Dry skin is out of balance in its uppermost layer. It is lacking fat and moisture, and it needs those in order to fulfill its duty as our barrier against environmental influences and water loss. A lack of fat will result in horn cells „crumbling“ away. Without them, moisture will escape unhindered. If the skin can’t manage to rebuild the protective barrier quickly, and bind fat and water, it will lose more and more moisture. That will also affect the skin layers underneath. Regeneration and nutrition of new skin cells will slow down, and the „water buffer“ shrinks. Elasticity, tautness and softness will decline. The skin is dry seems stretched out, gets itchy and gets more and more prone to tears and wrinkles.

Dry skin: maintenance that gives it back what it’s missing

To a part, dry skin is hereditary. But it can also be a result of diseases like diabetes, or hypothyroidism. But it only becomes a problem when the skin is exposed to habits – be that in daily life or in skin care – that are not only detrimental to its health but will even help the dryness along. Here are some tipps that will help you help your skin:

Maintenance from within:

• Drink lots and lots of water! At least 1 ½ to 2 litres of fluid a day, preferably water, in order to replenish lost moisture and rebuild new „water buffers“ in your skin. Only then can disturbed functions be normalised again. Just bring a water bottle everywhere – and empty it quickly.
• Eat foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals and plant-based ingredients. That’s what the skin needs as building materials and nutrients for its cells. Prefer fresh food to processed foods. It is also important to provide the skin with high-quality fats that contain essential fatty acids – like fatty fish, walnuts, linseed, and vegetable oils like rapeseed, linseed or walnut oil.
• Sleep at least 8 hours a day – in order for the skin to have time for rebuilding and repairing.

Maintenance from outside:

• Avoid anything that will remove more fat and moisture from the skin, like
◦ frequent long showers or baths, especially in hot water
◦ long sunbathing or visits to the solarium
◦ frequent swims in pools or the ocean
◦ extreme cold or strong wind
◦ aggressive cleaning agents for removing make-up or cleaning your body, especially with ingredients like alcohol or artificial emulsifiers like „PEG“ (see the list of ingredients on the packagings) – they remove too much fat from the skin and promote loss of moisture. On top of that they make the skin more permeable for pollutants.
• Caring for dry skin with natural cosmetics that provide intense moisture and support the „crumbling“ protective barrier with skin-like fats and oils, like
◦ Cleaning with unrefined plant-based soaps with shea butter: Shea butter provides moisture and fats the skin, protecting it from losing moisture and getting brittle. More about Cleaning
◦ Applying unrefined shea butter by KARITÉ naturelle on face and body in order to regenerate the stressed protective barrier. Its natural fatty acids resupply the protective hydrolipidic film, and further prevent moisture from escaping. Its vitamins and plant-based active ingredients are absorbed deeply into the skin, strengthen its ability to absorb water, and accelerate the skin regeneration. It will make the skin soft, smooth and supple again. More about Shea butter

Tipp
Cream after every cleaning process! Apply a small amount of shea butter on warm hands and carefully massage it into your face. Cream your body with it generously after showering or taking a bath. Also apply to your hands after washing them, so that a thin layer protects them.
• As additional maintenance naturally pure argan oil is perfectly suited to relax dry skin. Its natural ingredients rejuvenate the complexion. They revitalise, nourish and tauten the skin. More about Argan oil

Tipp
Use it for a few weeks as a skin treatment and apply it to the face or very dry skin areas instead of shea butter. Or: Use it in addition to shea butter in very severe cases. Gentle massaging lets the oil be absorbed quickly, and provides a silky skin feel. You can also use shea butter that has argan oil mixed in as a „maintenance plus“.
• As a special treatment for very dry or aged skin, KARITÉ naturelle offers the wonderfully light, naturally pure prickly pear pit oil. Its rich ingredients are quickly absorbed into the skin and provide intense moisture. Thiat smoothens and rejuvenates the skin visibly, reduces lines and wrinkles and supports a quick regeneration of the skin cells. More at Prickly pear pit oil