Jasmijn Scheur (23) is an all-round beautician and skin therapist. Since 2016 she has known that she has vitiligo. In the December issue of Spotlight! she writes about tackling dry skin in winter. Below is an extended version of that article, complete with interesting links.

What to do with dry skin?

by Jasmijn Scheur

With the winter cold in the country, the heating will be loud again at home. That warm air and cold weather affect our body. What is the difference between dry or dehydrated skin, and how do you deal with this?

There is a big difference between the terms 'dry' or 'dehydrated' skin. Dry skin suffers from lower sebum production. Sebum is the fatty substance that should keep our skin naturally supple and ensure that the skin's barrier remains intact. An intact skin barrier keeps the deeper layers of the skin hydrated.

Itch
With dry skin, sebum production is low and dead skin cells accumulate. Dead skin cells can cause flaking and itching over time. The itching is a natural response of the body to the 'excess skin' to get rid of the excess skin cells by scratching (think of the behavior of bears that scratch their backs on tree barks to lose old fur and skin cells).

With dehydrated skin, the moisture in the skin is able to escape and evaporate to the outside air. This can have several causes. The moisture from the skin can evaporate due to lower humidity in the environment due to heating, a hot shower or air conditioning. Dry skin is often accompanied by dehydrated skin.

Care
Good skin care is very important for dry skin. When dead skin cells accumulate, they can clog the sebaceous duct, causing small deposits of sebum (blackheads) to form. When the skin becomes closed off from the outside air, an environment is created without oxygen. This is precisely the environment (anaerobic) in which bacteria (such as propionium bacterium acnes) thrive best. This can also cause pimples to develop with dry skin (also called dry acne).

Oily ointment
With dry skin, it is important not to overwash the skin or use products with irritating ingredients such as perfume or alcohol that dry out the skin even more. I recommend soap-free cleaning without perfume, dyes or alcohol. Using a non-granular exfoliant in the form of lactic acid or glycolic acid removes excess dead skin cells. I also recommend a greasy ointment that leaves the skin barrier intact and ensures that no moisture can escape from the deeper layers of the skin. Your doctor or dermatologist can prescribe these greasy ointments. This may include Vaseline, Vaseline Cetamacrogol Cream FNA or Lanette Ointment FNA.

With dehydrated skin there is a disturbed moisture balance in the skin. As discussed above, this does not necessarily say anything about the amount of sebum on the skin that keeps the skin oily. Skin with too little moisture can even have oily skin with acne due to excessive sebum production. To replenish the moisture reservoirs in the skin, ingredients such as hyaluronic acid (capable of binding moisture up to a thousand times its own weight), glycolic acid, jojoba oil, urea, collagen and dimethicone or cyclomethicone (silicone) can be used. ). Barrier-restoring ingredients such as vitamin C, panthenol and niacinamide ensure that moisture cannot disappear from the skin and you are more resistant to fungi, bacteria and viruses.

Dry skin and light therapy
We received comments on our Facebook page stating that hydrated skin with vitiligo burned less quickly after light therapy. There is a logical explanation for this. Skin with an intact skin barrier (so not dry and dehydrated) makes the skin more resilient to external influences. Healthy, strong skin will be able to defend itself better against radiation than vulnerable, damaged skin.
 
Useful sites
• On https://www.huidziekten.nl/folders/nederlands/droge-huid.htm All possible ointments/fat-containing inert products that are suitable for dry skin are listed. This is something the GP determines based on the dry skin he/she sees. For one person a very greasy cream is suitable, while someone else with dehydrated skin will benefit more from a moisturizing cream.

Read more?
• https://www.dr-jetskeultee.nl/een-vochtarme-huid-en-hydraterende-stoffen/
• https://www.uncover-skincare.nl/product-advies/droge-huid/