Dry skin comes down to the barrier losing water faster than it can hold onto it. When that protective layer is depleted — by cold weather, hot showers, harsh cleansers or simply genetics — moisture escapes and skin feels tight, flaky or rough. The answer is to support the barrier and replace both the water and the oils it has lost.

Keep it simple and barrier-first. Cleanse with a cream rather than a foam, layer in a serum to condition the skin, then seal everything with a rich moisturiser morning and night. A few drops of facial oil over the top replenishes the lipids dry skin tends to lack. Consistency matters far more than the number of steps.

A cream. Foaming and stripping cleansers lift away the very oils a dry barrier cannot afford to lose, which is what leaves skin feeling tight and squeaky afterwards. A cream cleanser removes makeup, sunscreen and the day's grime while leaving your natural lipids intact — so skin feels soft and comfortable rather than stripped.

Morning and night, every day — and the timing helps. Applying moisturiser onto slightly damp skin, straight after cleansing or bathing, traps more water against the surface. Through cooler months or after travel, dry skin often appreciates a richer formula or an extra layer in the evening.

Yes. Dry skin lacks lipids as well as water, and a facial oil replenishes the side a moisturiser alone can miss. Pressed over your moisturiser at night, a blend of nourishing plant oils helps soften and smooth, and supports the barrier so skin holds onto moisture better by morning.

Yes, with a little care. Vitamin C brightens and supports collagen, and dry skin can absolutely use it — the key is a gentle, stable formula applied to a healthy barrier rather than a high-strength acid. Introduce it slowly, a few evenings a week, and always follow with your moisturiser.