Dry skin is caused by a combination of both internal and external dehydration. Without paying attention to both, you’ll find it hard to gain and then maintain healthy and hydrated skin across your whole body.

The internal stuff is easier to keep up with as most of us consume enough water through regular daily activities and diets that contain a lot of water dense foods.

It’s the external stuff that can sometimes get away from us, especially during Winter, causing flakiness, redness, roughness, a dull complexion and in extreme cases, signs of dermatitis. Lack of humidity and persistent exposure to hot water (yes, that long hot shower you take in the mornings) are both big contributors to dry skin.

While there are plenty of moisturisers and emollients designed to both hydrate your skin and nourish its protective barrier, they can sometimes feel futile in reversing signs of dryness you’re already experiencing. That’s where our favourite beauty tools come in.

These guys help to manage dry skin all over your body removing the top most dead layers to help products work more effectively for longer term benefits. Here’s what we recommend using if you’re suffering from dry skin…

Exfoliating Gloves – Perfect for in shower use, exfoliating gloves are easy to use and allow you to give your dry skin a deep but gentle buff. You can use them with your usual body wash, an in-shower scrub or even just with water. You control the pressure you use and therefore the level of exfoliation making these appropriate for sensitive skin also.

Dry Body Brush – Doing wonders both internally and externally, a dry body brush is something everyone should own. They not only help to provide a gentle exfoliation on your skin but also stimulate blood flow beneath the surface for better circulation leading to increased hydration and a healthy glow.

Pumice Stone – The last thing you want to see when popping on a pair of strappy shoes is dry and cracked heels. Pumice stones are an effective way of polishing and buffing away dry and dead skin from your feet, knees and even elbows, three areas that can quickly get out-of-hand when you’re wearing long sleeves, pants and boots all Winter.

Corn Blade – In extreme cracked heel cases, a corn blade can help you out. If you’ve ever had a pedicure, you’ve probably been horrified watching your technician shave away the dead skin from your feet but the instant smoothness is both an appealing sight and gratifying feeling. You can pick your own up from drugstores but it’s important to use it with caution and begin with a fresh blade every use.

Facial Cleansing Brush – While we’re big fans of chemical exfoliators for your complexion, it’s undeniable that sometimes you just need a good scrub. If you can’t get in for a microdermabrasion treatment, a facial cleansing brush is the next best thing. Using soft bristles and gentle vibration or spinning movements, facial cleansing brushes help to exfoliate your skin without being too rough and are far gentler than physical scrubs. Just remember to keep things light so you’re not pulling on your skin.

Beauty Blender – When you’re experiencing flakiness on your face that your exfoliator just can’t seem to nab, a beauty blender or makeup sponge is one of the best ways to apply your makeup. Brush application can push your makeup into cracks and rough, dry areas causing them to stand out. Beauty blenders instead allow you to smooth over top of dryness and offer a more diffused, smoother looking finish.

Featured image:

Photo Bonnie Cee

Hair and Make-up Bonnie G, Oz Beauty Expert

Model Azizi