Help! Dry skin

[MountainGirlie]

I just moved to Alberta where it is extremely dry and I need to upgrade my face moisturizer stat. My face has never been so dry 😞 I also need an exfoliator suggestion! Any tools I can use for to help?

[JoSometimes]

Hi @MountainGirlie! Former Albertan here! It’s definitely drier there but on the bright side, the chinooks can give some relief from the cold in the winter. 

Hyaluronic acid and squalane will be your best friends when it comes to skincare. I love The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Hydrating Face Serum. It’s one of the first products I use in my skincare routine. You can also find it in moisturizers like #SEPHORA COLLECTION All Day Hydrator Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizer 1.69 oz/ 50 mL. I have also been enjoying The INKEY List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer + Barrier Strengthening 1.7 oz to help keep my skin barrier in top form. If you wear makeup First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer 1.7 oz/ 50 mL is a hydration bomb and I use it as the last step before my makeup. For my evening routine, I use either LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask with Squalane 2.3 oz/ 70 mL or SEPHORA COLLECTION Overnight Hydrating Mask 1.69 oz / 50 mL.

After I do the rest of my skincare routine, especially at night, I’ll seal everything in with a layer of Aquaphor (Vaseline works well too.) If you spend any time outdoors in the winter (waiting for the bus, working outside, or winter activities), put a dab on the tip of your nose and on your earlobes. It adds a layer of insulation and keeps it from freezing.

Don’t forget about things like running a humidifier in the room you spend the most time in and staying hydrated. Every little bit helps!

[Westcoasty]

@JoSometimes  I think you must have survived Alberta a lot better than I did! I grew up near Calgary, and have tried living in both Edmonton and Calgary in my adult years (and hated the winters OH SO MUCH no matter what I tried). I never heard of the dab of vaseline on tip of nose and earlobes trick. Very cool. 😎

I still remember discovering that I had to moisturize my entire body every day after my shower, without fail, so that my skin wouldn't crack if I bent one way or another. I love living in BC these days. LOL

[JoSometimes]

@Westcoasty I honestly don’t know how I survived! I didn’t get into skincare until I moved east to a more humid part of the country. My cleansing routine consisted of water during a shower and the Vaseline trick in the winter. I had zero clue about skincare though I did use decent body lotion only because of my eczema. I wish I had know what I know now about skincare back when I was younger… 😩

Ahhh… BC. I miss the interior the most. I remember camping in the valley a lot as a kid and going fruit picking. I have some good memories of Vancouver too. ☺️

[Westcoasty]

@JoSometimes  I live in the Fraser Valley, so not too far from Vancouver. But I have friends in the interior as well. Nice to visit them in warm weather, for sure. 

Alberta weather is harsh, I agree. I got hooked on skincare in my very early 20s, while still living in Victoria, so I was lucky. Well, that plus I tend to be a cave-dweller, so don't get much sun at the best of times! 😂

[CynthieLu]

A humidifier would bring some moisture back into you living space @MountainGirlie And it can help you moisturizers work better too.

I agree with @Westcoasty . Skinfix is soo helpful for dry skin.

An over night moisturizing mask might be a skin saviour too,

LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask with Squalane 2.3 oz/ 70 mL is one of my all time hydration faves. 💙

[Westcoasty]

Oh yes, I've used the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask before! Lovely product @CynthieLu ❤️

[CynthieLu]

It really really is @Westcoasty 💙 I think it's my favorite of all the Laneige products. 

[Westcoasty]

I can see that, for sure. I got the lavender one on sale awhile back, and really like it. I should dig it out again. My skin is not loving this cold air we're having. 

[JoSometimes]

@CynthieLu We literally just made the same recommendations minutes apart! 😉

@MountainGirlie We hope you find some relief soon! 🤞

[CynthieLu]

Lol! Skin twins 😂😂

@JoSometimes 

[Westcoasty]

@MountainGirlie  I live in BC where it's a lot more humid. I visited my sister, who lives in Calgary, last September, and managed to TRASH my skin by using a retinol product I hadn't tried before, and then going out in the sun without sunscreen. Sore, red, you name it. My sister took me to the closest Sephora, and the product the associate recommended returned my skin to normal within two days. This is what I bought: Skinfix Skin Barrier Restoring Gel Cream with Pore-Refining Niacinamide and Peptides . If you need even more oomph than that, go for Skinfix Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream Refillable Barrier Moisturizer with Ceramides. 

After that, follow up with a serum - sounds like your best bet might be Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Hyaluronate Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL. That will help keep moisture in. 

There's lots of exfoliants on the market, but I suggest getting your skin back to normal first, before you risk irritating it with an exfoliant. A couple of very popular exfoliants are Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant Powder Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid and Rice Enzymes 2.6oz/73 grams and Paula's Choice 6% Mandelic Acid + 2% Lactic Acid AHA Liquid Exfoliant for Dark Spots, Textured Skin ....

Hope this helps. Good luck!