S.O.S: Dehydrated/Dry Skin

I began to use the Yves Rocher Cleansing Milk for sensitive skin. This made such a great difference not only in the way my skin looked; but also how it felt. When I was still using my gel cleanser, my face, quite literally, two to three minutes after cleansing it, would be so tight.

I don’t know if you have ever made an egg white face mask at home – but when you’ve had that on your face for about ten to fifteen minutes and the egg whites have dried, that is how my skin felt using the gel cleanser.
The reason why I had been using the gel cleanser is because normally, as mentioned, I have oily skin. My forehead being the oiliest place on my face. I had been using the gel cleanser for over a year and it had been great for me. Up until the point my skin changed – it became drier as winter began to approach. My moisturiser wasn’t doing any good for me.

I wasn’t using any type of oils (Argan – except as an eye serum, Rosehip, Jojoba etc.) to help my skin. And as my skin became drier, the gel simply began to strip whatever oils I had left on my skin.

Moreover, to make matters worse, the moisturiser I had been using at the time had 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide in it to help with breakouts. So that also had a contribution to the dehydration and flakiness of my skin. That also needed to change.

The first step was to recognise and realise that I had dehydrated skin and not necessarily dry skin. Dehydrated skin is where there is lack of moisture/water in the Stratum Corneum while dry skin generally refers to skin that is lacking in oil (The International Dermal Institute). So that means that even oily skin (as I have) can experience dehydration (which I did). Dehydration is lack of water, not oil.

This Proxera serum from BioNike, which is applied day and night, proved to be a saviour for my dehydrated skin. It is marketed as something for dry and very dry skin and was recommended to me (along with the Proxera Keratoff 10% Urea Cream) to help ease the itching, flaking, redness, tight/tautness, irritation and roughness. But more importantly, to restore moisture and hydrate my thirsty skin.

It’s a 40ml tube with gel-like contents. Although the consistency of the serum is not as thick as a gel or cream. It’s somewhere in between where it won’t blob out of the tube and stay put. But it won’t run down your hand either. It has no smell (although as we know, as far as the user is concerned, this could vary from review to review).

It is recommended for people who suffer from fragile skin (atopic dermatitis) and xerotic skin caused by external factors (weather, chemicals).

This has been such a wonderful product for me. From the moment I put it onto my skin for the first time, I immediately felt no more tight/tautness. My skin felt soothed – like it had finally been given a break. I have been using the product for two weeks now and my skin is looking so good. It feels soft, supple and moisturised.

Bionike Proxera Keratoff 10% Urea Cream - this cream, again used day and night, is applied on top of the Intensive Face Serum. The cream contains an oily external phase emulsion which calms any stinging sensation. The Urea is the ingredient that performs a keratomodulating action as it “induces keratinocyte differentiation and reduces their proliferation“. Urea also helps to replenish the skin’s hydrolipid film and increase intracellular water content in the stratum corneum. It also reduces skin itching. Sodium Lactate stimulates the natural cell turnover and at the same time provides strong moisturisation. Glucono – Lactone modulates keratinisation, favouring skin renewal. It helps to prevents oxidative damage thanks to its anti-oxidant properties and softens skin. – BioNike Proxera.

The cream is white (of a creamy consistency) which also has no particular smell.