Skin Cleansing Tips To Prevent Dryness And Breakouts

Cold weather and oil stripping products can lead to dry, flaky skin, but surprisingly breakouts too.  While this may have you scratching your head in confusion it actually makes perfect sense.

When our skin is exposed to dry air, it makes it harder for your skin to stay hydrated which causes your skin to produce more sebum.  When you use harsh products that strip it from not only excess oils, but beneficial, natural oils too, our skin tries to make up for this lack of oil by producing. . . you guessed right. . . more sebum! Unfortunately, our skin usually overcompensates and produces too much oil to try and protect itself, which in turn can result in clogged pores and pesky blemishes. So now not only are you dealing with frustrating flakes, but pimples too!

Before you panic, take a few deep breaths to center yourself. While it can be stressful dealing with skin issues they’re easier to manage than you may think.

Keep reading to find out how you can align your body and your mind so you can enjoy perfectly balanced skin.

 

prevent dryness and breakouts

It starts on the inside

We’ve spoken about this many times, but if you’re new to our blog or your mind simply needs a refresh then keep on reading.

Balanced skin is not just about what you apply externally to your skin. Everything you consume on a daily basis has an impact on the state of your skin.

For hydrated, calm skin you need to fill your body with nourishing, hydrating and anti-inflammatory foods. Think fresh greens, nourishing antioxidant rich soups, warm water with lemon and warming spices like turmeric to hydrate your skin cells from the inside out and reduce inflammation that may contribute to skin flare ups such as eczema.

Reduce your stress to improve your skin

While most of us know the negative impact stress may wreck on our health, what you may not realize is that it’s just as damaging to your skin.

Stress increases the stress hormone, cortisol, which can actually increase sebum production resulting in more breakouts, as well as break down collagen in the skin.

The good news is that with a daily stress reducing habit such as meditation or yoga, you can drastically reduce your stress levels and therefore, improve your skin. Deep breathing helps to instantly relax the nervous system and reduce the production of cortisol.

Don’t over-cleanse (hint: one small change to your morning routine could have huge benefits)

Many people still believe the old myth that acne is a result of dirty skin, causing them to wash their face more frequently, which then only exacerbates the problem. Acne is often not a result of dirty skin. It’s caused by an imbalance to your skin microbiome, a disrupted acid mantle, and poor skin barrier function (in addition to internal factors)

Over-cleansing can CAUSE all of these issues.  Using harsh cleansers and cleansing too often can kill too much of the beneficial bacteria on your skin, allowing bad bacteria to thrive.  

Over-cleansing or using cleansers that are not PH balanced can also disrupt your skin’s acid mantle by disrupting your skin's natural PH and not giving your skin enough time to maintain a healthy balance in between cleanses.  

Over-cleansing can also strip the skin of oils needed to keep it balanced and hydrated, which then sets the skin in its cycle of trying to compensate for the lack of oil by again overproducing sebum.

Whether your skin is dry, breaking out or both, over-cleansing could be to blame.  An easy solution is to skip your morning cleansing step, since your skin is still clean from your night routine.  Instead, gently refresh your skin by using a spritz or two of a PH-balanced facial mist and an organic cotton pad to wipe your skin clean before moving ahead with your usual morning ritual. 

Try this night-time cleansing technique to get the most out of your nighttime ritual

 

skin cleansing tips

This is the time of day when I highly recommend a good cleanse, but with a non-drying cleanser, to rid your skin of dirt and grime from the day, makeup and SPF.

I have a wonderful tip for using our low-PH complexion soaps that will leave your skin feeling fresh and clean with a healthy rosy glow 

To get the most out of the luxurious ingredients in our soaps, apply to a damp face and use either a konjac sponge, a gentle cleansing brush or a soft washcloth to massage the soap into your skin. Use light, circular upward motions for at least a minute or two to provide your skin with a deep down cleanse and gentle exfoliation. This will help to loosen congestion in the pores, slough off dry skin and boost blood circulation for a healthy glow and improved collagen production.

Try our Pumpkin & Wild Carrot Complexion Soap, packed in antioxidant vitamins for a clear and healthy complexion or our Aloe + Rose Clay soap, rich is repairing aloe vera and vitamin E.  Follow up with a few mists of an alcohol-free and PH-balanced facial mist and a nourishing facial oil.

You don’t need to struggle with skin issues at this time of year. Follow our tips and take care of your body internally and externally to radiate glowing, healthy skin!

2 comments

HI JoAnne! You can use the same cleansing routine, but I would change up your facial oil depending on the seasons (for instance you could use the Night Clarifying Treatment in the summer for both day and night, but in the winter use the Night Clarifying Treatment as your day oil, and the Night Regenerative Balm as your night “cream”. )

Dominique Caron June 12, 2018

My question to you is can you use this same cleansing routine in the summer, for dry skin and breakouts. I’m in my early thirties.

JoAnne Orr June 06, 2018

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