Dry skin can feel like an endless loop: you moisturise, your skin still feels tight, you moisturise again, and somehow it only looks drier. The truth is that dryness is rarely just a “not enough cream” problem. Skin hydration is influenced by your environment, habits, internal chemistry, and, most importantly, the condition of your skin barrier itself.
If your complexion has been flaky, tight, or dull lately, here are eight of the most common (and most overlooked) reasons why, plus what you can do (and what supplements you can take) to restore comfort and glow.
1. Your Skin Barrier Is Compromised
Think of your skin barrier as a protective seal. It keeps water in and irritants out. When that barrier is disrupted by cold air, harsh cleansers, over-exfoliating, or even stress, your skin loses moisture faster than you can replace it. This process is called transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and it’s the number one reason for persistent dryness.
Signs your barrier is struggling:
-
Tightness or burning after cleansing
-
Red patches around the nose or cheeks
-
Flakiness that doesn’t improve with moisturiser
-
Irritation after products that used to feel fine
What helps:
Gentle cleansing, richer moisturisers containing ceramides and fatty acids, and reducing exfoliation until the skin stabilises.
2. Collagen Declines Naturally With Age
Collagen isn’t just about firmness, it also affects how well your skin holds moisture. As collagen decreases with age, the skin becomes thinner, less elastic, and more prone to dryness. The dermal structure simply can’t retain water as effectively as it used to.
This is why dryness becomes more noticeable after your late 20s and especially after 35.
What helps:
Support collagen from both angles:
-
Topically: peptides, vitamin C, and sunscreen
-
Internally: top collagen peptides and nutrients that support natural collagen production
3. Your Skin Is Producing Less Natural Oil
Oil isn’t the enemy: without it, your skin can’t trap moisture. Sebum naturally begins to decline in your mid-20s and continues dropping through your 30s, 40s, and beyond. That’s why even people who were once oily suddenly find themselves dry around the eyes, temples, and cheeks.
This decline is also impacted by lifestyle, stress, medications, and hormones (more on that shortly).
What helps:
Opt for moisturisers with richer textures at night, and don’t skip fatty acids in your diet - salmon, chia seeds, olive oil, walnuts, and flaxseed all help reinforce the skin’s natural lipid layer.
4. Your Environment Is Working Against You
Your skin doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it reacts to your surroundings every moment of the day.
Dryness spikes when:
-
Heaters and radiators are constantly running
-
Air conditioning is used for long periods
-
Showers are very hot
-
The weather is cold, windy, and low in humidity
-
You’re flying
-
You’ve moved countries or have seasonal shifts
Indoor air in winter can drop below 30% humidity, essentially transforming your home into a moisture vacuum.
What helps:
Add a humidifier, lower shower temperature slightly, and apply moisturiser within 60 seconds of cleansing to lock in water.
5. You’re Cleansing Too Aggressively
Even the best skincare routine collapses if your cleanser is stripping your skin. Foaming cleansers, sulphates, high-pH formulas, and double-cleansing every night (when you aren’t wearing heavy makeup) can remove too much oil and damage the barrier.
What helps:
Choose cream, gel-cream, or milky cleansers, especially in winter or if your skin leans dry. And cleanse only once in the morning (or just rinse with water if your skin is sensitive).
6. You’re Dehydrated From the Inside Out
Dry skin isn’t always a surface-level issue. Internal hydration plays a major role in the skin’s ability to retain moisture.
Low water intake, caffeine, alcohol, sweating, and simply not replenishing fluids throughout the day all impact how hydrated your skin cells are.
Electrolytes also matter: your body needs minerals to move water into the cells where it’s actually useful.
What helps:
Consistent hydration (small amounts throughout the day), mineral-rich foods, and hydrating fruits and vegetables. Think cucumber, berries, citrus, watermelon, and leafy greens.
7. You’re Not Getting Enough Essential Fatty Acids
Your skin barrier is made of lipids, like ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids. Omega-3s and omega-6s are particularly important, and your body cannot make them on its own. You have to get them from your diet.
A lack of these fats can lead to dryness, sensitivity, and a compromised barrier that loses water rapidly.
What helps:
Eat more oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, and good-quality olive oil. If your diet is low in these foods, consider supplementation after consulting a professional.
8. Hormones Are Shifting (More Than You Think)
Hormones directly influence oil production and skin hydration. Dryness can show up during:
-
Stress (cortisol fluctuations)
-
Menstrual cycle phases
-
Pregnancy
-
Breastfeeding
-
Perimenopause
-
After stopping or starting hormonal contraception
For many women, the bridge between late 20s and early 40s involves more hormonal shifts than expected, which often translates to unpredictable skin dryness.
What helps:
Stability in routines, gentle products, omega-3 intake, collagen support, and managing stress where possible.
What You Can Actually Do About Persistent Dryness
Dry skin is multi-factorial, so the solution needs to be multi-layered. Here’s what tends to work best, consistently:
-
Strengthen your barrier with ceramides and gentle cleansing
-
Support collagen to improve water retention
-
Add healthy fats to your diet
-
Hydrate throughout the day
-
Protect your skin from environmental extremes
-
Choose richer textures in winter or when travelling
And most importantly: be consistent. Skin responds to routine, not one-off fixes.
How Collagen Helps Hydrate Skin From Within
One of the most effective internal approaches to dryness is supporting the skin’s collagen matrix. Collagen peptides help maintain the structure that holds water in the deeper layers of the skin.
Research shows that top collagen supplementation can help:
-
Improve skin elasticity
-
Increase hydration retention
-
Reduce roughness and dryness
-
Support a healthier barrier by improving dermal density
Collagen won’t replace moisturiser, but it acts like reinforcement from below, helping the skin hold onto moisture more effectively.
If Dry Skin Is a Constant Battle, Vital Beauty Can Help
If dryness is something you deal with regularly, Vital Beauty was designed to support your skin from the inside out. It combines high-strength hydrolysed collagen (Types I, II & III) with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, biotin, keratin, L-glutathione, choline, TMG, and NR, a comprehensive blend that helps maintain elasticity, reinforce the skin barrier, and improve moisture retention at a deeper level.
Rather than just adding hydration to the surface, Vital Beauty works beneath the skin to support structure, firmness, and long-lasting hydration, helping your complexion stay smoother, softer, and more resilient through seasonal changes, travel, and everyday stress.
