“Taking proper care of your skin becomes even more important as you age,” says Shari Lipner, MD, PhD, a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. “And that may mean changing some of your skin-care products and habits.”
For instance, you should forgo long, hot showers and baths; both can dry out and irritate the skin, especially during cold, dry weather.
You’ll also want to reevaluate some of the products in the bath or shower. Toss out any harsh scrubs, for instance. If you want to exfoliate the dead, dry skin, try rubbing a soft washcloth over wet skin, says David E. Bank, MD, director of the Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery in Mount Kisco, N.Y.
Look for a gentle soap—bar or liquid—that’s fragrance-free, because fragrances may irritate sensitive skin and dry it out. And as soon as you towel off, be sure to moisturize from head to toe.
“If you layer your moisturizer on top of still-damp skin, it helps lock in the moisture,” Lipner says. Creams are richer and more hydrating than lotions; ointments (such as petroleum jelly) are best at sealing the barrier and retaining water.
A review of 33 studies, published in the British Journal of Dermatology in 2013, found that a combination of ingredients that hold moisture in the skin (such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and lactic acid) and those that contain fatty ingredients to smooth it (such as cocoa butter, lanolin, and petrolatum) are best at improving dryness and reinforcing this critical barrier. The best skin-care strategy uses ingredients from both groups.
