Say Goodbye to Dry Skin: Your Ultimate Skincare Guide on Melanin-Rich Skin
Does your skin feel tight, flaky, rough, or even a little itchy? If yes, you might be dealing with dry skin, also known as xerosis. While dry skin can save you from dealing with large pores, pimples, or blackheads, it often comes with other challenges like uneven texture, fine lines, and wrinkles. For those of us with darker skin tones, there’s an added concern: Grayish-white patches that stand out even more against melanin-rich skin. But don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with what causes dry skin and how to fix it!
What Causes Dry Skin on Melanin-Rich Skin?
To understand why your skin feels like it’s begging for hydration, we need to learn a bit about skin anatomy:
The outermost layer of your skin called the stratum corneum, acts as a barrier to protect you from water loss and harmful environmental factors. Think of it like a brick wall, where your skin cells are the bricks, and the lipids (also known as lipid matrix) between them are the mortar holding it all together.
In science terms, dry skin happens when there’s a disruption of the lipid matrix of your skin. This means that the lipids (the “mortar”) aren’t doing their job. Without enough lipids, moisture evaporates too quickly from your skin, leading to that tight, dry feeling.
But did you know that the hydration levels in the can vary significantly between different skin tones? In a recent study, it was found that women with darker skin had approximately 26% lower stratum corneum hydration than those with lighter skin!
These are some of the reasons why your lipid matrix may be deficient:
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Skin tone: Melanin-rich skin seems to have lower levels of ceramides (healthy lipids on the skin), leading to compromised barrier function and drier skin overall.
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Skincare: Harsh cleansers can strip away not only dirt and oil but also the healthy lipids your skin needs. That squeaky-clean feeling? Not always a good thing! Try to use a gentle cleanser, and try to wash your face no more than twice a day.
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Weather: Cold weather, dry air, and too much AC can all break down your skin’s lipid barrier.
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Hot Showers: As relaxing as they are, hot water can strip your skin of its natural oils. Keep showers warm and short!
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Age: Unfortunately, as we age, our skin naturally produces fewer lipids, making it more prone to dryness.
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Medication: Certain medications, like isotretinoin and some birth control pills, can cause dry skin.
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Genetics: Some people may have a naturally deficient skin barrier due to genetic reasons, leading to chronic dryness and conditions like eczema or psoriasis.
Why Skincare Matters
Your skin has it pretty rough and is constantly fighting external allergens, pollutants, UV rays, weather changes, and the aging process itself. When these stressors impact your barrier function, water loss leads to dehydrated, irritated skin—and dry skin has longterm consequences.
Without proper care, your skin enters a vicious cycle: increasing water loss, letting in outside aggressors, causing inflammation, and leading to more dehydration and less absorption of moisturizers. In the long term, this cycle can cause fine lines, wrinkles, and overall dull skin. The solution? A solid moisturizing routine that changes with the seasons and your skin’s needs.
The Ultimate Skincare Routine to Rescue Dry Skin
As a woman of color, maintaining skin hydration is crucial, not just for appearance but also for skin health. So here are 4 simple changes to make to your skincare routine to replenish the oils and give your skin the hydration it craves:
1. Start with a Gentle Cleanser
But if your skin is dry, using the wrong cleanser can make things worse by stripping away the natural oils your skin needs to stay hydrated. A good cleanser strikes the perfect balance between gentle and effective, removing dirt and impurities without disrupting your skin's lipid barrier.
Look for a cleanser that’s formulated specifically for dry skin, one that cleanses without harsh sulfates or drying agents. By choosing the right one, you’ll help preserve your skin’s moisture and set the stage for the rest of your skincare routine.
2. Moisturize immediately
When it comes to dry skin, moisturizing is non-negotiable. This step is essential to compensate for the lack of lipids, water, or both in your skin. A good moisturizer should contain hydrating ingredients that provide moisture (also known as humectants) and ingredients that seal that moisture (also known as occlusives) within the skin and prevent it from evaporating into the environment.
When buying a skincare product, check the ingredients list to make sure your moisturizer has both humectants and occlusives. Common humectants are glycerin, hyaluronic acid, glycols, panthenol, allantoin, etc. Common occlusives are vegetable oils, shea butter, beeswax, vegetable wax, and silicones.
If you’re not sure where to start, let us introduce you to the Illuminating Rose Face Balm—your new skincare staple for dry skin. This balm is formulated with three powerhouse humectants: Aloe Barbadensis water, Sodium PCA & Sodium Hyaluronate to keep your skin hydrated from the surface down to deeper layers. And because your skin’s barrier needs a little extra oils, we’ve added a special blend of plant-based oils such as avocado, squalane sunflower, sesame, hazelnut, and jojoba oils. But we didn’t stop there—our balm is also infused with antioxidant-rich Centella Asiatica, Echinacea extracts, and Vitamin C to provide long-lasting hydration and protect your skin from free radicals.
3. Use a Nighttime Treatment for Deep Hydration
Did you know your skin loses more moisture at night? Studies of the human circadian rhythm (our internal biological clock) showed that during sleep the skin goes into cellular repair mode, working to recover from the day’s damage, but it also becomes more prone to dehydration. That’s why incorporating a rich, hydrating treatment before bed is so essential for dry skin.
A thick, deeply nourishing night cream or mask will work wonders while you sleep. We recommend trying the Overnight Recovery Sleep Mask, which is formulated with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and our unique blend of plant-based oils. This mask penetrates deeply into the skin, delivering hydration where it’s needed most, without feeling heavy. You’ll wake up to softer, more radiant skin that’s ready to take on the day!
4. Make Some Simple Lifestyle Changes
While skincare products can work magic, they’re only part of the solution. Your lifestyle also plays a huge role in the health and hydration of your skin. Some general rules to maintain the skin lipids and water content in healthy levels are: Limit hot showers and opt for lukewarm water instead, if the air in your home is dry, consider using a humidifier to help your skin retain moisture and finally if your skin is feeling especially dry, consider adding a few drops of facial oil over your moisturizer for an extra layer of protection.
Have you tried any of these tips? Let us know in the comments which changes you’re planning to implement!
REFERENCES 1–5
1. Ganceviciene, R., Liakou, A. I., Theodoridis, A., Makrantonaki, E. & Zouboulis, C. C. Skin antiaging strategies. 4, 308–319 (2012).
2. Kezic, S. & Jakasa, I. Filaggrin and Skin Barrier Function. Curr Probl Dermatol. 49, 1–7 (2016).
3. Draelos, Z. D. The science behind skincare: Moisturizers. J Cosmet Dermatol 17, 138–144 (2018).
4. Papakonstantinou, E., Roth, M. & Karakiulakis, G. Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging. Dermatoendocrinol 4, 253–258 (2012).
5. Luebberding, S., Krueger, N. & Kerscher, M. Skin physiology in men and women: In vivo evaluation of 300 people including TEWL, SC hydration, sebum content, and skin surface pH. Int J Cosmet Sci 35, 477–483 (2013).
6. Young MM, Franken A, du Plessis JL. Transepidermal water loss, stratum corneum hydration, and skin surface pH of female African and Caucasian nursing students. Skin Res Technol. 2019 Jan;25(1):88-95.
