Facial Skin: Dry

A tight, itchy face can be turned around within a week if you treat skin with ingredients that not only draw in moisture but help trap it there too.

Dry Facial Skin Treatment

Washing twice a day with water can rinse away some of skin's protective oils. If you're feeling dry, use a cleansing cloth that has a moisturizing ingredient such as aloe or vitamin E in the morning.
At night, use a mild, creamy cleanser with little to no lather. If skin is extremely dry, choose a creamy cleanser that wipes off with a tissue.
Apply lotion while your face is still damp to lock in moisture. Choose one with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or trehalose, and shea butter or dimethicone.
If your skin feels tight within hours of moisturizing, switch to a richer, thicker cream.
To prevent dullness, slough off dead skin cells with a weekly lactic acid peel (glycolic acid and salicyclic acid can be irritating on dry skin).
If you have dry skin but also want to treat lines, apply an anti-aging treatment with retinol every other day (daily use could aggravate dryness). Or switch to a cream with kinetin or the peptide Matrixyl, they're less drying than retinoids.
If you're going out in cold wind, carry a solid skin balm to touch up dry areas, such as the cheeks.