopped using mud masks a few years ago and I have no idea why. Not only does a mask help clean your skin but it’s relaxing and fun. Trying not to smile once it dries is difficult, which is why I stay away from mirrors.

Masking Tips

  • Exfoliate Before – For the mask to penetrate and draw out the impurities in your pores, it works best if you remove the dead layer of cells on your face.
  • Moisturize After – Masks pull oil away from the skin, which is why if you’re like me and have dry skin you should 1. Apply a moisturizer after you wash the mask off, and 2. Limit masks to twice a week.

I did a little research this weekend and sure enough, mud masks are formulated for your skin type. The mud in my cabinet is probably 4 years old. No doubt, it’s not the best for my face. Oh well. I guess it’s another item to go on my make-over list (oh, the make-over is in September).

Everyday beauty means looking after my skin…and setting aside two nights a week to play in the mud is just the ticket.

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