Addressing Dry Skin: Formulation, Application, and a Proposed Serum Formula

Hello, I understand that your dry and flaky skin is causing you discomfort and concern. Based on the information you provided and the staff's advice, here are the explanations for your questions:

1. Which ingredients might cause dry or dehydrated skin?
   The staff has checked and confirmed that none of the ingredients you are currently using directly cause dryness. The issue lies in the overall formulation which lacks essential ingredients for dry skin. Dry skin requires ingredients like oils, butters, or waxes to help coat the skin and create a barrier to prevent natural water loss, which is characteristic of dry skin. Water-soluble moisturizing ingredients alone (such as Hyaluronic, B5, Moisture 24, Galactomyces, Repair Activator, Sea Kelp, Yeast Resurface, HybridCell, WaterLock, Japanese Cedar) can hydrate the skin but do not effectively retain water within the skin. When water evaporates easily from the skin, the skin remains dry and may even feel drier.

2. Does applying moisturizer frequently or thickly cause the skin to draw water out instead of hydrating it?
   Yes, the phenomenon you observed is possible. If the product formula is primarily water-based and lacks oils/butters/waxes to create a protective layer, frequent or thick application can lead to the evaporation of water from the product on the skin. This process can potentially draw water out from the uppermost layer of the skin, making the skin feel drier.

3. Is the proposed water-free serum formulation (without preservatives) feasible for hydration, and what can be added for better absorption?
   Although your proposed formula does not contain added water, many ingredients like Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Repair Activator, Sea Kelp Extract, Yeast Resurface, Rosa Hybrid Cell Extract, and Japanese Cedar Bud Extract are liquid extracts that inherently contain water. Therefore, this formula is not completely anhydrous and still carries a risk of microbial growth. Thus, preservatives are necessary.

   Regarding skin hydration, the formula contains good moisturizing ingredients, but as the staff advised, it still lacks the oils/butters/waxes essential for very dry skin to help coat and retain moisture. Adding ingredients from this group will help nourish the skin comprehensively, reduce water loss, keep the skin hydrated for longer, and also improve the texture of the product to be more suitable for dry skin.

   Additional Recommendations:

   • During periods of severe dryness, focus on using products containing natural oils (e.g., Jojoba Oil, Squalane, Shea Butter) or occlusive agents to reduce water loss.
   • Consider adjusting your current product formulations by adding appropriate proportions of oils/butters/waxes.
   • For your proposed formula, if you wish to use it, you should add a preservative and potentially consider adding light oils to help with spreadability and enhance nourishment for dry skin.

To provide more specific recommendations, the staff is happy to help adjust your current formula to better suit your dry skin. If convenient, please share the formula you are currently using.

Hope this information is helpful.

Thank you,
MySkinRecipes Staff