Why you should use body oils for dehydrated skin
If the lotion just isn't cutting it in terms of moisturising, then body oil is going to become your friend. We have a few secrets to share about them.
After a summer of dehydrating sunlight and conditioned air, it's no wonder your skin can resemble that of a lizard. All that swimming in salt water and chlorine only makes matters worse. Now is the time to try and undo the damage. However, sitting in front of a heater all day is far from helping.
Instead of relying on your moisturising body wash to do all the work, there's something you can do beforehand to help your skin out.
The idea may seem a little cuckoo, but have a go at applying body oil generously to your skin before you shower. Doing this works by protecting the skin from the harshness of the water – although it's easy to think that water doesn't damage the skin, in fact it does and hot water, which we are all most inclined to opt for, is even worse. Water strips the skin of the protective layer that lays on the epidermis (our outer layer of skin), which we all naturally have, which in turn opens the door for dryness. Constant showering, swimming, spas all wreak havoc with hydration.
And why stop there? Amp up the moisture levels even more by repeating this step once you have got out of the shower to lock in hydration and keep it in. Layering is also an option – why not apply body oil and then follow this up by adding a body lotion to the mix. This will sink beautifully into the skin and give you a longer-lasting feeling of protection.
Choices aside, the most important thing to remember is that applying something to your skin to retain moisture and rehydrate thirsty skin will work wonders for you this season.
Written by Sarah Simpson. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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