Anyone who has suffered from dry, flaky skin on their face will know all too well how uncomfortable it can be. And not just in terms of how it feels; flaky skin is also near impossible to cover up with make-up, and can greatly affect one’s confidence in their appearance.
But don’t worry. There are lots of things you can do to improve a dry complexion and get your skin looking healthy, dewy, and glowing once again.
Understanding your skin type, ensuring you use the right products for your skin’s needs, and a few simple changes to your home skincare routine – especially overnight – will help you get rid of flaky skin on your face.
Plus, there are of course some excellent facial treatments that will give your skin a powerful kick-start in banishing any flakiness and reverting to its radiant glow.
It’s important to note that if your flaky skin is the result of a treatment such as a chemical peel, that is a completely different topic. While there are certain products that are excellent for post-treatment healing as well as for treating naturally dry or flaky skin (we’ll mention a few later on), it’s vital you follow your practitioner’s exact recommendations on how to care for your skin following a peel or similar procedure.
But if your skin is dry, irritated, and flaky of its own accord, keep reading to find out how best to manage it.
What causes flaky skin on the face?
Many different things can contribute to dry skin. Some skin types are naturally dryer than others, but there are plenty of external factors that also contribute, such as:
- Dry weather – both cold and dry climates (particularly with the addition of indoor heating), and hot and dry climates.
- Harsh and drying soaps or skincare products.
- Hot water and overbathing.
- Dehydration.
- Health conditions such as eczema or psoriasis.
- Age – over 40 we naturally produce less sebum (natural skin oil).
However, the first thing to understand is the difference between your skin type and your skin condition.
Many people mistakenly think they have a dry skin type, when actually their skin is dehydrated… which is a skin condition.
If your skin type is dry, your body naturally produces less sebum (natural skin oil), and so you’ll be much more prone to dry and flaky skin regardless of external factors. Naturally dry skin can often be itchy, flaky, bumpy, or have discolored patches, and feels tight and uncomfortable.
Dehydrated skin, on the other hand, is a skin condition that comes from a lack of hydration both internally (i.e. not drinking enough water) and externally (i.e. living in dry climates). Dehydrated skin lacks water and usually appears duller, more rough in texture, and lines and wrinkles are more pronounced.
Skin can also be both dehydrated and naturally dry in skin type, the two aren’t exclusive. Add to that all the above-mentioned external factors, and your skin can quickly spiral into distress.
The good news is that it’s often relatively easy to repair dry and flaky skin with the right skincare routine, products, and treatments. Speaking to an expert to really understand your skin's underlying problems and getting the best personalized recommendations is always the best way to go, but we’ll cover all the basics for you below too.
The best way to treat dry skin on the face
A quality and conscious skincare routine based on your skin type and condition, using the right products for those particular needs, is a must – every day and all year round.
Once you have the right skincare routine in place, you should be able to avoid your skin ever becoming overly dry or flaky.
The type of products you’ll need will depend on your skin type. For example:
- Dry skin types lack sebum (oil), so need thick, nourishing moisturizers and oils to replenish this natural lack of moisture.
- Dehydrated skin lacks water, which is a very different thing, and needs humectants (like hyaluronic acid and glycerin) to rehydrate and help lock in moisture.
- All other skin types, including oily skin, can also become dehydrated and flaky, but e.g. in the case of oily skin, they’ll still be oily too. In this case, you need the same hydrating humectants to tackle the dehydration, but gel-based moisturizers and other non-clogging products so as to not exacerbate the challenges that come with oily skin types.
Understanding your skin type and condition is therefore the first vital step, so you can identify the exact products and routine you need to adopt.
Your daily routine should then look something like this:
- A gentle cleanser to remove all dirt and make-up.
Choose one that combines cleaning power with hydration, such as this iS Clinical face wash which is a gentle but powerful cleansing gel, or the iS Clinical cream cleanser which is super soothing, gentle, and hydrating thanks to its combination of coconut oil, safflower seed oil, and glycerin. Cream cleansers are always a good choice for dry skin, while gels are great for oily and dehydrated skin. Avoid foam cleansers, which are often drying. - Apply a hydrating antioxidant serum to still-damp skin.
Applying serums and moisturizers to damp skin is known as “skin flooding” and is a key way to seal in moisture as well as allow for better penetration, so the product itself is more effective. Skinbetter’s Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum is a gold standard in repairing and protecting the skin, and one of our all-time favorites. - Layer moisturizer on top.
Depending on your skin type and condition, opt for either a thick deeply nourishing moisturizer such as Skinbetter’s Trio Luxe Moisture Treatment or a lighter or more gel-based product, but always ensure it’s deeply nourishing and infused with ceramides and hydrators. - Gently exfoliate once every week or two.
This is vital to remove the build-up of dead skin cells which will contribute to the appearance of flaky skin on the face. But it’s also important not to overdo exfoliation as it can have the inverse effect of causing dry skin.
Remember that our bodies kick into healing mode overnight, and skin-cell turnover peaks during this time. So a quality skincare routine before bed, using products infused with all the right ingredients for your skin’s needs, is a vital step in caring for our skin and complexion.
The best in-office treatments for treating dry flaky skin
In addition to your at-home skincare routine, several in-office treatments can also help remove excess dead skin, unclog pores, and fast-track your skin’s healing.
The HydraFacial is one of our top recommendations. The most soothing medical-grade facial out there, it hydrates and nourishes your skin at the same time as cleansing, exfoliating, and extracting – giving your dry and flaky complexion the ultimate reset.
Dermaplaning is another great treatment for anyone suffering from dry flaky skin. This involves gently scraping away the top layer of skin to give a deep yet gentle exfoliation and smoothen out skin tone. It can also be combined with other treatments, like a jelly mask and LED light therapy, to help infuse moisture and hydration back into the skin, prior to you continuing with your new skincare regime to maintain your new smooth and radiant glow.
Best skincare ingredients for dry skin
When choosing skincare products, look for those that are specifically designed for dry skin and/or restoring hydration.
Some of the top ingredients to look out for when wanting to treat flaky skin or manage dry skin in general, include:
- Glycerin and hyaluronic acid – two powerhouses in restoring and maintaining moisture and hydration.
- Ceramides – their main function is to prevent water loss and protect the skin’s barrier.
- AHAs like glycolic acid and lactic acid – they gently exfoliate the skin’s top layers and increase its ability to hold onto hydration.
- Omega fatty acids – good weightless hydrators that calm and soothe.
- Nourishing, gentle, and soothing botanicals like jojoba, safflower, and sunflower oil, aloe vera, shea butter, coconut oil, etc.
And equally important – be sure to avoid those that will aggravate already compromised skin, such as:
- Fragranced products – bad for sensitive skin in general.
- Harsh, drying ingredients such as alcohol, essential oils, mint, etc.
- Abrasive scrubs.
- SLS (common in foaming products) – it’s extremely drying.
Best products for dry skin on the face
When it comes to skincare, quality counts. Top cosmeceutical brands such as SkinBetter Science, iS Clinical, NeoCutis, and Alastin are all award-winning skincare brands with scientifically proven formulations that really do make a difference.
In addition to the products mentioned further above, we highly recommend the following for anyone suffering from dry skin:
- Alastin Regenerating Skin Nectar – ideal for use after skin rejuvenation procedures such as chemical peels, lasers, microneedling, etc, it’s also a powerhouse in calming, strengthening, and improving irritated or sensitive skin.
- iS Clinical Recovery Balm – also ideal following in-office procedures, this moisture-rich formula dramatically replenishes hydration to dry or distressed skin.
- Neocutis Hyalis+ Intesive Hydrating Serum – an oil-free, deeply moisturizing serum formulation.
- SkinBetter Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment – heavy hydration in a lightweight formula.
Tackling flaky skin on the face in Cleveland Ohio, at BodyTonic Med Spa
At BodyTonic Med Spa, we are committed to helping the people of Ohio achieve flawless, radiant skin.
We are proud to not only offer the very best in cutting-edge skin rejuvenation treatments, but also the best medical-grade skincare products that perfectly align with our commitment to remarkable results.
We’re conveniently located in the Westgate Mall, Cleveland, Ohio, so if you live or work in the Cleveland area, come and visit us for an in-depth skin consultation in which we can identify the causes of your dry skin and recommend the best products, treatments, and skincare regimes that will help you tackle all your skin concerns.
We sell all the above-mentioned brands in-store, and you can also purchase anything from the SkinBetter range online via our BodyTonic account.
