Skincare tips for dry & irritated skin
Some may contend with oily and clogged pores, others with dry and irritated skin. While those with drier skin types don’t have to worry about looking like a shiny disco ball, there are other things like flaky patches of skin and distinct wrinkles to deal with. Throw in our hot climate and you’ve got yourself a less than ideal situation of itchiness and redness. If you’ve exhausted your list of skincare tips obtained from TikTok, we’ve rounded up 7 more that’ve been shared by accredited dermatologists that’s not just your basic “don’t touch your face unnecessarily” tip.
1. Use eye patches for smile lines
Aside from wrinkles that form on your forehead, there are also those that form on the corners of your mouth – causing distinct smile lines. This isn’t due to constant smiling but natural causes like ageing and dehydration, so you don’t have to pull a Victoria Beckham and stop your lips from curving up.
Instead, consider using eye patches for your smile lines. I know, it might look silly at first but your skin will thank you later.
The curved contour of the eye patches match perfectly with the smile lines, and you can target the smile lines specifically instead of using a full face mask. Eye patches are generally more affordable than face masks, so you’ll be saving on skincare expenses this way.
You can use the eye patches once or twice a week, so your skin isn’t overloaded with heavier products.
2. DIY face mists to refresh the skin on-the-go
As much as we love our sunny island, the heat and humidity can sometimes cause excessive sweating. Doing literally anything makes us perspire, and if you have dry patches on your face, you’ll probably feel a slight burning sensation and itching too.
To avoid the daily discomfort caused by dry skin, try moisturising your face regularly throughout the day – think rich tai tais in K-dramas who constantly drench their face with facial sprays.
Simply DIY your own face mists with 2 basic items. There are affordable mini spray bottles sold at shops like MUJI or Shopee where you can take your pick and get your preferred design. Fill the bottle with a moisturising toner, ensure the lid is secured and you’ve got yourself a facial spray.
What’s more, these bottles are small and portable so you can pop them into your bag and moisturise your face when you’re in the office under a blasting air con.
For busy bees who don’t have time to DIY, there’s also facial spray products like the Curél Deep Moisture Spray that’s set for you to spray away. A few spritzes of this left my face refreshed and hydrated, without smudging my foundation and messing with my mascara.
3. Check your ears & under eyes to determine hydration level
Not so surprisingly, a common cause of dry skin is dehydration. It can get difficult to tell if your body is dehydrated since you don’t know how much water you’re losing.
One indication that your body is lacking water is prominent dark eye circles. While we can attribute our panda eyes to late nights of bingeing Netflix shows, dehydration can also cause the delicate skin beneath your eyes to shrink and look dull. Your eyes will also look sunken with those heavy eye bags.
When your ears feel warmer than usual, it’s a sign to gulp down a few glasses of water as that’s also an indication that your kidney lacks hydration. Similarly, consuming too much caffeine, alcohol and sodium can cause a strain on your kidneys and this issue reflects on your ears.
4. Avoid constantly switching out products
As the saying goes, “patience is a virtue”. While it’s exciting whenever we get new skincare goodies, Dr Rachel Ho of La Clinic shares that it’s vital to be patient and test out a product for at least 3-4 weeks before switching out to a different one. This is because our skin cells renew every 28 days so it might require that duration for results to be noticeable.
Additionally, constantly changing your skincare might aggravate sensitive skin due to the influx of different ingredients applied to it.
5. Sort your skincare based on a morning & night routine
Dr. Teo also advises to have a separate day and night skincare routine. It can seem troublesome at first, but using the same products sometimes cause unnecessary distress to your skin due to the ingredients in certain items.
Your skin is exposed to UV rays during the day.
Take your daytime products for example – these typically should include plant based antioxidants to help fight off photoaging caused by sun exposure. Active ingredients like vitamin C can also be used during the day instead of night to fend off photoaging, since there’s no sun damage when the sun has set.
Not forgetting a daytime staple – sunscreen. Remember to opt for non-chemical products like the Curél Day Barrier UV Protection Milk, so your skin isn’t aggravated by harsh chemicals such as oxybenzone.
Conversely, skincare with retinols can cause your skin to be sensitive and irritated from sun exposure, so these should be in your nightly routine.
6. Bulk up on broccoli
Growing up and adulting includes facing our fears and eating our least favourite foods – like broccoli. Don’t gag just yet because Dr. Teo shares that broccoli is a rich source of sulforaphane. Now this might sound a little like alien language, but sulforaphane basically stimulates the production of enzymes that help repair damaged skin cells.
It also has strong anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and contains a ton of arachidonic acid which has a calming effect on the skin. Maybe now you’ll give broccoli a go when ordering cai fan for lunch.
7. Opt for products with ceramides
Check the ingredient list to know what’s going on your skin.
Not all of us are scientists, so items on the ingredient list – especially those with uber long names – can seem foreign and daunting. According to Dr. Teo Wan Lin of Dr. TWL Dermaceuticals, a good rule of thumb for those with sensitive skin is to look out for products containing ceramides.
So TL;DR, ceramides are the skin’s natural fats present in the outermost layer of the skin. They help lock in moisture while maintaining the skin’s barrier which protects your skin from irritants and reduces redness and itchiness too.
As we age, our body’s production of ceramides slows down so it’s key to replenish our skin with products that are rich in ceramides. Dry-skinned peeps, this is especially essential to rehydrate our parched skin.
Skin care tips for dry & sensitive skin
Those who’ve been plagued with dry and sensitive skin can understand the struggle of keeping your skin calm and clear. Besides the shared skincare tips, another to consider would be investing in skincare that are made for your skin type – such as the Curél Intensive Moisture Facial Care range.
A nod to Dr. Teo’s tip on the importance of ceramides, the range uses the Curél Ceramide Care technology which, as the name suggests, uses ceramide ingredients to restore your skin’s moisture without added colourants, fragrance or alcohol that will irritate your skin.
It’s been awarded Best-Selling Derma Foaming Wash in Watson’s Health Wellness Beauty Award 5 years in a row.
Included in the range is the Curél Foaming Facial Wash, that dispenses a thick creamy foam which effectively but gently cleanses your skin of all dirt and grime. You’ll find that this formula won’t leave your skin taut and feeling like you just got Botox.
When your skin’s itching and irritated, the last thing you want to do is slather on cream as it might feel like you’re suffocating it. However, itching is largely caused by dryness of the skin so it’s key to moisturise your skin with products like the Curél Moisture Facial Cream to strengthen your skin’s barrier and retain moisture.
The cream contains the highest concentration of ceramide in the range, giving it some serious moisture replenishing powers. It also has eucalyptus extract, which helps boost your skin’s ability to replenish its own ceramide. And the cherry on top: you’ll find that it is airy-light and doesn’t leave a sticky feeling after application, so you can put this comfortably on your skin.
Topping it off is the Curél Deep Moisture Spray, which is both satisfying and refreshing to use. It has tiny micro-ceramide particles in the formula that effectively moisturises your skin with each spray. Not to mention how convenient it is to use since you don’t have to fuss about washing your hands after.
We’ve all heard that the skin is our largest organ, so it’s essential to care for it with the proper products. Those who wish to try out the range from this popular Japanese brand can kope free samples before committing to a purchase, while stocks last.
And if you’ve been planning to get your hands on the Curél products, you’ll be in for a treat as Watsons is having an exclusive 25% discount from 28th April to 25th May 2022 on crowd favourites like the products mentioned, as well as their Moisture Repair Sheet Mask.
Take the opportunity to stock up as you’ll get an additional $5 off when you spend $40 and above.
Get your hands on the Curél Intensive Moisture Facial Care range
This post was brought to you by Kao Curél.
Photography by Alvin Wong.
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