Dry Skin Around the Nose Getting You Down? Here’s How to Fix It

Dryness is an issue people of all skin types deal with at one point or another. But what if it’s focused in an area that’s known for being oily like the nose? Which is fairly common!

And dry red skin around the nose is common particularly in winter when we’re rubbing our noses a lot.

So how do you avoid looking like a flaky version of Rudolph and look after your skin while you’re at it?

We’ve got you covered.

Today we’ll be going through what causes dry skin around the nose, and how to treat it.

What Causes Dry Skin Around the Nose?

1. Over cleansing

If you have oily skin, use harsh cleansers, or are just addicted to that deep clean feeling, you might end up cleansing excessively. But the cleaner the better, right?

Our skin actually needs to keep some of its oils to stay hydrated and protected. There isn’t a single skin type that’s exempt from this rule.

So naturally, over-cleansing ultimately leads to dryness. And it can even cause an uncomfy combo of dryness and oiliness as your parched skin tries to overcompensate for lost moisture.

This doesn’t mean that cleansing – even double cleansing – is off the table! In fact, along with exfoliation, cleansing is great for getting rid of dead skin.

It’s all about finding the right cleanser, which we’ll get into later.

2. Not using enough occlusives and humectants

It goes without saying that we should all be moisturizing every time we wash our faces. But is your moisturizer doing all it could be for you?

When doing your nighttime routine, use an occlusive moisturizer – something that contains ingredients like squalane, petrolatum, fatty acids, and dimethicone.

But what are occlusives? Simply put, they create a protective layer to lock in moisture. This is especially important at night.

Humectants, meanwhile, are great day and night, and they do the super important job of drawing water to the skin from the environment. One of the best humectants out there is hyaluronic acid, which can hold 1000 times its weight in water!

Hyaluronic acid is great in a moisturizer, but can also be bought separately in a serum. Glycerin is a great humectant too and is more commonly found.

3. Over-exposure to cold or hot water (or just water in general!)

A steamy shower can be oh so tempting. And we’ve all heard the fallacy that using lots of hot water “opens your pores” and gets the dirt out.

But in fact, staying in the shower too long could be overly stripping your skin and drying it out. This goes especially for people who have their shower or bath water super hot (we see you!)

It can be hard to wean yourself off hot showers, but it’s quite easy to adjust how you wash your face at the sink. Use lukewarm water, and don’t rub your cleanser in for any longer than a minute.

4. Over exfoliation

Exfoliation is one of the key steps in every complete skincare routine. It can fight aging, fade dark spots, and even help you stay hydrated in the long run!

But especially with acids and retinols, you can definitely have too much of a good thing. Using too many of these, or too frequently, can leave your skin stripped and irritated.

If you feel you’ve been exfoliating too much, step back your exfoliation to once or twice a week and focus on hydration.

We’d recommend products containing emollients and soothing ingredients like niacinamide. Centella Asiatica, a popular product in Korean skincare right now, is also fantastic for soothing sore, dry spots.

Now you know what not to do, want to know how to get rid of dry flaky skin around your nose for good? Keep reading! (And have a notebook handy.)

How to Treat Dry Skin Around Your Nose

1. Use a hydrating cleanser

If you’re using a foaming cleanser or one with drying agents like denatured alcohol or witch hazel, stop immediately! (Okay, you can finish the bottle, but then stop…)

Foaming cleansers are popular for the super clean feeling they leave you with. However, they are often stuffed full of surfactants which can overly strip the skin of its natural oils.

This makes foaming cleansers pretty unsuitable for dry areas. So instead opt for a cream or milky cleanser (with a cleansing balm as your first cleanse to remove makeup) or anything labeled as “hydrating”.

2. Prioritize moisture

Moisturization is so much more than slapping cream on and hoping for the best. And it’s paramount if dry red skin around your nose is what you’re dealing with.

Look for creams and lotions with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, urea, shea butter, ceramides, and glycerin, avoiding fragrance where you can to lessen the irritation.

And if you use retinol, buffer it. This means applying a thin layer of moisturizer, then your retinol, then another layer of moisturizer on top. This will do wonders to decrease retinol-induced flakiness.

Also avoid any cream that claims to be “mattifying”, as it will only dry you out!

3. Moisturize straight after showering

You know that “tight” feeling your skin gets when you step out of the shower or the bath? You want to avoid that.

As soon as the water starts to evaporate from your skin, it starts to dry. So before you do anything else, pat your skin dry with a clean towel or face cloth, then moisturize immediately.

The skin on the rest of your body can generally take more hardship than the skin on your face. It can wait a few minutes while you apply your serums if you’re using any and moisturizer.

Even a cheap drugstore toner for dry skin is great after the shower, giving you that much-needed boost when you need it most.

Conclusion

There are lots of things you can do to start taking better care of your nose skin.

Hopefully, we’ve mentioned some things today that you haven’t thought of and that dry skin around your nose is gone in no time!

But remember patience is key. And if the problem persists and worsens, don’t hesitate to speak to your dermatologist.