Do you struggle with dry skin? It's something many of us deal with year round and particularly during the colder weather months. If you're grappling with dry, tight skin, your facial cleanser might be the culprit. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the impact of harsh cleansers on your skin barrier and why choosing the right cleanser can make all the difference in your skincare routine.
The root cause of dry skin usually comes down to a couple of factors. It usually means you're either dehydrated or your skin barrier is simply producing less sebum (aka oil) than it needs. Your skin's natural barrier is its first line of defense against environmental stressors. Harsh cleansers, laden with aggressive ingredients, can compromise this barrier, leading to dryness, redness, and irritation. The fix for dehydrated skin is easy - just focus on drinking more water + electrolytes + hot teas and cut back on dehydrating drinks like coffee and wine. For a damaged skin barrier there are a few very common ingredients in skincare that may be causing the irritation that you can remove from your routine. Let's dig into the most common ingredients that cause dry skin to avoid & what to use instead.
SLS
If you’ve ever used a cleanser or a moisturizer and experienced significant tightness in your skin directly, or a few hours, after using, it may contain harsh soaps that can be particularly drying and disrupt the skin barrier. The most common of these is Sodium Lauryl Sulfates, aka SLS. The interesting thing is that all this really does is adds a lather & sudsy effect to your cleanser which has nothing to do with actually cleansing the skin. Instead look for gentle natural surfactants like the coconut based surfactant we use in our Miracle Cleansing Powder.
Fragrance
Fragrance is a very common ingredient in beauty products. I mean, who doesn't love a nice product that smells good? But the dirty truth is that fragrance is the biggest loophole in ingredient transparency so lots of chemicals can be lurking in a product that aren't necessarily listed on the label. Phthalates for instance, often found in artificial fragrances, can disrupt the delicate balance of your skin. Instead avoid anything with 'fragrance' on the ingredient list and opt for fragrance free products or those scented with natural essential oils.
Alcohol
You know how after a night of too many martinis you wake up feeling super dehydrated - inside and out? Alcohol has the same effect in your skincare products and is best avoided if you're struggling with dry skin. It may not be obvious on the ingredient label so look for ingredients that start with methanol,” “ethanol,” or “ethyl. These are all alcohol in disguise.
Artificial Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide
While effective against acne, these aggressive ingredients are too harsh for daily use, especially for those with dry skin. Luckily there are some incredible natural alternatives like Willow Bark Extract. Willow Bark is the OG + natural form of salicylic acid and is very effective in preventing and treating acne, minus the irritation! That's why we use pure willow bark extract in our Miracle Cleansing Powder to gently brighten and fight acne everyday without irritation.
Our Solution - The Best Cleanser for Dry Skin
Dry skin can be such a pain, but by reevaluating your skincare routine and doing a little bit of investigation into the ingredients lurking in your cleanser you can say goodbye dry, lackluster skin. By understanding the harmful effects of certain ingredients and embracing the gentle power of natural ingredients, you CAN achieve the dewy + glowy skin of your dreams.
We've formulated our powder cleanser to be the antidote to the harsh & cleansers that dominate beauty shelves today. Instead of the harsh ingredients listed here we use a coconut based surfactant, papaya enzyme to gently exfoliate, hyaluronic acid + aloe to hydrate, and willow bark extract to brighten and fight acne. It's the ultimate multi-tasker that cleanses, hydrates, brightens, and gently exfoliates in one easy step and doubles as a face mask. Your skin will thank you for the switch to a cleanser that cleans without compromise.
