If you’re one of the many people who struggle with dry skin, you’re not alone. Dry skin affects nearly everyone at some point in their life for a variety of reasons, including temperatures and low humidity, genetics, age or certain medical conditions.
Healthy skin contains moisture from what you eat, where you are and what you do. When you see and feel your skin become dry, itchy and flaky, it’s because something is preventing it from retaining that much-needed moisture.
The good news? There are a variety of Kenvue-approved ways to combat dry skin and leave it looking and feeling healthy.
1. Pay attention to temperatures
While it can be hard to resist the temptation of a hot shower, especially during the colder months, hot water strips your skin of moisture. Aim to shower with lukewarm water, limit your time in the shower or bath to five or 10 minutes and be sure to use a gentle, fragrance-free product like Aveeno® Skin Relief Body Wash, which contains a soothing triple-oat formula that helps replenish moisture for softer, smoother, healthier-looking skin.
2. Immediately moisturize after washing
Any time you wash your face, it’s vital to moisturize immediately after washing. A dual routine of Neutrogena® Hydro Boost Gel Cleanser Fragrance Free followed by Neutrogena® Hydro Boost Water Cream offers vital hydration for even the most sensitive skin.
3. Use a humidifier
Another cause of irritated skin is cold, dry air — especially common when the heat is cranked up in the winter. Using a humidifier helps add moisture back into the air, which can help prevent your skin from drying out.
4. Make treatments part of your routine
Emollients are ingredients in skin creams, lotions and ointments that help form a protective, moisturizing layer on your skin.
If your skin is extra-dry and itchy, Lubriderm® Advanced Therapy Lotion Fragrance-Free — clinically shown to moisturize for 48 hours — can help strengthen your skin’s moisture barrier for more resilient skin.
5. Stay hydrated — and add healthy fats
What you put into your body is just as important as what you put on your body when it comes to preventing and treating dry skin. In addition to staying hydrated by drinking water throughout the day, incorporate foods like walnuts, olive oil, fish and avocados. Their healthy fats can help protect your skin from external damage while also aiding in the replenishment of new healthy cells.1
6. Use sunscreen
Harmful UV light — not just in the summer, but also during the winter — can damage your skin’s natural moisture barrier.2 You can help prevent that damage by applying a layer of Neutrogena® Invisible Daily Defense Face Serum SPF 60+ to your face after you wash and moisturize.
7. Exfoliate
Most skin care products work best when applied to exfoliated skin,3 which means you’ve scrubbed off the top layers of dead skin cells with a product like Aveeno® Daily Moisturizing Exfoliating Body Scrub, formulated with nourishing prebiotic oats.
Doing this allows the moisturizing products you’re applying to be more effectively absorbed. Just be careful about over-exfoliating — if you damage the skin barrier too much, it can make your dry skin even worse. Generally speaking, aim for once every week until you’ve regained healthy, moisture-rich skin.