What Causes Tight Skin?
Tight skin is uncomfortable skin. You'll be most aware of it when you're fresh from the shower or climbing out of the swimming pool. Tight skin is caused by dryness. This could be due to your diet, lifestyle, or exposure to the elements--both sun and snow will make your dry skin feel tight. It may also just be the luck of the draw--the type of skin you were born with.
While very dry skin can feel uncomfortable, it can also be prone to fine lines and wrinkles. The imperfections will look even more prominent when the skin is lacking in moisture. You can improve your skin, though. Here are some tried and tested routes to the type of skin you've always longed for.
How Dry Is Your Skin Really?
Your first step in devising a beauty routine to get rid of tight skin should be to work out just how dry your skin is. Is it dry all over, for example, or just in certain areas? Some people have combination skin, which typically means that the skin is dry on the cheeks and around the eyes, but less dry on the forehead, nose, and chin.
The type of skincare routine you adopt will depend very much on whether your tight skin is caused by all-over dryness, or whether it would be more accurately defined as "combination" skin.
Caring for Tight Skin
"Cleanse, tone, and moisturize!" It's a mantra that's drummed into most of us from an early age, and it's not a bad one to live by, either. By keeping your skin clean, fresh, and rich in moisture, you'll keep it looking younger for longer and tackle signs of tightness or dryness. When you're developing your cleansing routine, though, it's important to pick the right products for your skin type.
Cleanser
Soap is the very last thing you want to use if you suffer from tight skin. Although there are some soaps on the market which contain a drop of moisturizer, most are fairly harsh. They will quickly make your skin feel even drier than it was to start with. Instead, pick a cleansing lotion which is mild enough to clean your skin without stripping it of the natural oils it needs to stay healthy. C.O. Bigelow's Moisture Rich Facial Cleaner is specially formulated to combat tightness in the skin.
Toner
Toner is used to get rid of any last traces of your cleaner, and freshen up your face for your moisturizer. Like cleanser, if you skin is dry, you'll need to pick a mild toner which will help seal in moisture rather than get rid of it. Clinique's Clarifying Lotion 1 is made specially for dry, tight skin.
Moisturizer
If your skin feels tight after cleaning, applying moisturizer should make it feel instantly better. In simple terms, the drier the skin, the richer the moisturizer you'll need. It's a good idea, too, to buy a separate moisturizer for day and night. While your face needs protection from the elements during the day, it's at night that your skin sets to work repairing and replenishing itself, so a good night-time moisturizer should be an essential part of your beauty routine. Clarins' Multi-Active Day Cream is designed for very dry skin, while their Multi Active Night Cream will fight tightness while you sleep!
Enjoy Comfortable Skin
There's no reason to suffer from the discomfort of tight skin. Invest in the right types of products for your skin and be diligent about performing your skincare routine every day. Keeping your skin clean and moisturized using quality products designed to keep tightness at bay is the key to enjoying the benefits of properly moisturized, healthy skin. As long as you follow an appropriate skincare routine, there's no reason to experience the discomfort associated with tight skin ever again.
