Dry Skin Around The Nose: Causes and Treatments
Of all the unfortunate, ego-crushing minor mishaps you can experience, nothing comes close to realizing you’ve got something stuck in your teeth or having dry, flaky skin around your nose.
While you may not ever be fully immune to having something in your teeth unless you completely let go of kale and carry around floss and a pocket mirror, you can do something about dry skin around your nose.
Your skin is a powerful organ, but the skin on your face is especially sensitive, reacting not only to the products you use but to ingredients in your diet, your water intake, and also the ever-changing temperature and weather outside.
As summer approaches and you spend more time in the sun, protecting your skin from hotter temps and more UV rays can help you avoid embarrassing dry nasal skin situations. Let’s talk about what’s giving you dry skin around the nose and how to combat it fast.
WHAT’S CAUSING THE DRY SKIN?
Dry skin isn’t just about dehydration. In fact, if your skin is genetically more dehydrated, it won’t matter how much water you drink. Skin can still lack moisture compared to someone who has naturally oilier skin. At the end of the day, everyone has varying skin types.
The areas of your skin that are the driest are also some of the thinnest and most fragile. The skin around your nose is this type of skin. The skin directly under your nostrils and around them is especially fragile and subject to some major tissue abuse when you’re under the weather (we’re looking at your head cold).
There are numerous reasons why the skin around your nose could be dry, but here are the top five most likely offenders.
1. WEATHER
A change in weather means your skin is exposed to different amounts of moisture in the air. In the fall and winter months, cooler, drier air can leach moisture from your skin as well as indoor heaters. In the summer, excessive sun exposure or living in a hot, dry climate can also contribute to skin dryness. Taking a long, hot shower can similarly damage your skin's protective barrier and contribute to dryness.
You can’t change the weather, but you can change your skincare routine as the seasons change. You may find you need more potent products depending on the season or that you need to adjust your moisturizer.
2. YOU’RE SICK
There’s a reason your favorite brand of tissues includes aloe; when you’ve got a runny nose, tissues can help.
While tissues with aloe and lotion are a great option and known for being at least a little more gentle on your skin, you’re still going to experience irritation in the form of dry skin around the nose.
Avoid the urge to load on heavy moisturizers that will only be wiped clean the next time you blow you’re. It’s also not a good idea to use petroleum products or mineral oil on your skin, as those can be carcinogenic and potentially toxic to your health.
3. YOUR PRODUCTS ARE TOO HARSH
You love your anti-aging products, but many of them include ingredients that can totally destroy delicate skin like the kind around your nos.
Retinoids and salicylic acid can be overly drying, which is why it’s usually recommended you start off using them every other day.
Another product known for making the skin dry and causing flakes? Exfoliators.
Exfoliation is a great way to help keep your skin free from dead skin cells and looking healthy and glowing. Still, if you’re using a product with exfoliating granules that are too harsh, you could end up damaging your skin's moisture barrier and stripping your skin of its natural oils.
If you’re experiencing dryness around your nose, avoid using products that contain these ingredients until your skin is back to normal. You should also choose fragrance-free products whenever possible, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Harsh chemicals in cleansers, soaps and other skincare products can also trigger skin conditions like seborrheic dermatitis (eczema) or rosacea, leading to dry flaking.
Instead, look for a gentle cleanser and remember to moisturize. Many people look to home remedies when moisturizing, such as coconut oil, shea butter, petroleum jelly, olive oil, or jojoba oil. Just be sure that whichever ointments you use aren't comedogenic or too heavy for your skin.
4. GENETICS
Genetics play a major role in whether or not you’ll have dry skin. If your mom and/or dad suffered from dry skin, chances are you will, too.
Genetically dry skin doesn’t mean you’re cursed with dry skin around the nose for life, but it does mean you’ll have to tailor your skincare needs to address the issue.
5. YOUR DIET IS SUFFERING
Raise your hand if you’ve ever considered a diet cola and a handful of pretzels “lunch.” You’re not alone. Life is busy, and our diets tend to take a backseat to deadlines and other time-consuming issues.
The problem is, your diet affects your skin (and your overall wellness).
Over time, a lack of fatty acids in your diet could result in drier, more fragile skin. Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, for instance, are crucial to protecting skin cell membranes, strengthening your skin barrier, and making it better able to retain moisture.
TREATING DRY SKIN AROUND THE NOSE
Tweezers and a magnifying glass might help you remove a few shreds of peeling skin around your nose. For a more permanent solution, you’ll want to target the cause of the dry skin at its source and use products that help your skin restore its natural moisture balance and retain hydration.
USE A HUMIDIFIER
If you live in a particularly arid environment, you’re probably already accustomed to using a humidifier as needed. If you’re just experiencing seasonal dryness, invest in a humidifier and use it overnight while you sleep.
A humidifier helps to add moisture to the air, keeping your skin and mucous membranes better hydrated and fighting back against dryness from weather and heating and cooling systems.
USE BETTER SKIN CARE
Sometimes dry skin is simply the result of poor product choices. Either the ingredients in our products are causing skin dryness, or they just aren’t helping our skin retain moisture.
While you may think using heavy moisturizers and creams is the secret to combatting dry skin around the nose, your focus should instead be on the ingredients. You can use a lightweight moisturizer and get great results if the ingredients help keep your skin hydrated.
When you’re ready to stop scrubbing the tip of your nose with harsh exfoliants and gobbing on loads of moisturizer that will only cause more irritation, you can begin to treat the dry skin around your nose with ingredients that help restore your skin’s natural moisture balance.
BEST INGREDIENTS FOR DRY SKIN AROUND THE NOSE
When we think about dry skin moisturizer is usually the first product that comes to mind, but keeping your skin hydrated starts with finding products with better ingredients. Feel like you’ve tried everything only to keep seeing flaky, dry skin around your nose?
Here are some ingredients to look out for that will help your skin stay hydrated:
MARINE ACTIVES
If you haven’t yet tried marine actives, what are you waiting for? Marine actives are living ingredients taken from marine life (plants and fish) that have a wealth of benefits for your skin.
Marine ingredients are safe and effective for all skin types, but can be especially beneficial when battling dry skin.
- Algae. One of nature’s most abundant sources of antioxidants, algae is rich in amino acids, vitamins, nutrients, and minerals that help nourish your skin and keep it healthy. It works by soothing irritation around your naso-labial folds and helping your skin hold in hydration. Skin can appear smoother and more hydrated.
- Exopolysaccharide. Long name, amazing ingredient. Taken from brown sea kelp, this ingredient helps to stimulate hyaluronic acid production to help replenish and moisturize your skin.
- Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the skin and helps your skin. It’s main function is to help your skin retain moisture by trapping it within the cells of your skin tissue.
- Wakame Extract. Taken from nutrient rich algae, this ingredient helps soothe skin irritation (which makes it especially great for chapped, dry noses) and helps to calm and brighten the skin.
Ready to give your nose the relief it needs? Then you need One Ocean Beauty’s Replenishing Deep Sea Moisturizer.
Our signature Replenishing Deep Sea Moisturizer is filled with algae, cryoprotective marine actives, and a marine collagen peptide compound to help replenish your skin, bring back moisture balance, and help soothe irritation. The cryoprotective marine actives act as a shield, protecting your skin against cold and dryness.
Our moisturizer is also a powerful anti-aging solution that helps combat free radical oxidative damage, helping restore skin’s natural elasticity, promote collagen production, and erase fine lines and wrinkles.
THE TAKEAWAY
Dry skin around the nose can be embarrassing, and it can also make it difficult to apply cosmetic products without clumping on dry, flaky skin. No matter the cause, you can fight back against dry skin with products that contain hydrating skin ingredients.
One Ocean Beauty’s entire skin care line is infused with sustainably sourced marine actives that are both clean and clinically proven for effectiveness. Our products help nourish, repair, and hydrate your skin naturally, while protecting the oceans where they are sourced.
Sources:
Evidence for Cosmetics as a Source of Mineral Oil Contamination in Women | NCBI