DRY SKIN SAVIORS THAT KEEP SKIN PERKY AND GLOWY
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown to appreciate richer skin care formulated to address dryness, and in my case, seasonal dryness.
I don’t typically have dry skin. I consider my skin to be “normal.” In fact, I don’t really believe in skin types, per se; rather, I believe all skins start out normal and both internal and external factors lead skin to behave differently. And guess what?
You can always restore your skin to a state of normalcy!
The key is to pay close attention to how your skin reacts to what you apply — and to give it, feed it, what it needs. It will tell you everything you need to know. As an example, if your skin doesn’t react well to Glycolic Acid (like mine!), stop using it. There are plenty of alternatives for chemical exfoliation that won’t send your skin into pancreases mode!
If your skin seems dry when you wake up in the morning, consider the factors that are causing that. Those can include artificial heat or air conditioning that dries out the air around you. Or, your PM skincare routine isn’t adding enough oils to your skin before bed. It might be time to #switchupyourroutine!
Of course, essential to striking the right balance is a proper daily skincare routine tailored to your skin’s needs at any given time. All skins go through seasonal changes.
Personally, my skin doesn’t tolerate anything too heavy like a thick moisturizing cream or super wet facial oil in the warmer months. In the cold, though, I can literally use a facial oil on top of a cream, or a sleeping mask over all of it, and my skin soaks it right up. The choice is either waking up looking mummified in January — or starting my day with a healthy, glowing complexion.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve discovered several really terrific products for combatting seasonal dryness or skin that’s acting dry any time of year. My “dry skin saviors” run the gamut — from a rich, nourishing cleansing oil to a delightful sleeping mask that makes me smile in the dark of night.
Let’s have a look at a few dry skin saviors that keep skin perky and glowy…
Codex Beauty | Bia Wash Off Cleansing Oil
Every legitimate skincare routine starts off with a proper cleanse. The type of facial cleanser you use is dependent on two things: what you need to wash off and what your skin needs at the moment.
Generally, I cleanse four times a day. If that sounds aggressive, again, it’s about knowing what your skin needs.
First thing in the morning, I use a gentle cleansing water to remove any product lingering on my skin from my skincare routine the night before. (If I used a sleeping mask, I’ll reach for a cleansing gel instead.)
At the end of the day, a cleansing water always kicks off my PM routine.
I often work out in the morning, so I use a facial cleanser in the shower to clear away sweat that can build up in pores and trap dirt and bacteria. Then, it’s nearly always a cleansing gel or a foaming cleanser. And, since I shave my head, I wash my face and scalp at once with the same facial cleanser. (Shh…let’s keep that between us!)
In the afternoon, when I get home from my day out in the City, not only do I need to clear away any dirt and grime that’s built up in my pores, but I need to remove the morning sunscreen, too. The best and only way to do that well is to employ a really good cleansing oil.
I’m hard-pressed to think of a cleansing oil I didn’t love. And the Codex Beauty Bia Wash Off Cleansing Oil is no exception. In fact, I’d say it’s exceptional!
Like all of Codex Beauty’s formulas, it’s clean, cruelty-free — and devoid of any toxins, potential skin irritants, or other nasties like fragrance, micro-plastics, or synthetic preservatives.
The Bia Wash Off Cleansing Oil is a treasure trove of nourishing non-fragrant plant oils — the first of which is Borago (Borage) Officinalis Seed Oil. Borage Seed Oil is “a rich source of the essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid” and is considered among the best ingredients for skin by the team at Paula’s Choice.
There’s Chia Seed Oil, Blackcurrant Seed Oil and even tried-and-true, skin-soothing Oat Kernel Oil. In fact, there are a dozen plant oils in the formula — which comprises just 20 or so ingredients in all. I love all of it.
But what I’m most impressed by when it comes to Codex Beauty’s new cleansing oil is the fact that it barely emulsifies. It’s as if the Codex chemist said to herself, I’m going to make a cleanser that emulsifies just enough to thoroughly cleanse the skin and not a bit more!
That’s the Bia Cleansing Oil! It’s a magnificent cleanser and superb for dry skin that cannot afford to lose even the smallest amount of beneficial oils. Bravo, Codex, and kudos to the chemist!
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Codex Beauty Bia Wash Off Cleansing Oil for $70 here.
**WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF THESE DRY SKIN SAVIORS THAT KEEP SKIN PERKY AND GLOWY…NOW ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.**
First Aid Beauty | Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner
By now you probably know that I wouldn’t be caught dead without a hydrating toner in my skincare routine. That was certainly a mistake that King Tut made. I mean look at him now, shriveled up like a rotten prune.
It makes me crazy when people say they don’t use a toner. Sadly, they’re victims of big beauty marketers who’ve sold them a falsehood for decades about what a toner is intended for.
The true purpose of a toner is not to clear away anything that your cleanser left behind. How completely absurd is that? The purpose of a toner is to hydrate, dampen, and prep the skin for the application of everything else in your routine.
Optimally hydrated skin is better able to absorb skincare treatments. A great analogy is to think of two sponges — one wet, one dry. Now imagine soaking up water on the kitchen counter with each. The wet sponge will more quickly absorb the water than the dry sponge.
Why? It’s because water molecules attract one another like a magnet. The same goes for the application of skin care! Damp skin will draw in water-based products more quickly — and more deeply — than dry skin.
So, unlike King Tut, I live for a good toner! And the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner is a superb treatment for all skins, but particularly dry skin — or skin that’s experiencing seasonal dryness, as mine has been.
FAB’s Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner is a thick, milky treat for skin — with the consistency of heavy cream. It’s infused with the kind of skin-replenishing actives that I love to see in any type of skincare product — but are somewhat unusual for a toner.
Beyond ingredient number one, water, there’s lots of goodness — including high levels of replenishing Squalane, anti-bacterial honey, and Honey Ferment Filtrate.
All of which give the formula a velvety texture that’s simply a pleasure to use on the skin. It's not often that you find a toner infused with honey, let alone fermented honey. The formula even contains Propolis Extract — the resinous substance collected by bees and used to construct the hive.
A combination of tree sap and beeswax, Propolis Extract has a multitude of benefits for the skin. I found an excellent piece on it titled, The Little-Known Ingredient Korean Women Use to Fight Acne.
1. Antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral: Propolis is known for its ability to fight against a lot of powerful bacteria. Some studies conclude that the reason propolis is so effective against various microbes is because it’s so rich in flavonoids (you know, the same antioxidant found in coffee).
2. Smoothing and softening: Since propolis has such powerful healing properties, it works quickly to regenerate skin to help make skin texture smoother and suppler.
3. Moisturizing: Yes, it even hydrates skin without a creamy, heavy residue.
With its velvety texture and skin-soothing properties, the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner is a fantastic formula. You can grab a bottle on the Sephora website for just $22. That’s money well spent — and not much more than it would have cost back in King Tut’s day, circa 1324 B.C.!
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner for $22 here.
Comfort Zone | Sublime Skin Rich Cream
Let me get it out now. I’m no fan of moisturizers in jars. I’ve made this point 87,000 times and I’m not done yet.
For the 87,001st time, the moment you open the lid and expose the formula to light, air and bacteria, it begins to degrade. Just like driving a new car off the lot. If you’re going to opt for a product in a jar, at the very least, use a spatula to scoop it out.
And when you scoop out some of the Comfort Zone Sublime Skin Rich Cream, you’re in for a real treat. OMG I don’t know what it is, but this stuff is the thickest, fluffiest, and most comforting cream I’ve come across in a while. It’s like whipped heaven. As the name implies, it’s sublime.
And because it’s so unbelievably thick, there’s just no way it could be put in a tube. It would never come out! So I gotta cut Comfort Zone some slack.
Made with 81% ingredients of natural origin, Sublime Skin Rich Cream is a clean, silicone-free formula that Italy-based Comfort Zone says is comprised of 29% “nourishing oils and butters ensuring silkiness, softness and a ‘true active beauty’ on the skin.”
It’s got high levels of Sweet Almond Oil and Shea Butter and while it does contain some fragrance that I wish it didn’t, it’s super comforting on the skin. Sublime Skin has an obvious occlusive quality to it that forms a thin layer over the skin to block trans-epidermal water loss. A combination of both micro- and macro-Hyaluronic Acid help to further lock hydration in.
The most intriguing active in the formula is one I’ve never heard of, Palmytoil Glycine, which Comfort Zone says, “acts on the pillars of skin architecture” that visibly replump the skin. My skin isn’t really lacking plumpness so I can’t vouch for that. It sure sounds good, though.
The molecular structure of Palmytoil Glycine
But seriously, what’s Palmytoil Glycine anyway? I found this fascinating trove of information on the website of the National Center for Biotechnology Information. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, “N-palmitoyl glycine [is] a novel endogenous lipid that acts as a modulator of calcium influx and nitric oxide production in sensory neurons.”
What!? I dug deeper and found this:
“This high-performance wrinkle corrector increases micro-circulation throughout the skin to decrease inflammation while improving collagen distribution to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”
I love going down skincare rabbit holes almost as much as I love Comfort Zone’s jar of whipped heaven. You can get it on the brand’s Amazon web shop here.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Comfort Zone Sublime Skin Rich Cream for $129 here.
Glow Recipe | Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask
One of the most vexing skin concerns when it comes to dryness is the delicate skin in the eye area. The skin around your eyes is the thinnest of anywhere on your face — the very reason that the eye area shows signs of aging first. And because it’s so thin, it doesn’t do the best job of holding in moisture.
I’m not the biggest fan of eye creams. For the most part, there are very few legitimate reasons to use anything other than your facial moisturizer around your eyes, too.
Sure, if you suffer from dark circles or puffiness, there are moderately effective treatments that can address that. Particularly in the case of puffiness.
One of my all-time favorite treatments is The Ordinary’s Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG. (Hey, it’s the first skincare product I use in the morning!)
Dark circles are another thing entirely. If you’re of Italian descent, good luck with finding a way to treat them effectively!
The best solution for dark circles is to prevent them in the first place. Get enough sleep. Drink enough water. Apply a concealer. And, most importantly, use sunscreen in the immediate eye area!
Psst…the best treatment I’ve ever come across for dark circles is the SkinCeuticals Physical Eye UV Defense SPF 50. I reviewed it on my blog here.
Because eye area skin is so delicate, it’s often a challenge to apply anything too potent — like Glycolic Acid or Retinol. So, when Glow Recipe introduced their Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask I was naturally intrigued by the potential of the formula.
Not only does this little pot of avocado-infused deliciousness deliver a gentle dose of Retinol, but it infuses the eye area with a healthy dose of replenishing plant oils. It’s so rich, it’s a dry skin’s dream come true.
The Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask contains an encapsulated, time-released complex of Retinol, Hyaluronic Acid, and Niacinamide that works to smooth, nourish and revitalize the eye area while you sleep. Throughout the night, the formula moisturizes and soothes delicate eye-area skin, preventing both dryness and dehydration.
The Avocado Melt eye treatment is infused with a slew of pro-skin health actives, including Glycerin, Avocado Oil, Avocado Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Curcumin, and even Shea Butter.
As if that’s not enough, there’s also a smattering of Coffeeberry Extract — derived from the seed of the coffee plant — to revitalize skin, neutralize free radicals and perhaps help treat dark circles. One of the key causes of dark circles is dehydration and Avocado Melt certainly takes care of that.
The Avocado Melt Retinol Eye formula is actually not as rich as it may seem. It’s super spreadable and a little bit goes a long way. I wake up looking refreshed and well-rested. You can try it out for yourself for $42 on the Sephora website here. (Remember, a little goes a long way!)
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask for $42 here.
Herbivore | Moon Fruit Superfruit Night Treatment
Indeed, I saved the best for last. One of the most effective means for preventing dryness is a good, occlusive sleeping mask. Again, the artificial air emitted by heaters and air conditioners effectively dries out the air around us while we sleep. Left unprotected, by morning your skin can be sapped of a significant amount of moisture. Prolonged dryness can slow down and impede healthy skin functions and accelerate aging.
I’m a big fan of Herbivore’s clean, luxury beauty — in particular, the brand’s Phoenix Facial Oil, which I reviewed on my blog article entitled, My Favorite Facial Oils for Combatting Cold Weather. The Phoenix oil is one of my go-to’s for surviving even the coldest of days.
But as temps begin to climb, it’s time to dial things back a bit. And the Herbivore Moon Fruit Superfruit Night Treatment is the perfect option. It’s not too heavy, not too light. In fact, it’s just right!
Moon Fruit is a blend of skin-replenishing plant oils that deeply moisturize and comfort skin. I love that the first ingredient is Organic Aloe Leaf Juice — a common skin-soothing botanical with humectant properties. Bravo, Herbivore, for replacing water in the formula with something that actually has a skin benefit.
Next is a slew of nourishing antioxidant oils and butters including Red Raspberry Seed Oil, Organic Shea Butter, and Organic Prickly Pear Oil — one of the most beneficial non-fragrant plant oils used in skin care.
The benefits of Prickly Pear Oil are numerous — both for skin and overall health. I found a really insightful Byrdie article titled, This Buzzy Face Oil Has the Highest Vitamin E Content on the Market here.
“To help us understand all the benefits of prickly pear, we spoke with Munemi Imai, founder of the celeb-favorite prickly pear–based skincare line Mūn.
‘Prickly pear is extremely high in essential fatty acids, omega-6 and -9, and the natural antioxidant vitamin E,’ she tells us. ‘It’s also rich in amino acids, which stimulate collagen production to promote faster cell turnover. And finally, it also contains vitamin K, which brightens under-eye dark circles and also promotes your skin’s elasticity.’
I don’t know about brightening dark circles, of course. But I’m down with the rest of it!
While it’s loaded with pro-skin health actives, Herbivore’s Moon Fruit isn’t a perfect formula. Of course, I don’t love that it’s in a jar (see prior jar rant!) — and really don’t love the inclusion of Lavender Flower Essential Oil and Sweet Orange Peel Essential Oil. Neither is beneficial for the skin and both are potential skin irritants.
No matter, it’s a wonderfully effective, deeply moisturizing treatment that’s a real pleasure to use. Slather this on and wake up plump and glowing!
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Herbivore Moon Fruit Superfruit Night Treatment for $58 here.
That’s it guys! Stay safe wherever you are. And if you’re quarantining indoors like Orpheus and I, stay moisturized and open a window for some fresh air!
🖤 SKINCARMA
SKINCARMA….
GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win the new Codex Beauty Bia Wash Off Cleansing Oil — a magnificent facial oil that barely emulsifies, making it ideal for dry skin. ($70 value)
Share why you want to win in the comments below. Then, return to the Skincarma IG pageand comment “Done”. Giveaway ends Sunday 03/22/2020.
**WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF THESE DRY SKIN SAVIORS THAT KEEP SKIN PERKY AND GLOWY…NOW ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.**
The Ingredient List of the Codex Bia Wash Off Cleansing Oil:
Borago (Borage) Officinalis Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica (Chia) Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-4-Oleate, Ribes Nigrum (Blackcurrant) Seed Oil, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Citrus Nobilis Peel (Mandarin) Oil, Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile) Flower Oil, Salvia Sclarea (Clary Sage) Oil, Myrtus Communis (Myrtle) Oil, Amyris Balsamifera (Amyris) Bark Oil, Limonene*, Linalool*
*Naturally occurring in essential oils/ D’origine naturelle dans les huiles essentielles
The Ingredient List of the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner:
sii|h 0 0, Glycereth-26 h|emo|vc 0 0, Squalane 
sii|emo 0 1, Sorbitan Oleate emu 0 3, Avena Strigosa Seed Extract, Mel (Honey, Miel) so|h|amic, Saccharomyces/Honey Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Colloidal Oatmeal so|aox|emo|abrasive/scrub, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract aox|so|emo|abrasive/scrub, Propolis Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract so|sb, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract aox|so, Beta-Glucan so|h, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer vc, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate amic|pres, Xanthan Gum vc|emu|surf, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Ethylhexyl Salicylate sunsc 0 0, Phenoxyethanol pres, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Citric Acid buff, Potassium Sorbate pres, Sodium Benzoate pres, Chlorphenesin pres|amic, Sorbic Acid pres, Benzoic Acid pres
The Ingredient List of the Comfort Zone Sublime Skin Rich Cream:
sii|h 0 0, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate emo|emu, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil/Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil emo 0 1-3, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter emo|vc, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil emo 0 1, Oleyl Erucate emo, Propylheptyl Caprylate emo, Palmitoyl Glycine surf, Sucrose Stearate emo|emu|surf 0 0, Parfum/Fragrance 
perf, Sodium Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer vc, Ethylhexyl Stearate emo, Dicaprylyl Ether emo|solv, Hydrogenated Polydecene emo|perf|solv, Benzyl Alcohol pres|perf|solv|vc, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer vc, Carnosine aox|cci, Xanthan Gum vc|emu|surf, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate h, Polysorbate 20 emu|surf 0 0, Tocopherol aox 0-3 0-3, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid chel, Lauryl Glucoside surf, Mauritia Flexuosa Fruit Oil, Phenoxyethanol pres, Ethylhexylglycerin pres
The Ingredient List of the Herbivore Moon Fruit Superfruit Night Treatment:
so|h, Red Raspberry Seed Oil emo, Prickly Pear Oil emo, Kokum Butter, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii) emo|vc, Cetearyl Glucoside emu|surf, Cetearyl Alcohol emo|vc|emu|surf 1 2, Alcohol amic|solv|vc, Glyceryl Stearate emo|emu 0 1-2, Rosehip Seed Oil emo, Hyaluronic Acid sii|h, Lavender Flower (Lavandula Angustifolia) Essential Oil amic|perf, Sweet Orange Peel (Citrus Sinensis) Essential Oil perf, Bilberry Fruit Extract (Vaccinium Myrtillus), Sugar Cane Extract (Saccharum Officinarum) h, Sugar Maple Extract (Acer Saccharinum), Orange Peel Extract (Citrus Sinensis) perf, Lemon Peel Extract (Citrus Limon) emo, Cranberry Fruit Extract (Vaccinium Macrocarpon), Papaya Fruit Extract (Carica Papaya), Goji Berry Extract (Lycium Barbarum), Xanthan Gum vc|emu|surf, Indigo Powder (Baphicacanthus Cusia [Nees] Bremek), Ultramarine Blue col 0 0, Manganese Violet colThe Ingredient List of the Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask:
sii|h 0 0, Propanediol solv|h, Glyceryl Stearate emo|emu 0 1-2, Cetearyl Alcohol emo|vc|emu|surf 1 2, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil aox|emo 0 0-3, C9-12 Alkane solv, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate surf, Stearic Acid emo|vc 0 2-3, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract so|emo|h, Squalane sii|emo 0 1, Niacinamide cci|sb|aacne|h, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Hexylresorcinol sb|amic, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract abrasive/scrub, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice so|h, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Fruit Extract aox, Hyaluronic Acid sii|h, Ethylhexyl Palmitate emo|perf 0 2-4, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Retinol cci, Pei-10 vc, Hydrated Silica abrasive/scrub|vc, Sodium Chloride vc, Fructan, Maltodextrin, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Curcumin aox|col, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter emo|vc, Potassium Chloride vc, Potassium Phosphate buff, Butylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 1, Sodium Phosphate buff, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate h, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Arginine sii, Silica Dimethyl Silylate emo|vc, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine h|emu, Sodium Hydroxide buff, Citric Acid buff, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Kaolin col|abrasive/scrub 0 0, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract perf, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract aox|so|amic, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate emo|solv, Polyisobutene vc, PVP vc 0 0, C13-15 Alkane solv|emo, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer vc, Sodium Hydroxypropylsulfonate Laurylglucoside Crosspolymer surf|emu, Hexylene Glycol solv|emu|perf|surf 0-1 0-2, Potassium Sorbate pres, Sodium Benzoate pres, Phenoxyethanol pres, Flavor/Aroma*
