Cleanse dry skin like a professional with these expert tips.

Rachel Marie Walsh reports

Dry skin is often at its tightest after cleansing. This skin type is often a sign of a depleted moisture-retention (hydrolipidic) barrier and the wrong products or habits can make it feel drier. I asked skincare expert Mariga Sheedy — who usually deals with dry skin problems every day at her clinics in Wexford Town and Donnybrook — how to cleanse this temperamental type without parching it further.

Don’t Overdo It

“I usually recommend cleansing dry skin only once a day, preferable at night. A rinse with water will do fine in the morning. Dry skin produces fewer lipids which are needed for creating and maintaining the basis of healthy skin: a strong natural barrier. We don’t want to strip these oils away by over-cleansing.”

Cleansing Without Water Won’t Clear Things Up

“Water-free cleansing will not make any difference to dry skin one way or the other. The idea that water-free is a good option for dry skin probably comes from the fact that foaming cleansers are used with water. It is the foaming agents (detergents) in these cleansers that are drying the skin, not the fact that you use water to remove them.”

Be a Diagnostician

“Watching how your skin reacts can save you a lot of irritation. If your skin feels tighter straight after cleansing than it did before cleansing, your cleanser is likely too aggressive for your skin type. Avoid cleansers with harsh detergents. In general, these are foamy formulas. They may feel nice and fresh but the detergents are drying out your skin. The ingredient to avoid here is sodium laurel sulphate.”

Use a Microfibre Face Cloth

Try microfibre facecloths, they do a quicker, better job. You may be surprised to learn that most good quality cleansers are water-soluble, meaning that you can apply them like a traditional foaming cleanser and remove them with a facecloth to give you that satisfying clean feeling you get from using a cloth.

Double-Cleanse with Care

“If you use long-wearing makeup you may want to double cleanse. The trick here is to use your regular cleanser to cleanse twice rather than buying an extra ‘pre-cleanser’. This title is just marketing! Your cleanser should be chosen for your skin type, not your makeup type. Double cleansing, if necessary, will be tolerated by your skin as long as the product you are using is suitable for your skin type. Using an oil-based cleanser with a microfibre cloth will remove all but bullet-proof makeup. If you need to, you can just rinse out the cloth under warm water for a second rinse without any additional cleanser.

This is a one-step makeup remover and cleanser in a water-soluble oil formula.”

Buy sun repair special offer, skin essentials by mariga

Toner is Optional

“Toners were invented to remove traces of heavy, cream cleansers before water-soluble cleansers were available. You shouldn’t need one for this purpose if you have a good quality cleanser. However, toners these days are different, they can be a second step in hydrating. If you enjoy them by all means use one after cleansing.” Try our Cucumber Hydrating Toner HERE.

Read the full article on irishexaminer.com HERE.