Many of us have been feeling out of kilter. Our anxieties and stresses throughout the year have affected us in both mind and body. More than ever, we’ve needed to find ways to care for ourselves, and we’ve found that small daily rituals can help. We’re all trying to find balance and harmony in our daily lives, and that can involve many things, from healthy eating to feelgood skincare. Many of us would say we feel better when we do little things to take care of ourselves – the waiting lists for hairdressers and beauty salons attest to this.

Yet while skincare has seen a huge boost in the past year, it’s easy to forget that our bodies need care too. As we emerge from lockdown and gear up for the summer ahead, we want to feel as healthy and glowing as we can. It’s generally this time of year we start to notice just how dry and even flaky our skin looks – as we start to remove layers, wear sandals and return to sports, we become conscious of dry skin.

Your skin has its own ecosystem, the microbiome, which is unique to each of us. While healthy hydrated skin has a balanced microbiome and preserved skin barrier, dry skin has the opposite. A weakened barrier means that means skin is vulnerable to irritants and harmful bacteria – and these can cause inflammation, flare-ups and itching.

But all too often, we sometimes find our basic body lotion doesn’t make a difference. Dry skin is one of the most common skin complaints in Ireland – pretty well all of us will experience it at some stage, and so it’s useful to know how to handle it. Dry skin is a spectrum, and so we need to choose the right products for our needs – our skin is as individual as we are. You might have normal skin that sometimes feels a bit dry; very dry to irritable skin; or skin that’s eczema prone. The AVEENO® range of products are specifically formulated for the spectrum of dry skin, and are dedicated to supporting healthy looking, hydrated skin. They’re also great value and easily accessible at leading pharmacies.

THE POWER OF OATS

We may have discovered the benefits of oats for breakfast as part of a healthy daily routine – but what about in skincare? The team at AVEENO® have more than 70 years’ skincare expertise, and their research has led to a range that’s from oat extract to shea butter. As Paula Moriarty, Professional Skincare Consultant, Johnson & Johnson Ltd, notes: “Healthy looking skin doesn’t happen by chance. Genetics play a part but mostly it is down to daily care, commitment to products that support your skin and protect it from dryness. Oats are known for their skincare benefits: they can form a protective film on the skin and help to moisturise dehydrated areas. The oat used in the AVEENO® range is known as a prebiotic which can support the growth of microorganisms naturally found in the skin microbiome. When the skin microbiome is balanced, the skin feels healthy, and this helps it to flourish while you can say hello to skin that feels moisturised and comfortable all over.”

NORMAL TO DRY SKIN

Do you have normal to dry skin? Look to the green range, AVEENO® Daily Moisturising (from €5.57), which features body and shower formulas that fit easily into your daily routine. Hydrating skin starts in the shower, with Daily Moisturising Body Wash with Colloidal Oatmeal, to cleanse the skin without drying. Maximise the impact with Daily Moisturising After Shower Mist, a fast-absorbing spray-on moisturiser that will keep skin hydrated for up to 48 hours (quick and easy to use in the gym, once they reopen). In the evening, take more time with the revitalising Daily Moisturising Yogurt Body Cream, in delicious vanilla & oat or apricot & honey scents, to leave your skin softly fragrant.

VERY DRY SKIN

For very dry skin, the AVEENO® Skin Relief range (from €5.89), in navy packaging, is formulated with a Triple-Oat Complex to soothe and restore your body and hair. The Skin Relief Soothing Shampoo, Body Wash and Moisturising Lotions (with either rich shea butter or cooling menthol) are all designed to soothe and protect dry skin that can be irritable. The AVEENO® Skin Relief Nourish & Repair Cica Balm, is an essential tube to have on the go – keep it with you to repair dry, exposed and chapped skin.

VERY DRY & ITCHY SKIN

If you’re struggling with very dry and itchy skin, and even prone to eczema, the AVEENO® Dermexa range (from €10.99), in pale blue, is clinically proven to soothe and protect, and helps to keep very dry skin at bay and helps reduce flare ups of intense skin dryness. This range is formulated with Triple Oat Complex and is combined with added Ceramides. Suitable for adults, this is a dermatologist-tested range, so you can trust that it will bring relief.

To find the right AVEENO® product for you, visit www.aveeno.ie.