Vince Blog

When intense sun and harsh climate join hands with indoor conditioning, experiencing dry skin in the UAE becomes inevitable. Then come the seasonal changes into play, where winters make skin even drier due to the air with low humidity levels.

While it may sound scary, the solution is easier compared to the complex problem at hand. You just need to invest in an effective skincare routine. 

Let's understand together everything about these flaky, itchy patches on your skin, starting from why you have dry skin and eventually learning solutions that always work in your favor.

What Causes of Dry Skin in UAE?

Skin getting dry, in simpler terms, means your skin's moisture level has dropped below the normal limit. Multiple factors play a role, with the following ones becoming more pronounced:

1. Climate Factors

We all associate the UAE with different points of interest. Some with the iconic Burj Khalifa, and a few rare skincare enthusiasts, with its challenging climate that can quickly make your skin dry and dull. These include:

• Intense heat
• Damaging UV rays
• Low humidity
• Endless exposure to indoor AC or heating systems

2. Aging

Dry skin is more common in older individuals. Your skin becomes more prone to dryness as you age because the pores of your skin naturally produce less oil.

3. Dehydration

Your body majorly depends on water for its functionality and other essential processes taking place inside your body. You might become dehydrated if you do not consume an adequate amount of water daily.

Such a situation eventually leads to skin dryness and will have a huge impact on your entire body. Some people still ask about how to treat dry skin on the face and how they can prevent dryness. So, the answer is that A person who drinks enough water each day can avoid being dehydrated.

4. Water Quality

The UAE has mostly hard water, and that implies a few things:

• It has a high mineral content
• It can strip natural oils from the skin
• Skin exposed to it will eventually be left dry and dull

5. Skincare & Lifestyle Habits

Dryness is often a signal that your skincare and lifestyle habits need a few adjustments. Let’s mention a few common ones:

• Hot showers for a prolonged time
  
• Swapping gentle products for harsh soaps and skincare products
  
• Over-exfoliating the skin, and doing so very frequently

6. Dry Air

Mostly the air inside your home can be just as harsh on the skin as the outside air. Thus, heat and other types of forced air can significantly lower humidity levels, which ultimately causes dry and itchy skin. Furthermore, temperature and humidity both decrease in the winter season. So, your skin might get drier as a result.

7. Climatic Changes

Your skin's level of moisture can be affected by the temperature of your surroundings. Either extremely hot and dry conditions or prolonged exposure to the sun and wind can make the skin lose moisture. After excessive exposure to the sun and harsh weather conditions, your skin becomes super dry and this dryness may cause itching as well. Dry skin in UAE is a result of low humidity environments. You might experience dryness issues at any time of year, although it usually gets worse in the winter.

Helpful Link: How to Exfoliate Dry Skin in Dubai’s Summer

8. Medical / Skin Conditions

The dryness could also be due to skin conditions like:

Dermatitis:

• A broad term covering many subtypes
  
• Describes inflammation of the skin
  

Eczema:

• One of the most frequent forms of dermatitis
  
• Leads to a weakened skin barrier and moisture loss
  

Psoriasis:

• Results in thick, scaly patches
  
• Caused by faster-than-normal skin cell production

Sign & Symptoms of Dry Skin

Wondering if your skin is dry? These symptoms make it obvious:

• Flakiness
• Tight feeling
• Itching
• Redness
• Rough texture

How to prevent Dry Skin in UAE?

The best way to protect yourself from the intense outdoor climate is not realistic by staying indoors without AC. So, why not switch to a simple and realistic option that won’t hold you back? In the long run, prevent dryness with the following quick tips:

Use a Gentle, Hydrating Cleanser

Choose a hydrating, gentle cleanser that complements your moisturizer rather than overloading it with more responsibility by stripping the skin's moisture. 

Moisturize Immediately After Bathing

Follow the moisturizer 3-minute rule that emphasizes:

"Lock in hydration by applying moisturizer to damp skin within 3 minutes of showering."

Use Thick, Nourishing Creams Instead of Lotions

Prefer rich creams over body lotions, primarily those formulated with petroleum jelly, shea butter, and ceramides, as they are more beneficial for dry skin due to:

• High oil content
  
• Rich consistency
  
• Creating a protective layer on the skin

Avoid Hot Showers

Showers are crucial, so take a few pieces of advice to heart to avoid stripping natural oils:

• Keep water temperature from cold to warm and avoid hot showers
  
• Limit shower time 

Switch to Fragrance-Free Skincare Products

Fragrances may smell heavenly, but their presence comes with a downside:

• They can irritate your skin
  
• Compromise the skin's natural barrier and its ability to retain moisture
  
• Become especially harmful if you are suffering from conditions like eczema

Run a Humidifier Indoors

A humidifier counters the effects of indoor AC and heating systems, as a humidifier helps maintain the balance when the latter works hard to remove moisture from the air.

Protect Skin from Sun Exposure

Intense heat from the sun depletes the skin of its moisture. In parallel, UV rays work against your dry skin by damaging the skin's natural barrier, urging you to always wear sunblock with:

• Broad spectrum
  
• SPF greater than 30
• Water resistance
  

Home Remedies to That Actually Work

Enhance your daily skincare routine with the following no-side-effects home remedies:

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is pure natural oil that is effective in treating dry skin. To treat dry skin, coconut oil is just as safe and efficient as petroleum jelly as it greatly enhances skin hydration and raises the number of fats on the skin's surface. Emollients are fats that work as moisturizers to smoothen out and fill in the cracks in your dry skin.

This supercharged, fatty acid and antioxidant-rich ingredient:

• Repairs your skin’s barrier
• Deeply moisturizes due to its high oil content
• Relieves itching

Oatmeal Bath

A popular traditional cure for dry and itchy skin is an oatmeal bath. Historical study reports have revealed that this oatmeal bath treatment has been recommended for ages by numerous grandmothers because it does wonders for your skin.

This oatmeal bath comprises antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve irritation. This home remedy works particularly well for people who have super dry skin and they want to get rid of itching. After taking an oatmeal bath, you need to moisturize your skin well to lock in the moisture.

You can even prepare an oatmeal bath at your home. You just need to grind oats to a fine powder in a food processor and mix well into hot water.

To soothe itchy skin and revive hydration:

1. Add a finely ground cup of oatmeal to your lukewarm bathwater
2. Soak your body for 10–15 minutes

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a powerful source that:

• Provides soothing effects
  
• Treats inflammation
  
• Delivers lightweight hydration to the skin

Honey

A heavenly, viscous, sweet ingredient that, apart from satisfying our taste buds:

• Has a remarkable effect in both drawing and retaining water
• It is naturally high in antioxidants and has antimicrobial properties

Shea butter

To soften and smooth your dry and dull skin, nothing comes close to shea butter, as it helps relieve tight skin and moisturize it. It is the very reason you spot it in the ingredient lists of top products for dry skin.

Dermatologist-Approved Treatments for Severe Dry Skin

When Home Remedies Are Not Enough

The persistence of flaky, tight, and dry patches, even after following all the tried-and-tested formulas, indicates that you need the intervention of a dermatologist.

Medical-Grade Moisturizers

These are specialized moisturizers with a few key attributes:

• Contain active ingredients like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide
  
• Formulated based on science-backed clinical research to treat specific conditions
  
• Work by penetrating deeper into your skin
  
• Allow the active ingredients to deliver their benefits

Prescription Creams

We can often buy moisturizers casually, but prescription creams are designed for specific skin conditions. They are usually purchased on the recommendation of a certified specialist for ultimate skin nourishment and revival.

Hydrating Serums (Hyaluronic Acid + Niacinamide)

The journey from dehydrated skin to an optimally hydrated and well-nourished one is completed quickly when you incorporate hydrating serums into your routine. The best ones that are gentle yet quench the thirst of your skin include hyaluronic acid and niacinamide.

Barrier Repair Creams

Maintain a healthy skin barrier with an advanced, barrier-repairing masterpiece like Vince's Multi-Level Moisturizing Cream, which helps to:

• Fortify your skin’s barrier
  
• Prevent water loss
  
• Give an instant hydration boost
  
• Keep your skin moist and soft for up to 24 hours

When to See a Dermatologist

Tried all the prevention tips, skincare essentials, and remedies, but still failed to see results within a few weeks of consistent use? Then it’s time to knock on a dermatologist’s door and get a specialized opinion about your concern.

Best Skincare Routine for Dry Skin in the UAE (AM + PM)

If your biggest skin worry at the moment is finding the right treatment for dry skin in the UAE, then the following section is all about the perfect sequence of skincare essentials that bring results pretty soon:

Morning Routine

1: Gentle cleanser

A cleanser clears all the product buildup from the previous night and promotes clear skin for successive products to work their best. Vince’s Vitamin C Cleanser not only thoroughly cleanses with a gentle approach but also helps provide brightening effects and antioxidant protection against the challenges of the outside world.

2: Hydrating toner (optional)

A toner mainly prepares the skin and balances its pH. For those with dry skin in the UAE, choose a hydrating option like Vince’s Aloe Vera & Cucumber Pore Tightening Toner, which provides a soothing effect as well for irritated skin.

3: Hyaluronic acid serum

When your skin is asking for hydration, never skip a hyaluronic acid serum as it provide:

• Deep hydration
  
• Plumping effect
  
• Reduced appearance of fine lines

4: Barrier Repair Moisturizer

Look out for repairing moisturizers that are light enough to absorb quickly, settling smoothly as you start your day. Make sure you have separate moisturizers catering to different body parts and designed with their unique needs in mind, such as:

• For eye area: Vince Hydrating Eye Recovery Serum
  
• For hands and feet: Vince’s Soft & Glow (Hand & Foot Whitening Lotion)
  
• For lips: Vince’s Juicy Lips

5: Sunscreen SPF 30–50

Seal the daytime routine with a broad-spectrum sunblock with an SPF of at least 30, and reapply every 2 hours.

Night Routine

1: Creamy cleanser

Give your nighttime routine a solid start with Vince’s Extra Glow Cleansing Milk, which flawlessly:

• Removes the day’s impurities and makeup
  
• Balances hydration
  
• Revives the skin’s natural resilience

2: Niacinamide serum

This serum at night ensures to:

• Balance oil production
  
• Strengthen your skin’s barrier
  
• Improve the skin’s moisture-retaining ability
  
• Promote an even skin tone

3: Thick moisturizer or shea-butter cream

Nighttime moisturizer should be enriched with creamy ingredients that offer promising skin-hydrating abilities. Vince’s Skin Lightening Night Cream is a shea-butter-enriched formula crafted for the darker hours, as it helps maintain moisture levels and enhance skin brightness as you sleep.

4: Overnight hydrating mask (optional)

These are thick, leave-on formulas with magical effects, as they provide a quicker way to retain deep, lasting moisture.

Best Ingredients for Dry Skin (with Benefits)

Top benefits for each of the best ingredients include:

Ceramides:

• Strengthen the skin barrier
  
• Lock in moisture
  

Hyaluronic Acid:

• Attracts and retains water
  
• Gives deep hydration
  

Glycerin:

• A humectant that pulls moisture into the skin
  
• Promotes softer skin
  

Squalane:

• Lightweight oil that restores suppleness
  
• Prevents moisture loss
  

Shea Butter:

• Rich emollient that nourishes and softens skin
  
• Heals dry patches
  

Niacinamide:

• Improves barrier function and reduces redness
  
• Enhances moisture retention

Ingredients to Avoid for Dry, Sensitive Skin in UAE

Alcohol-based toners:

• Strip natural oils
  
• Increase dryness and irritation
  

Fragrance:

• Can trigger redness and itching
  
• Irritates already-sensitive skin
  

Sulfates (SLS/SLES):

• Remove essential moisture
  
• May cause inflammation and discomfort
  

Retinoids when overused:

• Lead to peeling and excessive dryness
  
• Increase sensitivity due to faster cell turnover
  

Benzoyl peroxide:

• Very drying on the skin
  
• Can cause irritation or allergic reactions

VINCE Product Recommendations

• Hydrating cleanser: Aloe Vera Face Wash expertly manages thorough cleansing with hydration and soothing effects.
• Moisturizing cream: Skin Lightening Cream comforts your dry skin and regulates hydration levels with added brightening effects.
• Body lotion: Soft & Glow (Hand & Foot Whitening Lotion) fights against all odds to reveal glowing, hydrated, and soft hands and feet even in the challenging climate of the UAE.
• Sunscreen: A complete range of broad-spectrum options where SPF goes as high as 75, providing enough protection to help defend against UV rays.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Why is my skin so dry in Dubai?

Due to the hot and humid climate of Dubai, dry skin issues become more significant and common in the UAE. Therefore, it is extremely important to take care of your skin daily when you are staying in Dubai. Most people often get psoriasis or eczema due to dehydrated skin. However, moisturizing is the simplest way to get rid of dry and flaky skin.

Q2. How do you treat dry skin and prevent it?

Dryness occurs when your skin lacks enough water and moisture. You can treat dry skin by incorporating a proper skincare routine with all essential ingredients like hyaluronic acid, shea butter, alpha arbutin, etc. You need to moisturize your skin more frequently during the winter season in Dubai. Apply thick moisturizer on your skin as soon as you get out of the shower. You need to moisturize the skin more than once a day.

Q3. What causes dry skin and how do you prevent it?

The most common causes of dry skin include long hot showers, medical history, harsh detergents, cold and dry climate, dehydration, and excessive exposure to heat. By incorporating a proper skincare routine into your lifestyle, you can keep your skin healthy, soft, and supple. Moisturizing the skin multiple times a day can help prevent dry and flaky skin.

Q4. What are the 5 most common skin problems in the UAE?

Summers are all year round in the UAE. You can find so many fun activities in summer, but the humidity and heat of Dubai can wreak havoc on your skin. The hot climate of UAE can cause several skin issues which include acne, dryness, sunburn, eczema, and atopic dermatitis.

Q5. What is the best moisturizer for dry skin in UAE?

Vince's Vitamin C Cream offers the right hydration with a soothing touch. It is perfectly designed with the UAE’s challenging climate in mind, as it offers brightening effects and protects from free radicals and premature aging.

Q6. Does AC really cause dry skin?

AC works by removing moisture from the air in order to create a low-humidity surrounding. In the process, it pulls water from your skin, leaving it dry, rough, and itchy.

Q7. How often should I moisturize in hot weather?

Moisturizer should stay a constant part of your daily AM and PM routine, even during hot weather. However, prefer lightweight moisturizers for daytime and oily skin types that absorb quickly to avoid overwhelming the skin when temperatures soar and you sweat.

Q8. Should I exfoliate dry skin?

Yes, exfoliating your dry skin is essential if you are not overdoing it and limit it to twice weekly. Vince's Apricot Scrub works remarkably well by being soft on your skin, gently removing dead skin cells, and revealing a smooth skin. 

Q9. Is Vaseline good for dry skin in UAE’s climate?

Yes, Vaseline helps lock in moisture in your skin for longer by forming a protective seal. For added hydration, pair it with a humectant that adds moisture and layer Vaseline on top to prevent its evaporation.