What Type of Moisturizer Does Your Skin Need?

If dry skin is driving you crazy, check out these soothing solutions

Scaly patches, itchy spots, redness and irritation — there’s nothing fun about the symptoms of dry skin. Learn how to combat it with these simple tips to give your skin a healthy glow.

Question: Can overcleansing cause dryness?

Answer: “Using harsh cleansers is a common cause of skin dryness,” says Tanya Kormeili, M.D., a board–certified dermatologist and clinical professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Basically, skin can lose its natural moisture from overexposure to water, soap, alcohol, antiseptics or the elements. Using gentle cleansers, instead of harsh soaps, is a great way to combat that,” she says.

Tip: Refresh and care for your skin at the same time with Dove Refreshing Body Wash. (Link opens in new window.) It combines a hydrating lotion with the uplifting scents of cucumber and green tea. It leaves skin fresh and soft.

Question: How important is drinking water to good skin health?

Answer: Drink up! Your skin will thank you. “While the water we drink does not go into the skin directly,” Kormeili says, “hydration is vital for our overall internal health. Since skin is a body organ like any other, it needs nutrition, hydration and care.”

Tip: Bored by plain water? Add lemon or cucumber slices to ice water for a tasty and hydrating beverage.

Question: I want to use a facial moisturizer, but I have oily skin on parts of my face. What should I do?

Answer: Many of us have oily T–zones — forehead, nose and chin — and it’s fine to treat the dry and oily parts of your face differently. For example, apply moisturizer only to dry areas, if you like. Or, for oily areas, “use noncomedogenic [non–pore–clogging] moisturizers to avoid acne flare–ups,” Kormeili says.

Tip: Your oily areas probably won’t conform exactly to the typical T–zone — and may change as you age. The best way to gauge your skin’s condition is to examine it in the morning, to see which parts became oily overnight and which parts remained dry.

Question: How can I keep my skin soft throughout the day?

Answer: “Put your lotion on skin that is just towel–dried but still moist,” Kormeili suggests. “The lotion will help seal in the moisture.”

Tip: Dove lotions (Link opens in new window.) are fast–absorbing and make a terrific after–shower or after–bath moisturizer for extra–dry skin.