Is your skin tight, rough, or even flaky? Dry skin can be a year-round concern, and especially in the Nordic winter, skin's moisture balance can fluctuate. Fortunately, you can steer your skin in the right direction with just a few key products.
When caring for dry skin, it's important to commit to a regular routine that combines gentleness and hydration.
Learn how to restore your skin's moisture balance and find the best products for dry skin!
What causes skin to dry out?
Dry skin is often characterized by a tight and rough feeling, which is especially noticeable after cleansing. Skin that has lost moisture may be more prone to irritation, sensitization, and redness. Small dehydration lines also appear more easily when the skin needs moisture.
Skin can be dry for many reasons, and it doesn't always depend on age or skin condition. Weather conditions often trigger symptoms in dry-prone skin, as the face is directly exposed to the outdoor air throughout the year. In winter, dry and cold air strips the skin of its natural moisture, but in summer, sun UV radiation can also dry out the skin.
Skin dryness often also stems from hereditary factors and aging. Certain skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, are also prone to causing skin dryness.
Skincare routines also play a big role in maintaining moisture balance. For example, overly harsh cleansers can be too effective and weaken the skin's natural protection and moisture, making the skin prone to dryness.
What kind of products and ingredients help dry skin?
It is important to note that dry skin needs special care, as its own protective barrier is not as strong as that of normal or oily skin. Therefore, the skin reacts more sensitively to environmental challenges – whether it is overly harsh cleansing or temperature changes.
The skin's own protective barrier takes care of moisture balance, elasticity, and well-being, and if it weakens, it often manifests as dryness.
For dry skin care, choose products that contain moisturizing, softening, and moisture-locking ingredients.
As a rule of thumb, dry skin benefits from skincare products that contain:
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Moisture-binding ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, panthenol, and glycerin.
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Softening and protective ingredients. For example, ceramides prevent skin dryness.
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Ingredients that prevent moisture evaporation. For example, oat and jojoba oil and numerous other plant oils are excellent ingredients for softening the skin.
Reading tip for the world of ingredients: Retinol is a hero ingredient in skincare
A simple five-step routine for dry skin care
Just any cleanser is not a friend: gentle cleansing starts skin care
Cleansing is one of the most important steps in skincare, as an overly harsh cleanser can disrupt the skin's moisture balance.
For dry skin, the best cleansers are oil-based cleansers, balms, and milky cleansers.
Especially for made-up skin, we recommend double cleansing: an oil-based cleanser gently and thoroughly removes makeup, and a water-based cleanser, such as cleansing milk, completes the cleansing.
The best cleansers for dry skin:
NOBE Oat Wonder Silky Cleansing Oil
NOBE Oat Wonder Gentle Cleansing Cream
Hwarang’ Bellflower Cleansing Balm
Tonymoly Wonder Apricot Deep Cleansing Oil
Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker
Toner, essence or treatment water contains essential water hydration
You may have heard that toner is a "finisher of cleansing" to be used with a cotton pad? It's time to discard that notion!!
A high-quality toner, or in Korean terms, an essence or treatment water, is an essential moisturizing product. Its purpose is to soften the skin and provide it with water hydration. As a result, skin tightness is immediately relieved, and subsequent skincare products are absorbed better.
Tip: A facial mist is also a convenient way to moisturize and refresh the skin throughout the day, for example, if your skin feels tight when sitting in front of a computer.
Product tips for dry skin:
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water
NOBE Forest Elixir Microbiome Strengthening Toner
Geek & Gorgeous Liquid Hydration
Serums for dry skin are skincare superheroes
A hydrating serum is an excellent choice for dry skin care, as it contains active ingredients in a concentrated form. For example, hyaluronic acid, centella and peptides are excellent ingredients in dry skin serums.
Serum is especially useful in winter and if the skin clearly needs more moisture, or if the skin shows signs of aging, for example.
The best dry skin serums feel thin but are super moisturizing. Use morning or evening after toner, before moisturizer.
Best serums for dry skin:
Hada Labo Concentrated Water Serum Lock-in-Moist
Torriden DIVE IN Hyaluronic Acid Serum
S. Nature Aqua Squalane Serum
NOBE Cooling Care Soothing Serum
Moisturizing face cream is dry skin's best friend
A nourishing face cream is like a protective blanket that keeps the skin supple and moisturized.
If your skin is prone to dryness, especially in winter, it's a good idea to switch to a richer cream. An effective night cream also helps restore the skin's moisture balance during beauty sleep!
Best moisturizers for dry skin:
Hada Labo Special Repart Treatment Night Cream
NOBE Oat Wonder Calming Moisturizer
Hwarang' Bellflower Moisturizing Barrier Cream
Face oil seals moisture
The last step in a dry skin care routine is face oil, which acts as a sealant, preventing moisture from evaporating from the skin. Face oil also softens and treats the skin with fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins.
Using face oil is easy: mix a couple of drops of oil with moisturizer or serum, or gently pat it directly onto the skin. Use morning or evening - it also works well under makeup!
Best face oils for dry skin:
NOBE Oat Wonder Nourishing Face Oil
Scandy Glazed God/dess Radiant Face Oil
Blank& Evie Calming Face Oil
Huxley Oil Light & More
Danessa Myricks Beauty Beauty Oil Original
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