Understanding and caring for dry skin

Dry skin happens when the skin doesn't produce enough natural oil (sebum) to keep itself soft, supple and protected. Without that oil, the barrier struggles to hold on to water, so moisture escapes and the skin is left feeling tight, rough and sometimes flaky.

Some people are simply more prone to dryness by nature, and it often increases with age as oil production slows. But dryness is also frequently made worse by what we do to our skin — harsh cleansers, hot water, over-exfoliation and stripping products all remove the very oils dry skin is already short of.

Your surroundings have a huge effect on how dry your skin feels. Cold air, wind, low humidity, indoor heating and air conditioning all pull moisture from the skin. Hot showers and hard water strip away protective oils, and sun exposure damages the barrier's ability to retain water.

This is why dryness can come and go with the seasons and your environment. Recognising your triggers — a dry winter, a heated office, long hot showers — lets you adjust your care to give the skin more support exactly when it needs it.

Dry skin and the skin barrier are deeply linked. The barrier relies on natural oils to function, and dry skin is short of exactly those oils. So dryness often goes hand in hand with a weakened barrier — and a weakened barrier loses water even faster, deepening the dryness.

This is why simply splashing on water or using a light, watery product rarely fixes dry skin. Without oils to seal that moisture in, it evaporates straight back out. Caring for the barrier — feeding it nourishing fats and butters — is what allows dry skin to finally hold on to moisture.

Healthy, comfortable skin is not just about adding water — it's about keeping it there. Dry skin needs both: ingredients that bring in moisture, and richer oils and butters that lock it in so it doesn't escape.

The most common mistake is reaching for ever-stronger exfoliation to deal with flakiness. But flaking on dry skin is usually a sign of dehydration and a struggling barrier, not a build-up that needs scrubbing away. Nourish instead of strip, and the flaking typically settles on its own.

Dry skin is asking for nourishment, and that is exactly what nature provides best. We build our formulations around cold-pressed oils and rich natural butters — the kind of deeply replenishing ingredients dry skin recognises and thrives on.

Rather than stripping or over-exfoliating, we focus on feeding the skin and supporting its barrier so it can hold on to moisture for itself. We work with the skin, not against it. Nurture yourself — and dry skin softens when it is finally given what it has been missing.