The Best Actives for Dry Skin: Hydration Heroes and Korean Skincare Recommendations

Dealing with dry skin can be a challenge, especially when the weather gets colder or as we age. Dry skin needs a combination of hydrating, moisturizing, and protective ingredients to keep it healthy, supple, and comfortable. In this blog post, we’ll explore the best actives to combat dryness and suggest some top Korean skincare products to help you keep your skin hydrated and glowing.

Key Actives for Dry Skin

1. Hyaluronic Acid:

• What It Does: Hyaluronic acid is a powerful humectant, meaning it draws moisture from the air into the skin, helping to keep it plump and hydrated. It’s particularly beneficial for dry skin because it can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water.

• K-Beauty Recommendations:

  • Haruharu WONDER - Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner Original: This toner not only hydrates but also helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, which are often more noticeable on dry skin.

  • COSRX - Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence: A lightweight essence that provides deep hydration and is perfect for layering under other products.

  • COSRX - Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream: A rich cream from the same line for those who prefer a more substantial moisturizer.

  • Isntree - Ultra-Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum: A bit pricier but worth it for its deep penetration, thanks to its low molecular weight hyaluronic acid.

2. Ceramides:

• What It Does: Ceramides are lipids (fats) that are naturally found in the skin and help form a protective barrier to prevent moisture loss. Unfortunately, ceramide levels deplete with age, making it essential to replenish them, especially for dry skin.

• K-Beauty Recommendations:

  • COSRX - Balancium Comfort Ceramide Cream: The OG ceramide cream, known for its soothing and barrier-repairing properties.

  • APLB - Hyaluronic Acid Ceramide HA B5 Facial Cream: Combines the power of ceramides with hyaluronic acid for dual hydration and barrier support.

  • THE FACE SHOP - Rice Ceramide Moisturizing Cream: Includes rice extract, a natural hydrating ingredient, along with ceramides for a more traditional approach to moisturizing.

3. Squalane:

• What It Does: Squalane is an emollient that mimics the skin’s natural oils (sebum), helping to lock in moisture and maintain the skin’s elasticity without being greasy.

• K-Beauty Recommendations:

  • TOSOWOONG - Squalane Ampoule: Pure and simple, this ampoule delivers deep hydration and is perfect for sensitive skin.

  • APLB - Squalane Hyaluronic Acid Ampoule Serum: Combines squalane with hyaluronic acid for a double hit of hydration.

  • MUJI - Olive Squalane Oil: Not technically Korean (Japanese) but a fantastic pure squalane oil that’s also great for body use.

4. Glycerin:

• What It Does: Glycerin is another humectant that’s found in almost all moisturizers due to its ability to draw moisture into the skin and keep it hydrated. It’s non-irritating and works well for all skin types, especially dry skin.

5. Dimethicone and Shea Butter (Mostly For the Body):

• What They Do: Dimethicone is a silicone-based polymer that forms a protective barrier on the skin, locking in moisture without feeling heavy. Shea butter is a rich emollient that deeply nourishes and protects the skin, making it ideal for very dry areas. They work great together to create the ultimate rich and deeply hydrating creams, perhaps even a bit too much for daily use on the face for most skins.

• K-Beauty Recommendations:

  • NATURE REPUBLIC - Shea Butter Steam Cream Ultra (For Very Dry Skin): A deeply nourishing face cream, as the name says best used on extremely dry skin.

  • SKINFOOD - Intensive Shea Butter Body Cream Lotion: Perfect for moisturizing and protecting the body, especially during the colder months.

6. Petrolatum:

• What It Does: Petrolatum, found in products like Vaseline, is highly occlusive, meaning it creates a strong barrier on the skin to lock in moisture. It’s particularly useful for dry patches or for the trending “slugging” technique, which involves applying a thick layer of occlusive product as the last step in your skincare routine to seal in all other products.

• K-Beauty Recommendations:

  • Vaseline (OG Petroleum Jelly): Not Korean, but widely available and popular for slugging. Japanese vaseline is available on Yesstyle and comes in so many more varieties than its western counterpart! (I linked the basic one).

  • Abib - Rice Probiotics Overnight Mask Barrier Jelly: If you prefer to avoid petroleum derivatives, highly occlusive moisturizers with a jelly consistency like this overnight mask are suitable as alternatives to ease your way into slugging and offer similar results by deeply nourishing and protecting the skin.

7. AHAs (Particularly Lactic Acid):

• What It Does: While exfoliation is essential for every skin type, dry skin should opt for AHAs like lactic acid, which is gentler and more hydrating compared to BHAs. Lactic acid helps remove dead skin cells while also drawing moisture to the skin, making it ideal for maintaining smooth and hydrated skin.

• K-Beauty Recommendations:

  • Cos De BAHA - LS Lactic Acid 12.5 Serum: A potent lactic acid serum that exfoliates and hydrates, helping to maintain smooth, even-toned skin.

  • APLB - Lactic Acid Retinol Ampoule Serum: This serum combines lactic acid with a low concentration of retinol, giving you gentle exfoliation and anti-aging benefits without over-drying the skin (this way you won't have to use a separate and possibly harsher retinol product on another day of your weekly cycling if retinoids are something you're interested in incorporating into your routine).

    
    

Final Tips

When caring for dry skin, it’s crucial to layer hydrating and moisturizing products effectively, starting with humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, followed by emollients like squalane and ceramides, and finishing with occlusives like petrolatum or rich creams to lock everything in.

Remember, everyone’s skin is different, so finding the right combination of products that work for you might take some time, but your skin will thank you for the extra love and care. Stay tuned for more articles on the best actives for different skin concerns, and keep your skin glowing!

All the linked products are from Yesstyle, you can save 5% on your order by using my code CLAUDIA252 at checkout!