Use warm, not hot, water in the shower. Hot water saps your skin of moisture, which leaves it feeling dry and tight. Turning the temperature down a few degrees still gives you the same blissful bathing experience but with less moisture leeching.
Apply a face moisturizer immediately after stepping out of the shower. Because of the shower’s steam and the warm water, post-shower is the best time to apply face moisturizer or moisturizing cream. The steam causes pores to open, so skin is more receptive to the moisturizing ingredients.
If your skin is exceptionally dry, save your normal face moisturizer for later and use a heavier moisturizing cream right after you step out of the shower. Don’t open the bathroom door and allow the steam to dissipate until after you’ve slathered on the moisturizing cream. Once the steam is gone, pores will naturally close, and the cream has a better chance of reaching the deeper layers of skin.
If you like to use your facial cleanser while in the shower, look for a facial cleanser that helps to moisturize your skin. While face washes are meant to remove oil and grease, you don’t want them to steal all of your skin’s hydration. With the water and temperature working against you, you need to keep as much of it as you can, and moisturizing facial cleanser can help lock in a little bit of softness.
Use natural or organic shower gel. Natural bath products don’t contain drying chemicals such as sulfates, parabens and alcohols, so skin receives the product’s moisture and gets to keep it too. While you’re at it, consider switching to natural moisturizers, hair shampoos and facial cleanser too.
Reduce the time you spend standing under the water. Even if you use less damaging warm water, the fact is that water still is not a friend to your skin. The less time you stand in the spray, the better, since your skin won’t have time to lose a ton of moisture. You can speed up your shower time by using your hair shampoos and conditioners first, so they have time to sit and work before its time to rinse.