Washing your face twice a day is essential to free your pores from dirt, oil or makeup that might be trapped within. With that said, finding the right cleanser or face wash for your skin type is important, and some ingredients are harsher for dry skin than others might be. We checked in with New York City-based dermatologists and skincare experts to learn more about one common skincare ingredient to avoid, and what to reach for instead for already dry skin. Read on for tips and suggestions from Dr. Elaine F. Kung, MD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Future Bright Dermatology, and Eliana Restrepo, licensed aesthetician and co-owner of JE’DERM skin atelier.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate / Sodium Laureth Sulfate
You know how face washes and cleansers are often bubbly and foamy? What causes this, Restrepo explains, is the common ingredient sodium lauryl (or laureth) sulfate, often abbreviated as 'SLS' on packaging. While this is designed to cleanse your skin free of pore-clogging elements, it can be too harsh on skin that is already naturally dry.
"Sulfates are the ingredients that make cleansers foam up," she says, "They help to remove excess oil, dirt, debris from the surface of the skin." While sulfates can be "totally good for some skin types," Restrepo stresses that "dry skin is not one of them." They can "disrupt the acid mantle which is responsible to hold natural moisture and prevent transepidermal water loss," she says. "A damaged skin barrier can lead to extreme dryness, flakiness, redness and irritation," she warns. Kung adds that ingredients like these can "potentially disrupt the skin barrier through exfoliation, change the pH of the skin, or reduce natural skin oils leaving the skin [even more] dry."
Ingredients To Reach For Instead
While on your quest to find the perfect face wash, Kung advises choosing one that is "formulated without dyes, fragrance, parabens, sulfates, or formaldehyde." She also recommends using a product designed to "calm irritation and soothe inflammation."
Restrepo adds that it's imperative to find a "sulfate-free, cream-based cleanser with ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerine, niacin amide." Cleansers with AHA (alpha hydroxy acid ) can also be beneficial for dry skin, she points out. "AHAs are derived from natural sources and have the ability to gently remove the outer layer of dead and damaged skin," she says. "Glycolic acid and Lactic acid are humectants that can attract water from the environment to the skin and can also be great ingredients for dry skin if it is used in the right concentration and frequency," she concludes. For more information on what cleanser best suits your skin, experts recommend visiting your local dermatologist and/or skincare expert.
