What are the best and worst ingredients for dry skin?
Lately in LA, we have been experiencing Santa Ana winds and seriously dry weather resulting in parched, rough, dry, itchy, dehydrated, and uneven skin. Jenny’s clients have even been complaining of dry, red, watery eyes. And for those of you in harsh winter weather climates, you know dry skin all too well. Let’s dive into my tips for the best moisturizers for dry skin and other tips—many of which debunk a lot of the bad advice out there that encourages ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin that have short-term effects like ‘plumping’ but long-term actually dry your skin out more and cause long-term damage to your skin cells.
How to treat dry skin the Jenny way
Hydrate, inside and out
Drink water like it's your job. This truly is the best moisturizer for dry skin. Spring water is best. Jenny’s rule of thumb: take your weight and divide that number in half, and that is the minimum number of ounces you should be drinking daily.
Jenny’s rule of thumb: take your weight and divide that number in half, and that is the minimum number of ounces you should be drinking daily.
Use an IC device
Use an IC device to transform your water into a natural remedy.
ICs work by stimulating the body's own healing abilities. They are electromagnetic signals generated using algorithms or recorded from substances. And they have super healing, therapeutic, and biological effects.
A little woo-woo backed by science... so Beautygrass! We use this one by Infopathy.
Lock in moisture
Face oils help to lock in the moisture you have.
Use them twice a day, once in the morning, once after cleansing in the evening. We start with our signature LitFromWithin in the morning and use MoonLitFromWithin (nature's retinol!) at night. Both are the best moisturizers for dry skin. they will not only lock in the moisture you have but nourish your skin without disrupting your skin's precious microbiome.
Whip up an aloe mask
We could talk all day long about our love of aloe. It’s an amazing treatment for hydration. It’s an amazing, natural hydrosol. It's really a one-stop shop for all things skin.
Aloe Vera is 99% water and has over seventy-five skin-loving compounds. What's truly mind-blowing are the amino acids present in aloe. Applied to the skin, they soften rough, hard skin cells, creating soft, smooth skin.
Get a plant, cut it open, and slather it on your skin like a mask. Applying this before bed under Beautygrass' MoonlitFromWithin is a sure way to wake up plump and glowing.
Avoid hyaluronic acid and glycerin
SHOCKING we know!
Contrary to popular belief, AVOID ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin — long term, these actually dehydrate your skin. Despite what everyone has told you, these are NOT the best moisturizers for dry skin.
Glycerin is highly processed. Yes, glycerin is a humectant that provides ‘temporary plumping’ but leads skin cells to shrivel in the process (technically, this process is called osmolality). So you see the benefits initially but long term it does major damage to your skin cells—not good for wrinkles!
As for hyaluronic acid, we have to face the truth, people! Yes, the claims are alluring and the reported effects are tantalizing. HA is a moisture-binding ingredient that claims to hold 1,000 times its weight in water. Really though?! If there is no moisture in the air, where does this magic ingredient pull moisture from? YOUR OWN SKIN!! Dehydrating you in ways only the Sahara desert could... or Los Angeles, which is technically a desert. Scientific evidence demonstrates that HA applied topically is impenetrable to the skin because of its large molecule, and it rapidly degrades on the skin's surface. It’s just a no-go on these two ingredients at BeautyGrass!
"Contrary to popular belief, AVOID ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin"
Find nature’s hydrators
Look for ingredients like Tremella mushrooms, Rose Otto, and Frankincense. These all boost hydration without long-term side effects.
Tremella mushroom, in particular, really supports and plumps the skin naturally. If your whole body is dry, MycelliumTides Soak, is packed with this goodness.
Tremella mushroom, in particular, really supports and plumps the skin naturally.
Add Acid Cider Vinegar
Incorporate diluted Apple Cider Vinegar into your skincare routine. ACV can naturally balance the pH of your skin, but it also prepares the skin to best absorb hydrating serums.
ACV can restore the skin's acid mantle and fat lipid layers—these stop the moisture in your skin from getting away.
Get some coconut
Coconut is the absolute best for rehydrating skin. The key nutrients in coconut water are lauric acid, iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Potassium is an electrolyte that facilitates cellular cleansing, and it is twice as concentrated in coconut water as in a banana. The meat in young coconut is also great for the skin; it can help rejuvenate the skin's collagen, which restores elasticity and flexibility—aka gives you younger, plumper (more hydrated) skin.
Turn our salve into a night mask
BeautyGrass’ Sacred Salve uses two key hydrating ingredients: organic white beeswax, which is made from bees that only collect nectar solely from flowers, and Kokum Butter.
Organic white beeswax is a more expensive type of wax but has much more healing potential than other types. The beeswax in the salve helps form a protective barrier that locks in hydration and keeps the ‘nasties’ out. And because it has incredible emollient properties, it won't clog the skin.
Kokum Butter has deeply healing and intensely moisturizing properties that promote skin regeneration. It’s full of fatty acids and proteins that can boost collagen production, and similar to coconut, increase the skin’s elasticity.
So before bed, if you’re feeling super dry, you can apply a thin layer of Sacred Salve to the face and follow it up with MoonLitFromWithin face oil.
The salve is also amazing for dry hands and knuckles.
"before bed, if you’re feeling super dry, you can apply a thin layer of Sacred Salve to the face and follow it up with a face oil."
Slather on a good body oil
SacredNaked Body Oil, in particular, is great for dry skin. It uses Sacha Inchi oil. This oil is lovely. It's one of the best moisturizers for dry skin. It’s rich in Omega-3, 6, and 9, which are crucial in supporting healthy skin. And it works on improving the skin barrier because of the high Vitamin E concentration.
If you want to increase the benefits here, you can dry brush before putting on the body oil.
Obviously, it goes without saying you should also use a gentle cleanser, wear sunscreen, and follow all the typical advice, but the above will make a world of difference to your dry skin.
Get ready for plump, hydrated skin, no matter the time of year!
✨Jenny Jewel✨
"We said this above, but for me, it’s about what’s not in there as much as what is. Please, please, please avoid the hype with hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Long term, these are dehydrators, and the temporary 'plumpness' is not worth the long-term dehydration."