Beauty 101: How to Create A Simple Skincare Routine, Dry Skin Edition

Now that we have the basics of a skincare routine down (this simple skincare order works for all skin types, by the way!) We can start talking about how to create skin care routines for specific skin types! Today’s focus? Dry skin. 

Skin Care Routine for Dry Skin: Where to Start

Creating a routine for this skin type starts with understanding what dry skin needs - and the number one thing that characterises dry skin is a lack of natural oils. This leaves some tell-tale signs of dry skin:

  • Very Few Visible Pores
  • Skin Flakes
  • Lack of Shine or Radiance
  • Skin Is Matte and Dull 

If any of these sound familiar, you might have dry skin! Ensuring that skin has enough oils is crucial to it functioning properly - oils moisturise skin, and using technical terminology, lubricate the spaces between skin cells to keep skin feeling smooth as well as serving one more important function: locking crucial water-based hydration into your skin.

Keeping the right balance of oil-based moisture and water-based hydration in your skin helps to ensure it has a healthy glow! Water-based hydration is important to good skin health, supporting a functioning acid mantle, plumping out fine lines, and adding bounce to your skin. 

Lancome rose milk mist product image on white backgroundLancôme Rose Milk Mist
Sample available - try this today!
This lightweight, yet moisturising formula uses the power of humectants and jojoba oil to add a dewy glow to your skin.

When your skin doesn’t have enough natural oils to work as emollients and lock that goodness in, this essential hydration can actually evaporate out of your skin, leaving it not just feeling dry but dehydrated at the same time!

Technically, dehydration is a skin condition that can happen to any skin type - but it’s something that can commonly occur alongside dry skin, as dehydrated skin tends to be caused by a lack of moisture - something that dry skin naturally has. 

Skincare Routine Steps for Dry Skin

In addition to cleansing, moisturising, and sun protection, dry skin does well with two extra skincare routine steps: a hydrating product (which can come in the form of an Essence, Serum, or Face Mist), and facial oil to replenish moisture and lock in hydration. 

How to Add Hydration to Your Skincare Routine for Dry Skin

When it comes to adding a little bit of extra hydration to thirsty skin, three types of products come to mind: Essences, Serums, and Face Mists. You can use one or all three to restore hydration in dry skin - these water-based formulas are packed with a blend of humectants to attract hydrating water to your skin, giving your skin a dewy glow again. 

SK-II Facial treatment lotion product image on white backgroundSK-II Facial Treatment Essence
A watery, lightweight essence that packs a hydrating punch thanks to Pitera™, SK-II’s bespoke skincare ingredient.  

How to Add Moisture to Your Skincare Routine for Dry Skin

Here’s what really matters when it comes to a skincare routine for dry skin: adding more lipids to your skin. The obvious choice is to add a pure facial oil to the end of your routine - they should always follow moisturiser, as the occlusive and emollient abilities of all oils help to trap hydration to the skin, and prevents most things from passing through - including any water-based ingredients that might be in your moisturiser

However, pure oils aren’t the only way to amp up moisture in a skincare routine for dry skin - many creamy moisturising formulas include lipids such as avocado oil, shea butter, and squalane, which all work exceptionally well at increasing dry skin’s moisture levels as part of a nourishing, comforting moisturiser for dry skin

Guerlain Orchidée Impériale oil product image on white backgroundGuerlain Orchidée Impériale Oil
This ultra-nurturing facial oil from Guerlain uses 20 different botanicals to lock hydration into your skin. 

Simple Skincare Routine Order for Dry Skin

So, now that we know how to add a bit more oomph to a skincare routine for dry skin, let’s put that into practice - here’s an example skincare routine for dry skin. Remember, this is just an example - if you want to use a hydrating serum instead of a face mist in the morning, just swap out that step for your preferred skincare product!

Daily Skin Care Routine (Morning):

  1. Cleanser
  2. Face Mist
  3. Moisturiser
  4. Facial Oil
  5. Sunscreen

Daily Skin Care Routine (Evening):

  1. Micellar Water or Oil Cleanser 
  2. Cleanser
  3. Serum
  4. Moisturiser
  5. Facial Oil

If you’re ready to level up your skincare routine and use more than just a serum or facial oil as skincare steps for dry skin, we’ve got a full guide to how to layer your skincare which covers pretty much every single skincare product out there!

Or, if you’d rather just take a quiz (I know I would) and get a tailored skincare routine, you can do that too - with our skin quiz! Just let us know your skin type and concerns, and we’ll give you a totally unique skincare routine (and in the right order too) for your skin.

Beauty Affairs Skin Quiz

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Alexis Adrienne

Alexis Adrienne

Alexis Adrienne is a passionate beauty writer with over 10 years of experience. She’s incredibly keen on all things skincare, makeup and cosmetics, with a fingertip on the pulse of the latest global beauty trends at all times.

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