There are many strategies for coping with dry skin and applying a treatment containing occlusive ingredients is one of them.
Occlusive ingredients (sometimes referred to as emollients) work by covering the skin with a waterproof film that helps to minimize or prevent water loss. Occlusive ingredients include petrolatum, mineral oil and silicones such as dimethicone and cyclomethicone) and they are often found in moisturizers. While they tend to be well tolerated (and a boon to dry skin) they may clog pores or lead to breakouts in susceptible individuals.
There are many causes of dry skin and a number of dry skin treatments. If your dry skin is related to excessive moisture loss – low humidity, wind and extremes in temperature may be a cause – then occlusive ingredients are a good idea. Apply the formulation over slightly moist skin to lock in moisture. Using a combination of occlusive ingredients along with humectants (ingredients that attract moisture) delivers optimal results.
We stock a wide range of effective dry skin treatments containing both occlusive ingredients and humectants at PhaMix.
