My Cure For Extremly Dry, Flaky, Red, Sensitive Skin, Especially On Your Face

a middle aged woman smiling

Updated 1/21/18. As an esthetician with 30 years of experience, I’ve seen every type of skin condition. One that I see frequently is extremely dry, flaky skin on the face and other areas that’s red, irritated, and acts overly sensitive. When my client, Tracey Schwartz, first came to me complaining of all of these symptoms, I ran through my usual list of questions for this type of skin. (Note: those who have eczema and rosacea will also benefit from the information in this post. Both of these conditions are related to a weakened skin barrier, which I discuss in great detail below.)

During my consultation with Tracey, she expressed the following concerns.

Tracey:

  • “My skin is always red. Every product that I apply stings, so I have to be really careful with what I use.”
  • “I have to keep my skincare routine really simple. I use products for sensitive skin, but my skin still feels irritated.”
  • “My skin is constantly dry and flaky and always looks red.”
  • “I’ve always had sensitive skin, but it started to get worse in my mid 40’s.”
  • “My doctor diagnosed me with rosacea and gave me a prescription. I used it for a while, but it only made my skin more irritated so I went off of it. And I don’t want to be on a prescription if I don’t have to be.”

Looking at Tracey’s skin, there was no doubt in my mind that her skin was extremely fragile. I knew I had to go easy. However, my diagnosis of Tracey’s skin was pretty simple, since I see this condition frequently. She had a damaged protective moisture barrier. This was the true underlying cause of all the dry, red skin on her face and other areas, along with its hypersensitivity. She’s a classic skin type #9. (Take this easy Skin Type Quiz to find out yours.)

Before I go into all the ways that I helped fix Tracey’s dry, flaky skin on her face and other areas, it’s important to know that depending on your skin type, you may have either dry or dehydrated skin. It’s important to know the difference between these. Read this post.

What is a damaged moisture barrier?

Your skin has a barrier made of natural lipids that help keep moisture in and irritants out. When this barrier is damaged (due to age, hormones, genetics, incorrect products and more), it creates tiny, invisible cracks in the skin. These cracks allow moisture to escape, causing dry, flaky skin on the face and elsewhere. Also, irritants then enter more easily. This makes even sensitive skin products cause a stinging, uncomfortable sensation. This sensation might not normally occur if the skin was in a healthy state. In the case of Tracey’s skin, all the moisturizer she was slathering on wasn’t doing anything to help. Her skin’s moisture barrier was in desperate need of repair.

How to fix a damaged moisture barrier causing dry, flaky skin?

There are so many things you can do. The sooner you start, the quicker you’ll see improvement. It’s important to know that it can take up to three weeks to notice a visible difference, but the dry, red skin should feel better quickly.

Avoid washing your skin with anything that leaves it feeling tight.

Look at your cleanser ingredients and make sure to avoid Sodium Laureth Sulfate or Ammonium Laureth Sulfate. These only further damage the barrier, causing dry, flaky skin on the face, hands, and other areas. If you’re using too strong of a cleanser, you’re instantly stripping the moisture out of the skin, which is the worst thing you can do. (Tracey loves using a foaming cleanser so I had her use Moisture Protecting Cleanser. This is a gel-to-milk cleanser that’s incredibly gentle on red, dry and irritated skin types. A cream-based cleanser can be very effective, too. Vitamin-Infused Cleansing Emulsion is a soothing formula.)

Always use an alcohol-free toner to hydrate your dry, red skin

Toners are misunderstood. People aren’t really sure what they do. Furthermore, many have had bad experiences with alcohol-based ones that left their skin feeling tight and dry. I’m here to tell you that toners are incredibly hydrating and reparative to the skin’s barrier. They’re actually very important to use for the skin’s health and integrity. (For Tracey, I recommended Moisture Infusion Toner. It’s so effective for improving the skin’s ability to retain moisture. As with any toner, you’ll want to leave it damp on the skin before you apply your next product. This helps seal its hydration properties deep within the skin.)

Use a vitamin C or antioxidant serum for dry, sensitive skin daily

It’s been proven over and over that the ingredient vitamin C effectively protects skin cells from environmental damage. However, for red, sensitive and easily-irritated skin types, you need to be very careful about which type you use. Many vitamin C serums are too acidic and can be very reactive for those with a delicate barrier.

There are two general categories of vitamin C serums.

Stable forms of topical vitamin C:

This means the product won’t discolor. It won’t break down and lose its effectiveness over time, so it’s good to the last drop.

These ingredients are:

  • Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate: also a proven skin lightener that fades brown spots and discoloration from age, sun, breakouts, and hormones
  • Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
  • Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate
  • Ascorbyl Palmitate
  • Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Unstable forms of topical vitamin C:

This means the product will turn dark yellow or golden brown over time. Air oxidizes the formula, resulting in fewer skin benefits. This unstable type, due to its acidic nature, can cause stinging when applied. This then results in irritation, especially for sensitive skin types, and retinol/prescription retinoid users, and those who exfoliate their skin regularly.

These ingredients are:

  • Ascorbic Acid
  • L-Ascorbic Acid

The one that I recommended for Tracey was Vitamin C&E Treatment. It’s a stable, no-sting, non-irritating formula that delivers the best and safest results for her dry, sensitive skin.

To further understand the oxidation process and unstable vitamin C, think about If you take a bite of an apple and set it down on a table. What will happen? it will start to discolor and turn brown within 20 minutes. This happens because the air is oxidizing the apple. (Check out this cool experiment I did with an apple and a vitamin C serum.) When you’re using an unstable form of vitamin C, it can quickly oxidize on the face. This means it has started to lose potency and your skin may not be reaping all its benefits.

Wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day is a must.

UV rays from daylight cause inflammation in the skin which only makes sensitive skin more reactive. Apply a generous coat to the face and neck every day under makeup. Weightless Protection SPF 30 uses zinc oxide, which is known to be a calming anti-inflammatory. This makes it ideal for sensitive, easily-irritated skin.

Moisturizing Toner For Dry Skin

Use a moisturizer with lipid-rich oils

This tip is really important. A lot of moisturizers may feel hydrating, but they won’t necessarily fix a damaged barrier causing dry, red skin if they don’t contain these special repairing ingredients. Look for moisturizers with ingredients like:

Many of these are found in Phytolipid Comfort Creme and Pro Remedy Oil (which I suggested for Tracey) since they are both formulated to repair the skin’s protective barrier deep down, where damage begins. I told Tracey to use the cream at night followed by a few drops of the oil on top. Within four weeks, this greatly reduces (or even eliminates) visible redness and skin sensitivity. (Trust me, this cream and oil combo work. However, the skin usually needs so much repair that you should give them time to work their magic.)

Be sure to use products for your skin type..

From the very start of my esthetics career, I learned that every skin is unique. The ‘one-size-fits-all approach’ is simply not effective in achieving healthy, balanced and beautiful skin. Classifying skin into the standard oily, normal and dry skin types is just so limiting. Many cosmetic companies still say, “this product is for all skin types” but all skin types have such different needs! I believe there are nine different types of skin. My skin type quiz will let you know exactly which one you are. (However, more than likely if you’re reading this post, you’re probably a skin type #5 or #9.) Take my Skin Type Quiz to find out yours.

Hydrating Cream for flaky dry skin

I recommended that Tracey purchase skin care products formulated for skin type #9. She was apprehensive about purchasing the complete collection, as she has experienced so many false promises from other skin care professionals and salespeople. However, I’m thankful that she trusted me because she felt that I really understood her skin and the underlying cause of her concerns. I will say that I definitely suggested she introduce the products slowly by only using one new product every few days. (Read how to introduce new products to your skin.) To start, I suggested for the first few days that she use Phytolipid Comfort Creme and add a few drops of Pro Remedy Oil to it.

When I checked back in with her a month later, her dry, flaky skin on her face and other areas had improved so much. The combination of the products had improved the redness and dryness dramatically, and she was so happy with the results. Her skin felt less warm to the touch, and she didn’t have that feeling of constant irritation. She is a loyal and happy lifelong client and has referred so many of her friends and colleagues to us through the years. Thank you, Tracey. I knew my trusty magic skin wand would cure you—without you having to resort to harsh prescriptions!

Disclaimer: Content found on www.ReneeRouleau.com and Blog.ReneeRouleau.com, including text, images, audio, or other formats were created for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website or blog.

Comments:

Post a comment
  1. Hello Renee, Im 17 and Im suffering daily over my skin. Im wondering if you have a separate email for those who doesnt want to talk aloud about their skin problems. Im really sorry for the inconvenience but hopefully I can discuss my skin issues separately. Thank you and I only asked you as you seem to know very well about skin :).

    Posted By: Jen  | 

    Reply
  2. Hi there! I’m so grateful to come across this post! I’m recently diagnosed with mild rosacea. I’ve always had oily reactive skin prone to flushing. I now have redness and dry flakes on my cheeks, forehead, and chin. Most oils cause major pimples for me. I’m just curious as to what type of moisturizer you’d recommend for someone whose skin cannot tolerate oils. Thank you in advance!

    Posted By: Alicia  | 

    Reply
    • Hi Alicia,
      Our Skin Recovery Lotion or Hawaiian Nourishing Cream are both excellent for healing red, acne-prone skin. These are extremely lightweight and will not clog the pores at all. The Hawaiian Cream is more moisturizing and probably would be better for you, but does not use any pore-clogging oils, only natural oils that are for healing. Check them out here https://www.reneerouleau.com/t/categories/moisturizers

      Posted By: Renée Rouleau  | 

      Reply
  3. Okay I will definitely try that! Thanks so much! 🙂

    Posted By: Jade  | 

    Reply
  4. Hi Renee! I have really sensitive skin (like right now) and it will become extremely sensitive to new,(maybe) harsh products at times! I’m going to be 13 soon and I know that’s when skin can get unpredictable..I’m not sure what to do! I have extremely sensitive skin, but I need something/someTHINGS that will take care of extreme sensitivity and (dry, raw,flakey, [it depends]) blemishes, the occasional pimple, AND breakouts and redness! Have any recommendations from your brand and any others?? (FYI I’m kinda desparete here…..so I’m willing to take ALOT of suggestions) and when you get back to me could you give a brief description of the product?? (Please!:) and school starts in 5 weeks so please try to get back to me soon! Please!:) I’ve TRYED dermatologists (where they made it kinda worse and gave me a product that worked and then didn’t) so in a nutshell you’re my only hope now! Please help!! Thanks so much! 🙂

    Posted By: Jade  | 

    Reply
  5. Hi
    I’m twenty and have rosacea but nothing i use seems to work. I did your skin type test and got skin type #4, have oily skin especially in my t-zone but its not really sensitive or dry. I was wondering if the skin recovery lotion from #4 was best for rosacea or the soothing relief serum?
    Thank you!
    Heather

    Posted By: Heather  | 

    Reply
    • Hi Heather, I would go with the recommendations of skin type #4. The Skin Correcting Serum in that routine as well as the Skin Recovery Lotion are both good for rosacea.

      Posted By: Renée Rouleau  | 

      Reply
  6. Hi
    Im nineteen years of age and i have always had trouble with my skin.I have always had dry patches on my skin ,with an oily t zone.I never used moisterizer until two months ago.I use it day and night and my skin is not dry anymore , but now i have small bumps all over my face , the size of small spots , but there coverd by my skin , its not your average spot i dont know how to explain.

    Posted By: Maria  | 

    Reply
    • Hi Maria,
      I’m glad whatever moisturizer you are using has repaired your dry skin but it sounds like it’s too pore clogging and not for your skin type. Can I have you take our skin type quiz and find your skin type and then it will suggest a moisturizer from our line? Find your skin type > https://www.reneerouleau.com/quizzes/1/questions/1

      Posted By: Renée Rouleau  | 

      Reply
  7. Hi! Thank you so much for this article. I am 14 years old with extremely dry skin that gets oily very easily. Everything in my normal skincare routine was fine, until I started breaking out a lot near my cheekbones area last week–so since then my skin suddenly became very sensitive. What made it worse is that I used an acne medication that dried my skin even more! I put on a hydration mask and it stung my skin so painfully. So, I stumbled across this article, I used a toner and repair serum that I had not used in a while, and it was like magic. Within a week, my skin was stronger and back to normal again! Thank you for sharing!

    Posted By: Ellie  | 

    Reply
  8. Renee,

    Your products sound amazing for my skin. I believe I also am skin type number 9. I have dry, red, and sensitive skin, but I am very nervous about the cost of the products and if they will really work. I have spent so much money on products like clinique, lancome, and many others. What if for some reason the products do not work? I am thinking about buying two of your products, the calming chamomile cleanser and the vitamin C and E treatment. Are there any discounts and at all and if you could recommend 2 or three products for my skin type what would it be? If I could afford the whole line I definitely would! Thank you so much for reading, I absolutely appreciate it!

    CIerra

    Posted By: Cierra  | 

    Reply
    • Hello Cierra,
      I’m glad you were able to find a skin type that describes your skin type. Here is a link to our return policy. https://www.reneerouleau.com/ReturnPolicy.aspx The cleanser and the Vitamin C&E Treatment are both great, and excellent for sensitive skin. If those are two products that you are in need of, then I would say go with those. The Phytolipid Comfort Cream is a great night moisturizer too. With any new product, it’s always best to do a patch test to check for compatibility. Read this https://blog.reneerouleau.com/2011/11/how-to-avoid-a-negative-reaction-to-new-skin-care-products/ We don’t currently have any promotions going on right now but sign up on our home page to receive our emails and you’ll get notified. I will say that we don’t offer a lot of promotions, maybe a couple a year. I feel confident that you’ll enjoy the skin type #9 as it’s very specific to treating the needs of dry, red and sensitive skin. Enjoy! Renee

      Posted By: Renée Rouleau  | 

      Reply
  9. Hello,

    I just read your review for #9 skin. I have the same problems, and I am in desperate need of help to reduce my peeling, flaky redness, dry skin. But I am scare to use products because nothing ever seem to work. Please help with suggestion and where to start.

    Thank you.

    Posted By: Peggy  | 

    Reply
  10. hi just so happy to have come across ur site i have suffered for years with dry red flaky sensitive skin would you please tell me what products of yours i should buy many thanks can i shop with you from ireland

    Posted By: julie  | 

    Reply

Post a Comment:

Find your
skin type

Great skin starts with knowing your skin type.

Take the quiz