If you suffer from dry, tight, sometimes irritated skin - you're not alone. Up to 60% of the population will experience some form of dryness with their skin in their lifetime, and a lot of us (especially in Ireland) are plagued with dry skin due to our weather and climate. 

Particularly coming into the Autumn/Winter months, most of us - even those with oilier skin types - will experience some form of dryness due to a phenomenon known as "Winter Skin Syndrome". This occurs due to the air getting colder, the increase in the use of central heating and taking hotter showers - all of these are factors that exacerbate dry skin problems, meaning that most of us have to switch up our skin routines to increase the amount of hydration we are getting into the skin during these colder seasons. 

Dry skin can feel tight, itchy, flaky, sore and can have increased sensitivity compared to those of us oilier folks. At The Beauty Basket, skincare is something we are extremely passionate about, so we have put together a little "Dry Skin Survival" post with all you need to know to keep your skin healthy and hydrated. 

First up, we all need a good cleanser as part of any skincare routine. We at the Beauty Basket recommend the Koconoi Cleansing Facial Oil (€19.95) as the perfect cleanser for dry - extremely dry or sensitive skin. Besides smelling absolutely divine and feeling like actual silk on the skin, the entire Koconoi range is formulated by combining the natural skincare benefits of certified pure coconut oil, taken only from coconuts sourced in the Philippines and Hawaii to ensure their utmost standard, with the added benefits of the latest cosmetic skincare chemistry to provide you with the best of the best in moisturising, anti-bacterial, versatile skincare. With Koconoi, you are getting all the benefits of natural-based skincare, enhanced by scientific methods to really give you noticeable results quickly and efficiently. This cleanser will remove makeup with ease, deeply hydrate, and leave a lasting moisturised feel on the skin that won't give that stripped, tight feeling other cleansers can do. 

Next, we need a good moisturiser to apply after cleansing. While the Koconoi Cleansing Facial Oil will leave your skin extremely soft and you may feel like you don't need to add anything else, moisturisers are an absolute essential to healthy, happy, youthful skin. We recommend the Boddys Pharmacy Deep Hydrating Face Cream (€25.95) for intense, deep hydration that lasts. This cream is specially developed to preserve optimal moisture levels in the skin all day long, combating dryness and dehydration on a cellular level. It contains avacado, olive extracts and squalene (all super beneficial hydrating ingredients), and absorbs quickly into the skin to prevent the sticky feeling moisturisers can sometimes leave behind. This cream also has anti-ageing benefits, as it will smooth out the appearance of wrinkles and dehydration lines, leaving the skin with a healthy youthful texture that doesn't feel dry or flaky. 

Finally, you can't have a complete skincare routine without including an intensive treatment facemask, to be used at least once per week to really target and treat any skin concerns you may have. Facemasks are really important for keeping your skin in the best condition possible, and for enhancing your daily skincare routine by providing an extra boost. We love the Boddys Pharmacy Cucumber Water Mask (€17.95) here at The Beauty Basket, which is an invigorating, leave-on face mask derived from cucumber and melon extracts, which provides a cooling, soothing effect to the skin while also hydrating and refreshing. This is the perfect mask for those who suffer from redness in the skin, and seeing as redness usually accompanies dryness, this is an amazing all-rounder facemask to nourish and soothe skin that has been exposed to the harsh elements of the cold, rain, wind, central heating, hot showers etc. If you are on a budget, we also have a range of Purederm single-use facemasks, such as the Purederm Hydro Pure Gel Sheet Masks, for an extremely affordable €3.99 - meaning you can still get that much needed hit of hydration no matter what your budget may be!